elk park train stop to needleton

28 miles, a little over 8k' of elevation gain. Since there are no fires allowed in Chicago Basin or the rest of the Needle Creek drainage, and the fact that I was planning on climbing in morning, we called it an early night and went to bed shortly after sundown. Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. Now back on the trail, we were approaching the CDT. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. I modified my workout regimen before this hike to try and strengthen certain parts of the leg muscles that support the knee function, some intense stair climb sessions (45lb pack), as well as doing a lot more stretching. Cant wait to try this trip myself! Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). This seemed pretty pointless though, because we just stood around until about 7:50. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. While the wilderness area has many access points, one of the best approaches is from the Durango & Silverton railroad stop of Elk Park, just outside of Silverton. With about five minutes to go before arriving at Elk Park, one of conductors gather all of the backpackers and ask you to head to the front of the train. Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. So far, so good. First, dont forget your sunglasses! Whitewater rafting with professional guides. I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. Looking for a slightly larger backpacking pack that will still fit a short torso? Nice! Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. I always recommend carrying a waterproof paper trail map on a hike (because even if you have a digital map, sometimes technology fails). For example, early access to youtube videos, stickers, t-shirt, behind the scenes info on my new thru hiking route creations, special thank you card and more! Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. I climbed up the highest hill along the edge which was roughly 12,700ft, which provided awesome views of Eldorado and everything else around. Next stop: Wilderness. Of course, this is contingent on cooperating weather. Not this time though! Where the lake began to drain out down the mountainside, there were remnants of an old dam here. It felt good to be hiking today its amazing what a little sunshine can do. Most of our clothing was wet, including our backpacks and other gear, so we finally had a chance to dry them out some. I love being above the treeline, and I was excited to hike today. If I were to do it again, I wouldve done a few more miles the first day - theres a nice campsite before the first peak. It was the kind of terrain, like sand, that feels like you take one step back for every two steps forward. Your email address will not be published. West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. Learn more about the wildlife in the area. In the morning, I headed down to the railroad, and caught the train to Silverton, then rode back to Durango. For details on the hike itself, see my post about the various trail segments. Lisa was quite scared here, and it took a lot of coaxing to get her to move. Id say there were about 20 people total here waiting for the train. That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. In summer, you may want to bring along a bug net to fit over your hat to protect yourself from mosquitoes, gnats and black flies. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Start your next Durango outdoor adventure from the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. Down to Eldorado. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road. None of them seemed very dry though. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. Physically, I did pretty well on this hike. Recommended Posts. The sun was shining on the Twin Lakes now, and it was beautiful. When taking a train leaving from Durango, you need to be in your seat 30 minutes before departure. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association I just forwarded the link so he get get psyched up! My breakfast today was a very hearty helping of granola and almonds (about 800 calories worth), and some dried strawberries. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. They really wanted to be right there, and werent taking no for an answer. Given the popularity of Kite Lake, being right next to a 44 road just outside of the wilderness boundary, I pretty much had my mind set on Eldorado. Try this 60.4-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. Success! Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. The only way to combat them is it cover up your skin with long sleeves, jacket hood, etc. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. Very useful. A few years ago, I was looking at hiking an alpine route (Pecos Wilderness in northern NM, and Rocky Mountain National Park) during the same time frame as you. To close the loop I have to get from Needleton fo Elk Park (6.5mi). At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. The unincorporated community of Needleton is very secluded east from the Highway 550. Miles Hiked 10.4 There were a few more mines along the trail here, and one appeared to be deeper than the others we had explored. We had to stand guard for a while to make sure they didnt walk right into our camp. If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. The rain sucked, but it sure did make you appreciate what little sunshine we did get. Would you advise camping at Twin Lakes? I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. Excellent trip report, thanks for doing this. This satellite powered device is able to track your location on a digital map, share your location with friends/family, send basic text messages, and (most importantly) it has an emergency SOS button to get help. Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. I did see a lot of goat hair stuck in the trees and bushes now, which we had not seen anywhere else yet along our hike. We were thrilled when a ranger who had just cleared out the trail told us the three 12,000-foot passes on our route were free of snow. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. One of the things that makes this loop so special is that the trailheads can both be reached via the Silverton-Durango Narrow Gauge Railroad, a tourist train pulled by a steam locomotive that has been used in dozens of . We also brought along these touch-screen activewear gloves, Buffs to help protect us from sun (or keep our ears warm), silk thermals for a base layer, and a balaclava to keep warm at night. Finally below the clouds after descending Hunchback Pass, These deer practically walked right up to us while we ate lunch. Trees blocked most of the views. After about an hour of rain, thunder and lightning, I gave up on the idea of a fire. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). By tnmule20, February 10, 2022 in Camping & High Adventure. A hiking boot is preferable. And what a campsite that would be, killer views! Going down always looks much harder! The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 10 min to complete. From the drainage area, it was easy to cross to the other side of the lake. This was my first hike of more than five miles. Early morning often leaves thick fog in valleys, only to be burnt away later by the sun. The trail is always very clear and easy to follow. There were many campsites to choose from in the area near the Vallecito Creek Bridge. This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. Any way to access this trail without riding the train? Most were quick to check out the shack as we did, so the cinder block and wood plank benches filled up fast. There was even a distinct trail that led much of the way up, until it could no longer be seen amongst the boulders. After 3 hours, we were finally back in Durango. It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. I didnt rain much though. We changed clothes in the car and tried to mask our stench with deodorant and cologne/perfume before setting off into the city in search of food. Sometimes 2 to a flower. All in all, quite a bit of wildlife. This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. Highly recommend! He mentioned a possible shortcut to get up here from the Colorado Trail, by going up the drainage. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. It rained a little very briefly when I got back, then was party sunny the rest of the day with only a few intermittent showers. Here are our top tips on preparing for a successful and safe loop from Elk Park to Needleton in the mountains of Colorado! They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. See the beauty of the San Juans on a guided tour. I couldnt really see Kite Lake well from the the CDT, but as I said earlier, my mind was pretty much set. The altitude on this backpacking loop varies from around 8,000 to nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. I still panned on climbing Windom and maybe Sunlight. We ended up finishing around 5pm on the 5th day, so instead of waiting around for the return train to Durango on day 6, we took the train to Silverton for lunch, then rode the whole return trip to Durango. Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. The views were awe inspiring, but of course, it began to rain. It was about 1/3 the size of his sleeping pad, and as far as I know, is the lightest one on the market at 9.1 ounces. We snacked on sour patch kids by the fire for a while before letting it burn out. I didnt want to push Lisa too much in the first few days so I think the plan for days 1 and 2 were pretty good. No hot dogs tonight, maybe night 3. Elk Park-Needleton Loop. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. I chucked some rocks and shouted at them, but theyd just walk 5 feet away and stare back at us. Making reservations to ride the train to the wilderness is easy. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? We did the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Loop which was 36 miles. So much for being packed. Miles Hiked 7.4 Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. They didnt seem to concerned with our presence though. There was goat hair all around the campsite, but we had yet to see one. . We didn't. Windward_Coug. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. Avalanche debris was cleared. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. Without going closer, theres no way of knowing what the rest of it looked like. After setting up camp, I decided to go down to the creek to purify some water. Molas Lake to Animas River via Molas Trail, Vestal Basin via Colorado and Elk Creek Trail, Stony Pass, ATV Trail 821, and Cinnamon Pass OHV Route. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. After checking our gear and getting set up, we were on our way. Debris form 2020 avalanches on the elk park section have been cleared but theres quite a bit of fallen trees blocking the needle creek trail out of the Chicago Basin. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. This is a popular trail for birding and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. It was quite a sight to see, unlike anything Ive ever witnessed before. I figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. It was filed under Backpacking Trip Reports and was tagged with backpacking trip report, cdt, chicago basin, colorado backpacking, colorado hikes, colorado photography, colorado summer hikes, colorado trail, continental divide, durango train, eldorado lake, elk park needleton, hiking 2013, loop hike, mountain photography, multi day hikes, san juan, san juan mountains, san juan national forest, weeklong loop hike, weminuche wilderness, windom peak. Great report, how can I get your waypoints? They were all well marked but took extra time to navigate. Our food and gear were safe from the mice last night, so that was a relief. Ive started research for a September 2017 trip and came across your report. Everything was wet, including my feet. If youre boarding the train at a flag stop, you need to alert the conductor. They didnt seem afraid of humans at all. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. Wouldnt you know it, as soon as we got all the wood together, it started raining. If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. Weminuche Wilderness National Geographic map, Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, MSR PocketRocket Deluxe backpacking stove, Sea to Summit Thermolite sleeping bag liners, Elk Park to Needleton Backpacking Loop (Silverton, CO), Supplemental Privacy Notice For California Residents, Supplemental Privacy Notice For Nevada Residents. This was a pizza by the slice kind of place, and the slices were enormous! It resides at 8,277 feet of elevation in San Juan County. It worked perfectly. Straddling sections of the infamous Continental . There were only one or two campsites occupied here, and it would have been a nice place to stay the night if we didnt already have our trip planned out. I had also been considering a climb up Sunlight Peak as well, but it was so nice up here on Windom Peak that I decided to relax, and just enjoy the beautiful view. Required fields are marked *. It even had some rails leading in and out of it. The Animas River. Thanks for the great report! The nature back there is unbelievable. There were cairns here and there marking the way as well, which could be seen since the Twin Lakes. Youre hiking at high elevation in a very sunny spot, so protecting your eyes is important. We saw a few more deer throughout the day, more snowshoe hare, and even a weasel. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. The stars were barely visible now that the morning light was fast approaching, but this was the most Id seen of stars the entire trip. As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. 2/21/22 12:55pm. Still, there were several more people that were waiting by the train tracks and elsewhere. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. In addition to us, there was also a group of 2, 3, and 4 other hikers who also got off the train. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. Many jokes were cracked regarding the stench of ones self or others in their group. This is the beaver pond that people often reference when hiking this section of trail. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. We also saw more people this morning than the rest of the trip combined! Hiked from elk park to needleton 7/1/2022-7/4/2022. There havent been any bugs out the last 2 nights though, and I was really wishing we had a fire like this on night one. I knew I was going to punish them here and figured itd be best to give them any help they can get. The ones that did look edible werent ripe yet. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. Have a good hike! It was nice to know that we had a day off of hiking coming up tomorrow, at least for Lisa anyways. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. We are early 50s, fairly fit experienced hikers from Durango, and we gave ourselves 5 nights/6 days. The third day we hiked ~11 miles, starting with 2 miles downhill and then 7 miles to the top of columbine pass and then 2 miles down to camp at Chicago basin. (We didnt see any, but we heard they were plentiful.). Id say we averaged about 4-5 bouts of rain per day. This was a class 3 in my opinion. Finally, the weather is cooperating! We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. Hail/freezing rain/snow was falling, and it was Hunchback Pass all over again, with a little better visibility. We were able to cross the creek by hopping rocks and logs, just as we were able to with every other stream crossing on this trip. Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. We made the decision to cut our trek short. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. This was perfect! Once I gained a few hundred feet in elevation, I could see that there wasnt any threat of getting soaked and I took off the extra layers. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. This will give you time to make it to your seats before the final boarding call. We had a couple of long days and some short days with lots of time to relax. As always, questions and comments are welcome! We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. Hello, solitude. Eventually, it became steeper, to the point where there were some moments of exposure. Thanks for the trip report, I had originally planned just on Chicago Basin but will now do the whole loop after seeing your report and talking to the forest service rangers. Coming down Columbine Pass into Chicago Basin? Today was going to be almost all uphill, heading over Columbine Pass and down into Chicago Basin. They ran downhill and out of sight, and I kept moving. All of our gear was dry and life was good. Very good tip report. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. Todays hike will take us the rest of the way up the Elk Creek drainage along the Colorado trail, where well hit the Continental Divide Trail, or CDT. Trail Name - Elk Park/Needleton Loop Location - Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan National Forest, CO Park Type - National Forest, Wilderness Area Fees & Permits - None Length Of Time Hiked - 6 days, 5 nights Trail Type - Semi loop - Train drops you off and picks you up Miles Hiked - 48 Trail Difficulty - 8 I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. PS. I was following a GPX track on my GPS of another person who had hiked this loop, and his track led me off trail a little bit. Route Chicago Basin to Needleton train stop. Our dehydrated meals said they were tested at 5,000-foot elevation, and to double the cook time for every additional 5,000 feet. Check out my AWESOME DIY stealth camper van build project! We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Small amounts of debris from avalanche on the Needles creek trail but easy to navigate. By the time we reached the lake, the peaks around us were completely engulfed by the clouds. As crappy as the weather has been all day, I havent seen any lightning yet. We did this trip in September. Miles: 45 Days: 6-8 Difficulty: Strenuous. The final approach of Columbine Pass was pretty steep, but manageable. After realizing that, I looked around and could see where the trail picked up again, and started hiking directly towards the trail in the distance. Wilderness access gives riders an opportunity to book with the intention of getting off the train and getting outdoors. But, thats another story for another trip report. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. The fire burned quite well once established, despite the soggy wood. I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. This hike is definitely a good one! Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). The free version of caltopo only allows 5 pages max in your pdf, so just break it up into blocks of 5 pages or less and print out the entire map that way. There were no signs of private property here, so we hung out here while we waited for the train. Also, if youre looking for a GPX file, you can download that here http://metalbackpacker.com/gpx-files/. We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. Trail Name - Elk Park/Needleton Loop Location - Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan National Forest, CO Park Type - National Forest, Wilderness Area Fees & Permits - None Length Of Time Hiked - 6 days, 5 nights Trail Type - Semi loop - Train drops you off and picks you up Miles Hiked - 48 Trail Difficulty - 8 We woke up today at 5:30 and began to slowly pack up camp. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. Food takes longer to cook at high altitudes. We had a lot of rain, starting everyday around 1 pm and lasting for a couple of hours. Early morning at the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. For comparison, where we live is around 800 feet above sea level. Continental Divide Trail At the Divide, the trail connects with the Continental Divide Trail. Highly recommend. Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. After lunch, the trail had gained enough elevation to start giving us some better views as it passed alongside some cliffs. A full train schedule is available on the Durango Train website. Miles Hiked 5.4 Soon enough it was back to the rain. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. However, if you can afford it, the train ride is fun, and it sure is nice once you reach Elk Park and realize you don't have to make that 1,700' climb back up to Molas Pass. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. The water in Elk Creek was super clear, so I didnt have to pre-filter any of it before using my Steri-Pen Opti UV water purifier. Within 10 or 15 minutes, I found a decent campsite near the Lake. You could see burnt trees the entire train ride, so I guess its a pretty real threat. The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. You can purchase a ticket to or from Elk Park onboard as long as space is availableno reservations are taken for this flag stop. is to leave an itinerary with a responsible person back home, as well as a time and date when they should call for help if they dont hear from you. Very isolated in the middle of the trail, we only saw 1 other person each day. Would you advise camping at Columbine Lake? For your monthly pledge, at various tier levels starting at $5, you receive perks and benefits in return. Really helpful report! The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far. I do regret getting the open-cart seats though, because it was raining and it was not dry inside. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! He discourses on his own mortality, about getting too old to have such adventures, and striking your own path in life while you still can." Eventually, I was able to scare them off pretty good by simply throwing my arms up in the air. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. Either way, it was going to be another short day with only about 6 miles to cover. This was true for much of the trip. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. Thanks for your support you ROCK!. It was around 1:45pm when we rolled into camp today. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. The weather was cloudy and more scattered rain throughout the rest of the day. Pack your food in a bear sling or bear canister. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. We only had to wait 30 minutes before suiting up. The trail was much easier to hike than I was anticipating, and I was covering pretty good ground. It filtered a little more slowly than usual because we were at high elevation, but still worked well. It was cloudy and grey though, so pictures werent coming out good. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. I ended up spending an hour and a half up here just hanging out. I made it to the top before Lisa and snapped a few pictures before the rain returned moments later. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. Here comes my ride! Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. Looking back, I wish I had checked it out. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Moderate 4.6 (42) Weminuche Wilderness Photos (363) Directions Print/PDF map Length 37.5 miElevation gain 8,579 ftRoute type Point to point Head out on this 37.5-mile point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado.