Lizard Head Wilderness Area

Sheep Mountain el 13188

Lizard Head el 13113

View along the Lake Hope trail

Rock Of Ages Mine

Navajo Lake

Female riders turning back on the Calico Trail

⦁ Dolores has a Family Dollar and small grocery but it's only a dozen miles to the Walmart at Cortez. Rico has gas. The USFS topo maps on apps such as peakbagger are essential to see hiking trails and road numbers. A map of motorized routes can be downloaded by searching " san juan national forest mvum". That map also shows private land. Posted 2022.

⦁ GROUNDHOG RESERVOIR ACCESS - to get there from Dolores, go north on 11th Street and pavement ends in 15 miles. At mile 31 there is an RV park at the reservoir. The road goes on 3 more miles to the national forest boundary where it's FR533. I pulled a camp trailer on up it to el 10660. A car could make it. A spring comes down to FR533 where FR428 branches off at el 10428. Light mosquitoes were everywhere, even the summits. Posted 2022.

⦁ GLADE BENCHMARK LOOKOUT el 9264 is 20 air miles north of Dolores. I made a loop ride on my XT350. I rode north out of town on 11th Street to mp 16.9 then left on FR514 for 10 miles to FR510 forking to the left. I took that for nearly 8 miles to the lake. I came back to FR514 and went on another 2 miles to a main fork where FR521 goes left to the river bridge, but I stayed right on FR514 for 8 miles to FR493. That goes 3 and a half miles to the lookout but is high clearance. Visitors are allowed when the lookout is occupied and there is a bald hill next to it as a view option. I returned to FR514 and went right on it and it looped down for 17 miles to the river bridge. I rode up the river for 11 miles to McPhee Dam. A left fork goes to the top of the dam but is gated. A lot of camps are along the river and no cattle for years. I made a U-turn at the dam and came back to the main road where I had 2 choices. Either take FR521 back or cross the river and ride the highway. I took the latter choice and went across the river to a T then left to highway 666 and back to town. I could have drove a car on everything except FR493 to the lookout. Posted 2022. 

⦁ GROUNDHOG MOUNTAIN el 12165 has an easy south ridge. I parked at a good camp spot on FR534 where the USFS topo shows FR534.A forking to the right at el 11100. I walked that closed road for a fifth mile then went up an open slope to get on the ridge. I came to a rock field and went around the right edge. Near the summit a crag is in the way. I went along the right side of it then cut along the left side of another one behind it then walked a hiker trail up the center to the reg at N37 50098, W108 13107. 3 hours, 1100 gain. Posted 2022. 

⦁ LITTLE CONE el 11981 has an easy south ridge but private land has to be crossed. I took FR618 from FR611 for 7 miles to a road shown on the USFS topo with a locked gate. I walked that road to a logging area el 10700 and took a left fork to a game trail at N37 55110, W108 05707 that led me onto the south ridge. I went up thru an uncluttered forest to a clearing at 55205, 05505 and on to the reg. That took 4 hours, 15 minutes with 2000 gain. The private land is dormant but that might change. Cars could make it to Lone Cone guard station then ebike the remaining 6 miles on FR618 which is easy 4wd.  Posted 2022.

⦁ LONE CONE el 12613 has an easy north ridge. A hiker trail comes to it from FR612 and summitpost has info on that. I got to it easily from the end of FR534.I. That 4wd road had been cleared to a camp spot at the end el 11100 but I parked at a fork el 10900 where the road turns rocky. I walked to the end of the road then north from there on easy grades to N37 53531, W108 15610 then 53564, 15502 to get on the north ridge and up. 3 hours, 1700 gain.It's nearly all talus but no sliding. Cars can make all but the last 3 or 4 miles then mtn bike the rest. Posted 2022.

⦁ BLACK MESA el 11600+ has an easy 4wd road all the way shown as FR611.A on the USFS topo. It goes from FR611 for 4 miles and there is only one road to follow. Some bumpy little rocks are along the way. Posted 2022. 

⦁ DUNN PEAK el 12595 has easy terrain and hardly any talus. I could have drove a car in from Groundhog Reservoir to FR616 near Fish Creek. Then FR616 is high clearance for 3 miles to where it starts descending the other side and a closed logging road el 10800 branches off to the right. I walked that to N37 50068, W108 08333 then turned left on a game trail and on to another trail at 50334, 08042. I zigzagged up the grassy slope and came back left thru 50382, 07936 then more zigzagging to a flat spot on the county line at 50585, 07868. It's easy from there to the reg. When I saw how easy it is to descend down Fish Creek, I strolled down to the north saddle el 12100 then down a drainage on tundra. I hit an elk trail at el 11800 and followed it to a spring at 50727, 07273. Going on down the creek to FR611 would be preferable but I didn't have a shuttle. So I walked to 50349, 07455 and went straight down to a flat el 11200 then right to a trail at 50132, 07498 then down to an ancient road at 49930, 07710. I walked that less than a fifth mile to the road shown on the topo and walked it uphill back to the start. 4 hours, 15 minutes, 2000 gain. If all I had was a car, I would walk up FR616 then over the peak and down Fish Creek. FR616 is ebikeable but turns into a bad jeep road as it descends down the north side. Posted 2022.

⦁ LONE CONE LOOP - I rode my cycle for 55 miles on good roads around Lone Cone. I started at camp 10660 and went north up FR611 for 2 miles to a pass el 11029. That part is  high clearance then I could have drove a car for the rest of the loop. I followed FR611 to the forest boundary then stayed left on main county roads to Groundhog Reservoir and back to the start. Posted 2022.

⦁ STORM PEAK, ANCHOR MOUNTAIN - these two 12000+ peaks are easy from the south using the Priest Gulch Trail. FR545 departs highway 145 at mp 29.6 then it's 14 miles to FR592 and that soon goes to the trail el 10600 like the topo shows. I could have drove a car the whole way. That hike took 4 hours, 21 minutes with about 2000 gain. These peaks are easy tundra. Posted 2022.

⦁ ROARING FORK ROAD departs highway 145 at mp 38.6. A car can make the first 7 miles then it's easy 4wd for 12 miles on to the Scotch Creek road. It goes down to the highway at mp 44.3 but it's a tougher road. The main road goes 5 miles down to FR578 along Hermosa Creek. Going left there leads 14 miles back to highway 145 at mp 53.4. That stretch has the best scenery.This is one of the best dual sport cycle rides. FR578 is to be improved in late 2022. Posted 2022.

⦁ BLACKHAWK MOUNTAIN el 12681 is an easy one using the Colorado Trail from the Scotch Creek road. That 4wd road leaves highway 145 at mp 44.3. It starts out rocky but smooths out. At el 9600 I had engine trouble and had to turn back. I did this before in 2004.

⦁ ELLIOT MOUNTAIN el 12340 is on the west rim of the Dolores River. One way hikes can be done from the Calico TH el 10250 then down to the river on the Wildcat Trail, Burnett Creek Trail or the one I used, the Horse Creek Trail. Ebikes work for the 10 mile shuttle. FR535 leaves highway 145 at mp 53.9. It's a decent road for 5 miles to the TH. Some cars make it. A restroom and dispersed camping are there. The trail goes up along the side of Elliot making for a short side trip to that peak. It then goes over Sockrider Peak but there is an option to skirt that one. Upon approaching the saddle north of Calico Peak there is an option to walk level to the left and hit a trail that goes down the fork east of peak 11375. I took that route and hit the main trail at N37 42496, W108 04657 el 10500 and walked it down to FR423 then to the highway at mp 48.8. That took 6 hours, 48 minutes with about 2500 gain. A creek flows near the start but no more water until Horse Creek. I filled on the trail at 42700, 03817 el 9900. The Rico ranger station, open on Saturdays, should be consulted to make sure no private land issues crop up. A new house is at the end of FR423. Posted 2022.

⦁ TELESCOPE MOUTAIN el 12201 is the best tundra peak around. FR496 is high clearance and open as far as the fork with FR496.A el 10850 and both are closed beyond there. I could have drove a car the first half mile up FR496 then ebiked the rest. I walked up FR496.A to a faint road forking right at el 11200. I went up that to an elk trail at N37 43541, W107 58890 then to another at 43489, 58986. I leveled off there for a stretch then up to a trail at 43527, 59212 el 11600. I followed that down a clearing to 43497, 59329 el 11500 where an old manmade trail exits deadfall. It goes to 43497, 59490 then to the saddle el 11450 that is NE of peak 11727 then over that peak and then it likely drops down to Rico. But it's easy to go on up to the summit. 3 and a half hours, 2000 gain. Posted 2022.

⦁ FLATTOP MOUNTAIN el 12098 is super easy. An ancient road goes part way. Turn off highway 145 at mp 53.4 and go 5 and a half miles on FR578 to a meadow el 11300. Walk across it to the road at N37 43658, W107 55587. Go on to 43993, 55882 then over a minor peak and the road will fade in deadfall. Elk trails run right of center through that then there is a trail at 44436, 56416 that leads into the open and then the summit is at 44723, 56890. No reg. 2 and a half hours, nearly 1000 gain. The only headache is wet grass. FR578 is to be improved in late 2022. Posted 2022.

⦁ BLACK FACE el 12147 has a trail over it to use as a one way hike. The Lizard Head Trail starts at Lizard Head Pass el 10200. It's shorter to park east of the restrooms and use a trail there that connects to the main trail. Then just follow the signs over the summit and down to a bike stashed at the Cross Mountain TH then it's an easy bike ride for 2 miles back. I did this in reverse because I had a pedal bike. 5 hours for the hike with about 2500 gain. Posted 2022.

⦁ LAKE HOPE el 11900 is a popular hike. FR627 is a decent high clearance road and ebikeable that goes to the TH el 10700 like the USFS topo shows. There are small camp spots along that road. It took me 90 minutes to walk to the lake with about 1400 gain. I followed the trail on past the lake to the divide el 12445. I could see that the 13er north of that point is a class 2 rubble slope. Posted 2022.

⦁ ROCK OF AGES LOOP - a good loop can be done in the Lizard Head Wilderness starting at the Rock of Ages TH as shown on the USFS topo. The Elk Creek Trail can be walked around to Navajo Lake then up to Rock of Ages Mine and back to the start. Take highway 145 to mp 77.5 then turn off and follow signs for 8 and a half miles to the TH at the end el 10200. 4wd is needed at some spots but any car can go halfway then ebike the rest. Subaru type cars were at the TH. No camping allowed there but there are several small spots along the last half of the road. I went up trail to the sign for Elk Creek Trail and walked it around and on past the lake then at el 12200 there is a new trail branching right but no sign there. I walked it a short way to get water then came back and walked the trail up to the mine then over and back to the start. That took 7 hours, 25 minutes. The app has it as 12.5 miles with 3700 gain. I would trust the water from the numerous streams. There is a gushing spring on the trail at about N37 51906, W108 01711 then another about 100 feet before the junction with trail 406 that goes to Woods Lake. Posted 2022.

⦁ WHIPPLE MOUNTAIN el 11922, in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness, has a trail most of the way. Turn off highway 145 at mp 75 and follow the road 8 miles to the sign for the TH el 10600. The last 2 miles need 4wd and the last mile can be tricky for cycles when wet. Which is why I made a U-turn at the TH with a storm brewing. Posted 2022.