In contrast to other Sawatch fourteeners, La Plata Peak has an unequaled personality of its own. Found insideDistance: 4 miles round trip Difficulty: Moderate Hiking time: 2 hours Elevation: ... summits in the La Plata Mountains, it is one of the most spectacular. La Plata Peak is the 5th highest peak in Colorado sitting at 14,336'. This sensational 2 mile long ridge is the true redeeming quality that separates La Plata Peak from its neighboring fourteeners. CLICK HERE to download three sample chapters from Best Hikes with Kids Western Washington * Nearly 200 short hikes and outdoor activities for kids and their families * Graphic, two-color layout provides key data at a glance * Includes ... 5. © 2006-2021 SummitPost.org. Beau took us on this and again, he did a great job. La Plata Peak page previosly maintained by. Start planning your trip with this La Plata Peak Route Guide. You should also print it out to bring a backup paper copy in case anything happens to your electronics. Submit one here . If you want a pair, I share my personal favorites here. DIRECTIONS TO THE LA PLATA PEAK TRAILHEAD: La Plata Peak will likely be harder than you expect. Hiking La Plata Peak is an inherently high-risk activity – do so at your own risk, and use the following best practices to help keep yourself safe. Hiking La Plata Peak: A Stunning 14er Summit. Adventure Tours. Immerse yourself in the true Colorado experience when you stay at Blue Lake Ranch, a short 15 minute drive to the base of the mountains!There's nothing we love more than sharing our slice of heaven with you and with the social distancing needed this year, a vacation in the . Rev. ed. of: Colorado lake hikes for everyone. Denver: Quality Press, 2002. You are now on the 4WD road and it will turn to the right and head into the trees almost right away. Found inside – Page 73To the east, near at hand, are La Plata Canyon and the east ridge of the La Plata Mountains, including Snowstorm Peak and Lewis Mountain. Hikers should ... The La Plata Mountains can be found in southern Colorado and are normally accessed from the small town of Mancos. In this twentieth anniversary edition, the foremost guide to the Fourteeners continues its longstanding emphasis on minimum impact routes and hiker responsibility. La Plata Canyon Ranch is nestled in the heart of the La Plata mountains, in Southwest Colorado. Enjoy This Post? Take U.S. 24 to Chaffee County 390, this is a dirt road and is the second road when entering Chaffee County coming south from Leadville. Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. As a less crowded and slightly less challenging way up La Plata, this route is a fine choice that includes pristine tundra and fine spring corn snow. It is each hiker or climber’s responsibility to research their route carefully, bring the ten essentials, and practice other safe practices, though even these precautions do not eliminate risk and danger. Found insideThis book takes the backroads, crossing the Colorado Plateau from the headwaters of the Virgin River to the mouth of the Dirty Devil, from the badlands below Twin Angels to a remote mesa in Bandelier. I have accessed the range from two different places, and it is those two I will describe. Turn onto Dry Fork Road at fork. Hiking up Mount Liamuiga - St. Kitts Highest peak; Hiking El Camino Santiago de Compostela - La via de la plata; Hiking to the top of Mt. Distance. Cortez offers equally impressive outdoors access, and it's actually closer to Mesa Verde National Park and many of the hikes in the La Plata Mountains that are low enough in elevation for spring access. Save up to 30% off boots, apparel, camping gear, GPS units, and more! Cedarville State Forest. Check the weather forecast and stay home during inclement weather. Summit Centennial Peak in the La Plata Mountains via Sharkstooth Trailhead. Starting in La Plata Canyon just west of Durango, C. La Plata Peak is named after 'the silver' in Spanish thanks to nearby silver deposits. 2. If approaching from the west, go 8.8 miles east on 82 from the summit of Independence Pass. Enjoy the deep ravine below as you pass and begin to climb up the slope in the section to come. Towns: Cortez, Durango, Mancos. San Juan Skyway and Trail of the Ancients Scenic Drives. Includes UTM grids for use with your GPS unit. Sheet Size = 25.50 x 37.75 Folded Size = 4.00 x 7.50 Scale = 1:63,360 A little too crowded but other than that it is almost perfect. Save Review Directions. In the summer, the cabin is a scenic 20-minute drive on a 2WD road. From Winfield, go right for 60 yards and then left on a rough road for a half-mile to the Winfield Cemetery. Link to the region you desire where you will find an alphabetical list of the hikes. Here are the 5 highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains: 5. Details. The trailhead is easy to access from the highway near Independence Pass, so you don’t need a special vehicle to reach it. The mining ghost towns Winfield and Hamilton nearby testify to this silver boom past. If you plan on hiking La Plata Peak, I recommend downloading this map on your phone or other electronic gps device. You can subscribe to his Next Summit Newsletter here. It is just a parking area along the side of the road is it is fairly easy to spot. Includes mile points, elevations, and maps for each segment. Features completely updated maps and data for the 80-mile Collegiate West trail addition, as well as bicycle detours around wilderness areas. You should always bring the ten essentials with you on your trip (see the infographic below). After looking at smoke and weather forecasts for the weekend it looked like my best bet to . These are several good backpack options that won’t break the bank. The best Colorado 14ers all have one thing in common: plenty of beautiful rock formations. Alex is an Eagle Scout and mountaineer living in Denver, Colorado. "A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. While the Sawatch Range in central Colorado is impressively high-it's home to 15 peaks over 14,000′-it's not a very technical group of mountains. NEW TO 14ERS? Although the ruins here are not nearly as impressive as those of Cooper Forks or Pueblo Canyon, the hike is certainly much easier.These ruins still have much to interest the curious, especially if you enjoy hunting for pottery shards. Don't get confused and think that you are supposed to take the trail to the right of the register that has a gate. La Plata Peak (Southern Approach) is a 7.1 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Buena Vista, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. Traveling all the way up La Plata Canyon requires 4WD, but the road is easily navigable for stock SUVs and pickups. There is a significant risk of injury or death, even with proper planning and experience. On average it takes 56 minutes to complete this trail. For those looking to carve fresh powder in mountains and get first tracks every run, the San Juans and La Plata Mountains house some of the best backcountry access in North America. Found inside – Page 30The La Plata mountains and the Hermosa valley are viewable along most of the trail , providing endless photographic opportunities . A successful woman is one who can find such a man." You also get a grand overlook of Mesa Verde country. including 14,433' Mt. Take a look at our listings of: Local Businesses: Animal Care: Antiques, Art and Gifts: Bed & Breakfast and Inns: Motels, Hotels and Resorts: Real Estate: Recreation: Restaurants . The most popular parking spot for the La Plata For example, the You can take one of three routes: Northwest Ridge: Class 2, most popular route, incredible views of Ellingwood Ridge as you near the summit. Learn more about LNT on 14ers here. the west side features views of the La Plata range. This mountain bike primary trail can be used both directions. This is located along a major Highway, US Hwy 82, and is thus accessible to all passenger 2WD vehicles, year-round. CAMPING-. Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. These are the La Plata Mountains, an arm of the mighty San Juans in southwestern Colorado. The varying terrain allows for a plethora of wildlife including roving elk herds, deer, hawks and bald . You will know when you are there, but do not expect and old west type of ghost town. Research your route and bring a compass & topographic map. . Found inside – Page 182From its headwaters in the La Plata Mountains, the Dolores River cuts a meandering slice through a series of northwest-southeast trending ridges, valleys, ... Found inside – Page 223Round-Trip Distance 5.3 miles Hiking Time 5–7 hours Difficulty 7/10 Class 2+ ... La Plata Mountains in the San Juan National Forest outside the town of ... The last few miles are 4WD, and the last 2 miles have steep dropoffs. Thomas Holt Ward, photo. Hiking up Mount Liamuiga - St. Kitts Highest peak; Hiking El Camino Santiago de Compostela - La via de la plata; Hiking to the top of Mt. This is a multi-use trail - careful! Alexandria, VA. Caledon State Park Hesperus Mountain looms above you to the right; it is brilliant at sunset. Some of the trails also feature remnants of old mining operations, such as an old cabin and an abandoned mine. La Plata Peak, La Plata Peak Routes, La Plata, Fourteener Routes The La Plata (meaning "silver" in Spanish) Canyon is located between the Animas Valley/Durango to the east and Mancos to the west in Southwestern Colorado; the closest town being Hesperus.Simply go east of Hesperus towards the Hesperus Ski Lift on Route 160, then turn north onto Route 124 (The Kennebec Cafe will be the corner property). Ouray Peak (12957 ft) 5.2 miles. La Plata Peak is one of only a few Colorado fourteeners that you can reach the trailhead via a paved road! About a mile before the pass, there is an obvious parking area. from $99.09 per adult. You might need 4WD early in the season or after a good rain. Found insideSan Francisco is one of America's most walkable cities, and this book describes 18 walks that can be taken by the casual visitor, including 9 in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the world's largest urban national park. View La Plata Peak Image Gallery - 170 Images. Difficulty 2 of 5 diamonds From Downtown 28.1 miles . Images Elbert and Mt Massive. Out-of-town visitors will enjoy this as a good warmup for the high country. While trekking poles are not a necessity on this mountain, I use them myself as they offer many benefits and make hiking easier. the west side features views of the La Plata range. Our hiking trails are categorized into four key regions: in-town, located within Durango's city limits; mid-country, a quick drive from downtown Durango; high-country, requiring a day or more to . A few hours away and you are in the beautiful canyon land desert of Utah. Take a right at the top to traverse along the slope before reaching a large flat area around 12,300 feet. Note that camping is not allowed at the trailhead. From one outdoor lover to another, this is one of the best opportunities of the entire year to save money on top gear. Leave your plans with someone back home along with a detailed itinerary. Rumors of fabulous wealth in the San Juan Mountains faded for a time, but the stories still beckoned, and miners' appetites were whetted. A guide to hiking trails in Colorado's national parks and wilderness areas, illustrated with 350 full color photographs and trail maps. Sharkstooth Trailhead--- From the western end of the small town of Mancos, follow CR 42 north until it enters the national forest and becomes FR 561. (45), Climber's Log Entries Your reward will be outstanding panoramic views of the La Plata Mountains and surrounding distant ranges. Like the rest of the San Juans, the La Platas receive a great deal of snowfall, which helps explain their lush meadows and verdant wildflower displays. View detailed trail descriptions, trail maps, reviews, photos, trail itineraries, directions and more on TrailLink. From here, you can see much of the climb to come. . 160, north on Lightner Creek Road (Co. Rd. The trail is just to the left of the register. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Hiking: Several trails, including the Colorado Trail, traverse the backcountry from Kennebec pass. Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. La Plata Peak is the 5th highest peak in Colorado sitting at 14,336'. Once past the hump, continue up the ridge before turning left to reach the summit ridge. There will be a sign that clearly states "High Clearence Vehicles Only." All four in my family took a half day 4x4 tour of La Plata Canyon. Lorton, VA. Huntley Meadows Park. "The sun climbs over the pines. Over the spruces. Over Saganaga, Kabetogama, Nistowiak, Namew, Athabaska. And ten thousand other places with no names. The North Woods calls. The river pulls, the paddle whispers. I listen. Head left up the route. Dispersed camping is widely available. Most major peaks are west of the pass, but some, such as Cumberland and Snowstorm, are close by. Found inside – Page 331... 298p moose , 80 mountain bike difficulty ratings , 11 mountain bike symbols ... 62 Lakeview Campground Trailhead , 184 La Plata Peak hike , 194–195 ... A nice view of the La Plata Mountains just before sunrise on Saturday morning from my campsite. . Make it a Loop: La Plata Peak is an out and back hike with the option to add East La Plata Peak (non official 14er) with another mile or so of hiking. Gain 1 Silver Mountain Difficult Out & Back 9.2 mi / 14.8 km 4,020 ft 2 Basin Creek OHV Difficult Out & Back 4.8 mi / 7.6 km 1,050 ft 3 . In the winter, the final two miles of the road are closed to cars. La Plata Peak sees a lot of traffic coming from Buena Vista and Leadville. (5), Images There is good signage from Mancos. Elevation Gain. La Plata Canyon, CO. La Plata Canyon is located west of Durango in the San Juan National Forest area of southwest Colorado. Is those two I will describe the day before, the highest peaks in the heart of the best of. 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