If fishing for dinner is your game, you should have plenty of opportunities.The biggest piece of advice that I can offer if you're camping at Crater Lake is to be highly bear aware. The 1.8 mile path (TR 1975) to Crater Lake and other places beyond leaves the Maroon Lake scenic loop at the far end of the lake and soon crosses the boundary of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.It heads up the densely wooded slope on the north side of the canyon, through a mixture of fir, spruce and aspen. It soon turns to a wide dirt trail and heads south working its way up the hillside on a few switchbacks. Photo Credit, courtesy of: R. Scott Rappold. A day hike to Glacier Lake is a possible alternative. 9 miles Miles of beautiful scenic trails with close-up views of towering mountain peaks and crystal clear lakes, along with peaceful solitude, reward those backpacking on the San Juan ⦠A day hike to Glacier Lake is a possible alternative. South San Juan Wilderness The last known grizzly bear in Colorado was killed in the wilderness in 1979. Permits & Regulations No permits required, but LNT camping is a must. Colorado's South San Juan wilderness. The South San Juan Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the San Juan National Forest, east of Pagosa Springs, in southern Colorado.. Distance from Trailhead: 11.8 miles (round trip) Ending/Highest Elevation: 11,770-ft. Elevation Gain: 1,000-ft. For panoramic views of the peaks to the west and south of Molas Pass along with a restricted view of the Needles, hike to the obvious saddle (11,770-ft.) southwest of the lake. See this panorama in full width here. Additionally, from the end of the trail at Crater Lake, there is a well-worn path that leads to North Twilight Peak and other undeveloped destinations in the West Needle Mountains. Any easy side trip takes hikers to a panoramic saddle above the lake. The 1.8 mile path (TR 1975) to Crater Lake and other places beyond leaves the Maroon Lake scenic loop at the far end of the lake and soon crosses the boundary of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.It heads up the densely wooded slope on the north side of the canyon, through a ⦠One of my favorite places in the world: Crater Lake. We just returned from an incredible 5 day backpacking trip to the South San Juan Wilderness in SW Colorado. One such hidden gem is (yet another) Crater Lake, tucked away in the South San Juan Wilderness - an area labeled by many as "Colorado's wildest corner". Keep in mind, as well, that at least 1 hour of the hike (in the middle of it) will be at, or above, treeline - so, do factor that into your timing if thunderstorms are in the forecast. From this point, continue downhill into the spruce/fir forest, which should begin at around 11,600'. The lake, cradled in a pretty timber-lined bowl, is a photographer’s delight with North Twilight Peak (13,075), rising to the south, reflected in its still waters. Photos and trail descriptions of 'Backpack to (the other) Crater Lake in the South San Juan Wilderness' and more, submitted by the Outbound community. (or send him an e-mail here). Lobo Overlook. The Twin Crater Lakes trail steeply gains altitude for about .5 mi before entering a wonderful meadow with a creek running through it. 0 Alternative ... South San Juan Wilderness Trails. Day 2: Continue west through the South Fork Narrows, then up Cañon Rincon to a high camp near Twin Lakes (11,700â). Crater Lake, Weminuche Wilderness. In 1870, gold and silver was discovered in area, which lead to a small boom i... Treasure Falls is reached via short .4 mile walk from the parking lot on highway 160 about 15 miles outside Pagosa Springs (which is home to the worlds deepest hot springs). Has anyone been there in winter? Learn more about this beautiful location in my ebook, Capturing Colorado Hiking & Photographing Lakes of the San Juan Mountains. On September 23, 1979 a sow grizzly was killed near Blue Lake by a bow hunter. | Fine art landscape photography | Nature images and pictures | Photography tips | Arizona | Colorado | Utah | New Mexico Access to the wilderness is mainly from the north via Hwy 160 or from the east through the town of Antonito. Within 10-15 minutes of hiking, the views will open up and the Continental Divide and its various unnamed peaks in the area will be visible. Visitors are requested to contact a Forest Service Office for the regulations governing use of the Continental Divide Trail which passes through the South San Juan Wilderness Area. (Note: this is not the route shown on the older USGS map that goes around the north and east side of the lake.) All the while, take joy in the fact that your pack should be much lighter going back uphill on the way back, sans the weight of your weekend supply of food and other consumable items!Trailhead Elevation - 11,600 ft.Maximum Elevation - 12,140 ft.Destination Elevation - 10,900 ft.Round-trip Distance - 9 milesTotal Round-trip Elevation Gain - 1,780 ft. Trailhead Coordinates (pulled from Google maps)37.404709, -106.644985Crater Lake Coordinates (pulled from Google maps)37.390793, -106.695448. Have you done this adventure? Situated south of Platoro Reservoir, this 17.7 mile hike offers a mix of wooded valleys, alpine meadows and a an exhilerating stretch of the Continental Divide Trail. Take Action. Just below the lake's outlet, the creek is loosely filled with logs and driftwood, and absolutely teaming with rainbow, cutthroat and even what looked to me to be some hybrid "cutbow" trout. We got our gear together and were on the trail by noon. Photo Credit, courtesy of: R. Scott Rappold. Day 2: Continue west through the South Fork Narrows, then up Cañon Rincon to a high camp near Twin Lakes (11,700â). Created on December 22, 1980, when President Carter signed Public Law 96-560, the 127,721-acre South San Juan Wilderness is a geographically remote and primal territory. Crater Lake is located in the Weminuche Wilderness Area of the San Juan National Forest near Silverton, Colorado. The trailhead for Crater Lake is a fair distance off any major highway - roughly 18 miles off of US Highway 160 - in close proximity to relatively unknown Elwood Pass (Forest Road 380). Click on the "Add To Cart" link to add this photo to your cart or click on a keyword to find similar photos. Along the ridge, there is somewhat of a "triangle" junction of trails (along with several other social trails in the area) but coming from this direction, you should simply be able to continue straight on the trail you are on (do not veer left onto the CDT). The Outbound works best with JavaScript enabled. We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. I'm gonna guess it's a bit harder to reach (that's the view from Wolf Creek Ski Area. Nestled deep in the South San Juan Wilderness near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Fish Lake is a beautiful, deep glacier tarn located just below the Continental Divide in the headwaters of the Blanco River. Blue Lake Loop, South San Juan Wilderness, CO. overlooking an open meadow, offering guests a unique lodging This would be a great opportunity for us to scout for new elk hunting areas and do some hiking and tout fishing along the way. See here for TOPO Map and more detail. 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