The Vallecito Creek Trail begins in the Vallecito campground. It‘s easy to find if you follow the signs. Getting There From Durango or Bayfield, head to Vallecito Reservoir. I left from the Beartown trailhead, hiked south along the Continental Divide Trail for a couple days until reaching the area of Flint Lakes and Rock Lake. All-in-all, from the turnoff at Johnson Creek from the Vallecito Creek Trail, the summit of Jupiter Mountain is 9.21 miles, and 4680 vertical feet away (according to my GPS). There’s a split for about a half mile, horse riders to the left, hikers to the right. Vallecito Creek Trail: Access from the east. Crusco's Ristorante (197) ... so we made it down to the cave and creek. From the Nebo Creek campsite and the trail junction of the Continental Divide Trail #813 and the Vallecito Trail #529, head south, then SW down the Vallecito Trail. Vallecito Creek Trail – 14.2 miles out and back. It is easy to crank out the miles as you had down Vallecito Trail and then the opposite becomes true when you hit Johnson Creek. I began hiking up the Pine River Trail from the trailhead near Vallecito Reservoir. Best nearby. Bathrooms are very clean. From a base camp in the headwaters of Sunlight Creek, Vallecito Mountain offers an interesting, mostly Class 2+ traverse from Leviathan Peak,(3rd class possible depending on exact route taken) in the heart of the spectacular Weminuche Wilderness. There is a designated parking area for hikers that is free. Note: On the Vallecito Trail, the third bridge (counting from the South) across Vallecito Creek is out due to an avalanche in the winter of 2004-2005. The trailhead is located at: N37° 42' 44.57" W 107° 31' 04.97". After .6 miles you enter the Weminuche wilderness. A stunning day hike on the first few miles of the trail, or a wonderful four-to-five day backpack trip. The Natural Bridges limestone cave was created over time as the waters of Coyote Creek eroded a layer of soluble bedrock. The trail climbs gradually as you follow Vallecito Creek north. Turn off of US 160 onto CR-501. Licenses can be purchased at a few local businesses, in Durango or online at - http://wildlife.state.co.us/ShopDOW/AppsAndLicenses/Pages/totallicensing.aspx. Vallecito Creek Trail – Easy/Moderate. Visitors enjoy the area for its beautiful scenery and wide range of recreational activities, including boating, fishing and hiking. On Friday morning, we groomed the FS road, East Creek, and we set classic tracks on the FS road. Emerald Lake in the San Juan National Forest, Colorado’s third-largest natural lake, is a 10-mile trek from the Pine River Trailhead near Vallecito Reservoir. The Vallecito Creek Trail begins at the campground entrance. The hike begins in a steep canyon with ponderosa pine forest, aspens, and conifers. It is covered with calcium deposits, creating interesting, oddly-shaped, large limestone rock formations. Watch out for visible rocks up East Creek and at the end of the FS road. I followed the class 1 trail back to the trailhead, following the creek, and passing a hunters’ camp along the way. Trailhead to the Weminuche Wilderness too. I was able to appreciate the creek and its depth, and even saw dozens of trout swimming in the deeper pools. Use the "Beartown/Kite Lake/Hunchback trailhead information for instructions on how to drive to the TH. After .6 miles you firstly enter the Weminuche wilderness. Parking is available at the trailhead. The first outings will take place on the Vallecito Creek Trail. The camp hosts even spray peppermint! Participants should meet at the trailhead parking lot. This trail is a major access point for the Weminuche Wilderness because it goes all the way to the Continental Divide and Colorado Trail on Rio Grande National Forest. Plan to spend a few days. Fees run from $3.00 per day to $30.00 for an annual permit. From there I headed down Rock Creek, and up the Vallecito valley back to Beartown. Leaving the trailhead and Vallacito Campground behind, steep switchbacks gain 415 feet towards rocky outcrops at 1.6 miles. The surface is better closer to the trailhead and then deteriorates after the houses. Take the road all the way to the Vallecito campground/trailhead north of the reservoir. Johnson Creek Trail: Beyond the basin, the main trail climbs another 1,400 feet over two miles to Columbine Pass where it meets up with the Johnson Creek Trail, which drops into the Vallecito Creek drainage. Back down to Vallecito Creek and its bridges (or lack thereof). The trail follows the edge of the campground for the first 0.6 miles before crossing Fall Creek via a bridge. Vallecito Creek is a stream located just 14.8 miles from Bayfield, in La Plata County, in the state of Colorado, United States, near Vallecito, CO. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including cutthroat trout, brook trout and brown trout here. We got a couple of inches of additional snow this week. The Vallecito Creek trailhead is located about 30 miles east of Durango past Vallecito Reservoir. From CR 501 continue to North end of the Lake and bear left (North) for 2.8 miles on CR 500 to reach Vallecito Campground and trailhead parking. Due to the geological sensitivity of this outstanding natural formation, dogs and bikes are not allowed. Nearest trailhead is the Beartown/Kite Lake north of Hunchback Pass. The hike starts in a steep canyon with ponderosa pine forest, aspens, and conifers. Website. It is possible to drop your gear before heading back to park. A long, long way to go! (R. 20 Restaurants within 5 miles. Yes, Vallecito Nordic is open! Graham Creek Campground is situated above Vallecito Lake, in the scenic San Juan National Forest of southwestern Colorado. Wanting to catch the fall foliage and beat the snow, I backpacked around 5 miles up the Vallecita Creek Trail for a night in late September 2016. A secondary route climbs steeply to Twin Lakes. Vallecito Creek borders one side of the campground and the … 30 Miles round trip. Anglers must use artificial flies and lures due to the creek’s location within the wilderness area. 4WD with good ground clearance required. Primarily used for hiking, backpacking and horseback riding, this 12.7-mile out-and-back trail is an excellent starting point to exploring the Weminuche Wilderness. The trailhead is at the north end of the campground and the parking is at the south end. Info: Trailhead is paved all the way to the parking lot. Park in the parking lot for the trailhead. The background shows the bottom of Boofaunt. Vallecito Creek Trail (#529) – approximately 8.5 miles to Johnson Creek, 2000 ft ascent. VALLECITO CREEK. About 1.5 miles up, I reached Indian Creek. Very nice campground with lots of space between the campsites and huge Ponderosa pines. Natural Bridges Cave. Now on the east side of the creek, the trail pulls higher again. This popular trail is open to hiking and horseback riding only and is a main access point to the Weminuche Wilderness. Add 9.75 miles from the Vallecito Creek trailhead at 7900 feet and 1220 more vertical feet, for a total of 19 miles, and 5900 vertical! In a normal year, one can walk across this creek with one's boots on, stepping on a few stones to get across. This is a major drainage originating from the Continental Divide deep in the wilderness. Eventually you hit the confluence of Vallecito Creek and Johnson Creek and cross a bridge to start heading towards Columbine Pass up the Johnson Creek drainage (the second of the two major climbs on the trip). He actually did a great job packing down the 6-7” of very dry light snow from this last storm. The Vallecito Creek Trail begins in the Vallecito campground. Parrotts Ferry Rd, Vallecito, CA 95251. The avalanche debris was cleared from the trail in fall 2007. The trail climbs gradually as you follow Vallecito Creek north. The trailhead is located at the entrance to the San Juan National Forest’s Vallecito Campground. After five miles, you’ll find the first of several established campsites just past the bridge. Rock Creek Trail 655 goes to Rock Lake and Trail 815 joins Continental Divide Trail 813 north of West Ute Lake. Vallecito Creek Trailhead is a popular access point into the wilderness and offers great fishing along the tributary flowing into Vallecito Reservoir. The trailhead is off Parrotts Ferry Road. The hike begins in a steep canyon with ponderosa pine forest, aspen and conifers. From either vantage point, a commanding panorama of the Needle Creek drainage is possible. Reach Vallecito Dam in another 9 miles and continue on County Road 501 along the west bank of the reservoir. The Vallecito Valley is packed with people but once you reach the Johnson Creek juncture you should be free of pesky day hikers. Dropping down next to the creek, the trail comes to the first bridge and the canyon narrows. The grooming angel Brad (of Brad’s Cabin) groomed the FS road to Graham Creek today with his truck and snowmobile. The trail climbs gradually as you follow Vallecito Creek north. The creek also provides nice background noise. After .6 miles you enter the Weminuche Wilderness. Tips, tactics, gear reviews for everything from bass and bluegills to stripers and bluefish - if it's fishing related, we cover it. Follow 500 to it‘s end at the campground. After .6 miles you enter the Weminuche Wilderness. Park at the Vallecito Campground and follow the trail up steep cliffs over the cascading creek. This was much more enjoyable in the daylight. The hike begins in a steep canyon with ponderosa pine forest, aspen and conifers. Johnson Creek Trail 504 goes west from Trail 529 to Vallecito Basin. The Vallecito Creek Trail begins in the Vallecito Campground. The inside structure | … At the Forest Service Vallecito Work Center, bear right onto Forest Road 602 and continue around the lake and up the Pine River about 7.5 miles to the trailhead at Pine River Campground. Vallecito Creek Trailhead is a popular access point into the wilderness and offers great fishing along the tributary flowing into Vallecito Reservoir. You will need to look for the brown “Natural Bridges Day Use Area” sign on the side of the road. The Vallecito Creek Trail begins in the Vallecito campground. 15 Other Attractions within 5 miles. Ponderosa, aspen and oak cover these lower altitudes. So remember to take the trailhead path unless you crave adventure and a heart pounding climbs. The trailhead is some 30 minutes outside of town, near the rural community of Vallecito. Vallecito Creek Trailhead. Stay on 501 until you reach CR-500. 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