Colorado Trail South

In July 2023, Greg and I enjoyed five days on the Colorado Trail, completing the 80 miles from the Railroad Stop at Elk Park next to the Animas River, to the southern terminus, the Junction Creek Trailhead.

We had fantastic weather. We did not get rained on except for a few drops the first day, though the heat of the day was a bit much, especially at the lower elevations.

Scenery: couldn’t beat it.

Sunrise from Kennebec Pass


Here is a trip report for each of our five days on the trail:
Day 1: Climbing out of the Animas River Gorge
Day 2: Crossing high point (12,500′) and Cascade Creek
Day 3: Crossing Blackhawk Pass
Day 4: Traversing Indian Trail Ridge
Day 5: Kennebec Pass–to the lowlands


Here’s a short video with some clips from the trip: