Durango, CO – We day hiked a section of the Colorado Trail west from Molas Pass on Colorado Highway 550, also known as the Million Dollar Highway. This section of the Colorado Trail climbed almost 1,000 feet of elevation in about three miles and provided 360 degree mountain panoramas.
View of the Continental Divide from the Colorado Trail
Form The Colorado Trail Foundation’s website, “Since its completion more than 30 years ago, The Colorado Trail has become known as one of the premier long-distance trails in the country, lauded by hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers and horse riders from around the world. The CT comprises 567 miles of trail between Denver and Durango and passes through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Colorado Rockies. Users traveling end to end encounter the high mountain lakes and towering peaks of six wilderness areas and eight mountain ranges as they climb nearly 90,000 vertical feet. The average elevation of the Trail is 10,300 feet, topping out at 13,271 feet just below 13,334-foot Coney Summit in southwest Colorado.”
Engineer Mountain from the Colorado Trail
We started from the parking area on Molas Pass, elevation 10,910 feet, about a 42 mile drive from Durango. Driving north a short distance past Molas Lake, a road (turning left) leads to another parking area/trailhead. Both parking areas have vault toilets. The Colorado Trail crosses Highway 550 a couple hundred feet north of Molas Pass. We headed west. This section from the pass to the other parking area travels though an area with conifers before opening up next to Little Molas Lake.
The Colorado Trail sign along Highway 550
The Colorado Trail heading toward Little Molas Lake
After passing Little Molas Lake you reach the second parking area. From here the Colorado Trail begins climbing. Moderate switchbacks ease the climb through conifer areas before rising above treeline. The trail is packed dirt and well defined. Two small creek crossings were easily rock hopped. The skies were getting darker, the winds picked up, and we had short periods of graupel. Once we reached a ridge, views of the surrounding mountains dominated the scenery in every direction. We continued climbing the ridge toward the saddle between two unnamed peaks. We turned around after about 3 miles and headed back. This was a beautiful hike that we would highly recommend.
Mike hiking on the Colorado Trail
Along the trail
Mount Snowden from the Colorado Trail
We experienced some graupel while hiking
Heading up the ridge
View on the trail
Mountain scenery along the Colorado Trail nearing Highway 550
The Colorado Trail crosses Highway 550
We stayed at the Durango North/Riverside KOA during this trip. While in Durango, we also hiked on the Lizard Head Trail in the Uncompahgre National Forest and four trails into the Weminuche Wilderness: Lime Mesa, Vallecito, Crater Lake, and Endlich Mesa.
During this trip to SW Colorado, we also hiked sections of the Colorado Trail at:
- Stony Pass
- Snow Mesa from Spring Creek Pass (east from Spring Creek Pass)
- Spring Creek Pass west to Jarosa Mesa
