I was able to return to take Mount Sneffles which has been on my bucket list of 14ers. I ascended…read morevia the standard rout (not blue lakes) which starts from a different trailhead:the yankee boy basin. If you have a good car you can get to the outhouse easily. I did this in my Subaru Crosstrek and car camped overnight. The outhouse actually is functional and very nice! The standard route is about 6 miles round trip with over 3K elevation gain. You walk about 2 miles up the road, then go straight up a bunch of scree. It's not technical, but was daunting. I thought it would be worse going down than it was in reality. After this section, veer left up a fun class 2 scramble to the top of a gully. Then go left again right before the top to the famous V notch. Not as scary as I thought it would be although a very nice person was helpful with descending as it's best to go through backwards. Then there is a short class 3 scramble to the summit with beautiful and rewarding views. You can see the blue lakes and mountains as far as the eye can see. This is a very special mountain and I met lots of nice people at the top! Id highly recommend this hike for anyone progressing to class 3s as it's a fairly easy one.

We ventured up Mount Sneffels last week. It is considered an "easy class 3" 14er. We opted to go…read moreup the standard route (south slopes) which starts at Yankee Boy Basin trailhead. However to get to the trailhead you will need 4WD nd high clearance vehicle. If you dont have that you will either need to park at the bottom of the road or at the lower lot. Exposure and rockfall potential is considerable. Route finding and commitment is moderate. From the lower lot parking lot, you would start at 11350 feet elevation and will end at 14150 feet elevation. From the lower lot, round trip length of this trail is 6 miles. This trail was tough. once you get to the actual trail head, you will have around .5 mile of okay trail and then 1.2 miles of lots of scree and loose rock. You need to bring a helmet for this hike. People can kick down rocks above you or they could just fall loose. Poles would also be highly recommended. I normally do not hike with poles (well ever) and i was wishing i had them for this hike. My knees actually hurt on this one on the way down. It was one of the most challenging experiences i have completed but it was extremely rewarding. The views from the top were like no other. It was undescribable. So amazing. My top peaks would be this one or uncompaghre, just be sure that you are up for the challenge as it is VERY physically challenging.

Discovered this site while driving from Ouray to Silverton just off Hwy 550. It is about 13…read moreminutes from Silverton. There are more than 50 campsites serving tent-campers, small RV's and pop-ups, and a few sites over 1,500 square feet to serve even the largest RV's. The park has one water pump, clean pit toilets and showers that will cost you $5 for 4 minutes! You can make online reservations and offer a variety of sites, from water front, lake view or standard. I stayed in a water front and boy was it a pretty site. The only drawback is that since there is no barrier, you are fully exposed and visible from most of the other surrounding sites. The wind blows hard and although my tent held up really well, there were moments I could not even enjoy the views because it was so windy!! Firewood is available for purchase but I had a hard time getting the wood to burn as did other campers around me as they shared the same experience. Site prices vary depending on season. Would definitely return, fishing is allowed but no swimming.

Nice camping, poor execution and customer experience. Handled a miss reservation poorly and even…read moreblamed the customer for their staffs mistake.

Listed as an easy 4x4 road. It is a steep, rough, one lane road with blind curves, no guard rails…read more Ir was not a bad 4WD ride. Camping, hiking and fishing at the lakes. Significantly cooler and more windy than below. Trout lake is much prettier and easier to get to but perhaps that is not the point of this drive.

Beautiful lake for boating, fishing or hiking around. Great area for adventure. Have been coming…read morehere for 48 years.

I live here. It's great, quiet, beautiful, lots of hikes, water sports. Nice people, locals and…read morevisitors.

Bridal Veil Falls Trail is absolutely amazing...It's not too advanced...making it perfect for most…read morehikers...but still offers a great workout (my legs are sore...but it was worth every step!!!)...The trail is filled with beautiful sights and wildlife -- I spotted several birds and some adorable chipmunks along the way. There are three breathtaking waterfalls that are truly the highlight of the hike...Reaching the top feels so rewarding...and you even have the option to walk back using the road...which we did for an easier descent. I highly recommend this trail for anyone looking for a scenic adventure that's not overly difficult but still feels like a great accomplishment!!!

Lovely hike at the end of downtown Telluride! We arrived mid-morning on a Saturday in June and…read morethere were a few spots left in the parking lot (outhouse in lot). The views from the parking lot were super cool! The hike itself was fairly mild with several awesome waterfalls along the way. Although the hike to the top was only a tad over 1 mile and didn't have very high elevation gain, it took us a bit longer than expected -- relatively narrow, rocky trail that requires some attention to footing. Highly recommend some rain gear to get closer to the falls when you get to the top!

Handies peak is a beautiful and easy class 1 in the San Juan's. My group and I did this one the day…read moreafter Redcloud & Sunshine, so it was nice to have a shorter day. It's less than 3K elevation and I clocked 6 miles round trip, granted the elevation builds quickly during those 3 miles to the summit. It was so beautiful that my two friends declared it was one of their top three favorite 14ers that they've done! The view at the top is stunning, with gorgeous scenery and breathtaking vistas along the way. You can make a very short detour and even visit a lovely alpine lake. The hardest part of the hike is accessing it. We were already parked along cimaron pass at our campsite, but it took an additional 40 minutes or so to drive from Redcloud trailhead to Handies. I made it in my Crosstrek but there were a couple of truly sketchy spots and a very very bumpy ride. No bathrooms at the trailhead and not much coverage to duck into the woods so keep that in mind. A must do for every 14er fanatic or ambitious hiker!

Handies peak! I have dreamed about hiking this one for several years in the summer when…read morewildflowers are blooming but distance kept me away. Planned a 5 day stay up in the lake city/san juan area so we could knock it out. I finally did it and it did not disappoint. We took the Handies via grizzly gulch which is the non standard route and it is longer than the american basin route. The road getting to grizzly gulch from lake city was rough. lots of pot holes and jutting rocks. Also narrow stretches with drop offs on the side. ATVs and jeeps like to zip down the road at the speed of light and there are not a lot of pull offs along the way. I made it with my honda pilot but it was SLOW going. plan extra time for this road. (cimmaron pass) We were initially going to go to american basin but after the long drive to get to grizzly gulch i just didn't have it in me to do another 4-5 miles on even rougher road. There is a bathroom at the Trailhead. There are no trash cans or dog poop bags however so be sure to pack out whatever you pack in (including your dog poop)! This trail is a class 1. Though that does not mean it is "easy" by any means. However we did enjoy the first half or little more of the trail that had dirt trails and step ups. The trail was very well maintained. Currently in july there are fields of lovely wildflowers that are so abundant and in a variety of colors. Also there is a stream for a chunk of it that you will walk near. As you ascend further up, it begins to get rocky and there is scree near the top. As you merge on to the peak, you will meet up with all the hikers from american basin standard approach which is substantially more. So the peak may seem a little crowded. On our trek, we only saw maybe 6 other people. The flowers along the way and then the view at the top was all breathtaking! So thankful to have finally gotten to complete this peak!

one of the best RV campgrounds we just found this place driving through. wish we had more time…read morefor a longer stay. exceptionally clean well maintained campground. it's a must stay if you are in the. area

I rarely rate any type of establishment 5 stars, but Highlander Campground deserves every single…read morestar. We have traveled all over Colorado and this has been our best find yet. For reference, we have 45ft Class A & tow a jeep. Nestled in beautiful Lake City, CO lies this quiet and quaint little campground with just 34 spaces, plenty of warm hospitality and beautiful views of the Colorado scenery. The property is clean and well manicured-with a personal touch everywhere you look. Their custom fire rings are the best part! From the minute you drive in you'll feel at home. Scott & Amy go above & beyond to make you feel welcome. They have the cutest general store I've ever come across stocked with ice cream, beverages & snacks, your basic necessities, RV parts. as well as a great selection of brand name gifts and souvenirs all tastefully displayed. They have a reliable wifi network, are big rig friendly, have a small pet area, a 24 hour laundry room, personal trash "service" (no dumpsters) and is just a few short miles from downtown Lake City. All spaces have a fire ring, picnic table, shade trees and plenty of room between you and your neighbor. They also have jeep rentals, sell propane, ice and firewood. I would recommend grocery shopping prior to arriving in Lake City, they only have one general store with limited stock. If you are traveling through Colorado this should definitely be a stop on your itinerary- you won't be disappointed!! Thank you Scott & Amy!

Just super. There are deer and a bunch of nice birds. There are several gay wolves on premesis…read morekissing

Excellent hike! Would definitely recommend this hike for everyone who is able bodied. It is listed…read moreas an easy hike on All Trails, but it does have some challenging little parts. And it is not accessible, so people with mobility disabilities may have trouble. It is beautifully scenic even with the beetle kill. Love the water falls and river as well as the wildlife. A great adventure for kids too- something new to explore around each bend.

We randomly stopped into this state park and it was such an amazing experience and just so…read morebeautiful! If you park in the visitor parking lot for more than 15 minutes, the park fee is $10. Visitor center has really informative and friendly rangers and definitely stop in to pick up a gift from Colorado! Ranger also let me know a few trails had interpretative education so follow the numbers and he gave me a guide for what each number means. Cool learning experience. State parks in Colorado are self sufficient, so taxes don't support the parks and the state parks reliant on fees they charge. I'd gladly support any state park any day. The views here are mind-blowing and we got to stroll around a bit and our dog also enjoyed the park and trails. We will definitely be stopping in here again when passing through, well worth the stop!

Nice clean sites with lots of room between. Volunteer hosts are terrific! Namely Dick & Cindy…read more Thanks you. Fishing ponds are full of fish as well. Negative which sucks- Once you pay for your site you need to also buy a "park pass" for another $10 per day!!! Outrageous!! This is like son California sh*t.

The best campsite in the area. There are limited campsites but, if you have the opportunity to snag…read moreone at S. Mineral, it's much recommended. Came here the second week in September (post Labor Day) and we got lucky scoring the last vacant campsite (site 17). The host Jeff was so welcoming and gave us some surrounding + weather details. This campgrounds is perfect if you hike Ice lakes trail. It's a busy/popular hike so, the earlier the better. Will hopefully get lucky to get a camping site as I'd love to visit/stay here again.

We are mostly sedentary, 45-50 years old, relatively unhealthy, and live at about 700 ft elevation…read more It took us 11 hours to ice lake, island lake, and back. We struggled to breathe a lot but found the inclines and the hikes to be pretty easy. The entire hike had always rewarded us with amazing views, and we got two lakes for the price of one. It took us only 20 minutes to island lake from ice lake (go right and cross a stream). There was a constant threat of storms, but we weren't turning around. There were campers at ice lake and island lake. I'm afraid of heights, and I was scared once on the ice lake trail and twice on the island lake trail...nothing too bad though. We saw many wildflowers going to ice lake and many marmots going to island lake. There were places to use the bathroom along the trail, at ice lake (behind boulders), and island lake (boulders). The park and trails are well maintained. Trekking poles were helpful. Finding the trail head from the parking lot was easy. There was plenty of parking at 9:30 am. People parked around the perimeter of the parking lot and the side of the road. There was a restroom in the parking lot. The trail is obvious, although not always marked. There are tons of people that hike it at all hours. Side trails are 2 ft wide. The main trail is 4 ft wide. Tips: bring water, snacks, rain gear, trekking poles, a light. Also, travel light. In conclusion, we handled ice lakes well probably due to having adjusted to the altitude, using oxygen canisters, inhalers, and traveling with light day packs. We weren't that sore afterward either. We were just tired. Also, There are no pages in the trail register. We saw people hiking even around dark though. We are from Texas and we're hot the entire time. The creek crossings weren't bad enough to need water shoes unless it's raining. The water is ice cold. You must do island lake. If you can't camp at South Mineral then stay in Silverton.