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| Zoe and Dylan on Carbon Peak. They were married there in 2020. |
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| Bear cub on the Gunnison rim |
1. Hotchkiss has a Family Dollar and City Market. Gunnison has a City Market and a Walmart next door, but not a Super with full grocery. Safeway there has no self pay and that's a deal breaker. Snow was nearly all gone and I only found mosquitoes around Crater Peak. Posted 2026
2. CRATER PEAK el 11327 is an easy one with game trails most of the way. Near mp 17 on highway 92 is where county 3100 goes north. There is just one main road to follow into the forest. The first 5 miles is paved and cars make it to a fork at Wash Tub Reservoir then it's 4wd to Goodenough Reservoir. The road steepens at the 10160 line and I didn't think it worth it to take a 4wd beyond there but some hikers might disagree and park at the 10480 line. From the 10480 line, aim for a faint road at N39 02373, W107 41073 then to a lakeshore at 02497, 41018. Just past the lake I went up a clear strip to a game trail at 02713, 40652 and then in 350 feet went right on a fork to get on the main ridge. Trails run the ridge then just before the summit I leveled off in a clear strip right of center. That ends then easy on up. It takes an hour or so with 1000 gain to get to the summit from the 10480 line. Ebikes should work to the 10160 line. Posted 2026
3. CRATER, DARLINE, HATTEN - all these peaks can be done as a good loop. I went up from Willow Reservoir to Darline then on the crest to peak 11030 but hit dense deadfall just before that peak. I aborted there. The preferred loop would be to go up the SW ridge of Hatten then on to Darline and then down the ridge to the dam at the NW corner of Willow Res. And then walk the faint road back to FR128. Deadfall is not bad on that part. Going clockwise is a must as the east face of Hatten is steep as hell. I put a track on peakbagger with notes. Posted 2026
4. MOUNT GUNNISON el 12719 has a trail to el 10100 then easy terrain after that except for a tenth mile of talus. The Minnesota Creek Rd goes out of Paonia to a TH and shady camping at the SE end of Beaver Reservoir. I could have drove a Subaru there. The USFS topo correctly shows the trail goes to a junction at N38 48402, W107 25923. I went left up along Hoodoo Creek to a clearing at 48125, 24157 el 10100. I headed up the clearing into the trees at 48107, 23992 and weaved to 48148, 23786 where the talus starts. Going down to the creekbed might be best but I stayed high on the edge then across to elk trails on the high left bank at 48262, 23718. It's easy walking to the 11200 line where it works to get back to the creekbed and then I walked the easiest tundra the rest of the way. At el 12000 I could see tundra spiraling up the south side of the summit. I walked it to 48586, 23185 el 12400 and could see the rest. 8 hours, 12 miles and 4800 gain. A good basecamp is along Hoodoo Creek at el 9650. That's the last stream I saw. Posted 2026
5. BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON - the north rim is accessed south of Crawford. At mp 34.7 on highway 92 is where a paved road goes 6 miles or so to BLM land. Some sunny camp spots are there with Verizon signal. The road goes on graded for another 5 or 6 miles to the rim. A trail at the ranger station goes along the rim then up to Green Benchmark el 8563. It's 3.3 miles to the BM with about 1000 gain. Posted 2026
6. BALD MOUNTAIN el 11787 has a trail to the top as shown on the USFS topo. The road to Bald Mtn Reservoir leaves highway 92 at mp 43.5 and goes 16 miles. Subaru types and ebikes can make it. The trail goes on to peak 11841 but gets fuzzy as it climbs out of the deep saddle. I picked it up again at N38 40094, W107 25204. I came back over Bald then staight down to 39459, 24417 to get back to the start. Easy terrain with deadfall easy to navigate. That took nearly 5 hours, 5.5 miles and 2200 gain. Good camping at the reservoir. Logging may resume and the road is only one lane wide. Posted 2026
7. MOUNT GUERO el 12052 can be hiked from the same TH as Bald Mtn. The USFS topo shows the trails from Bald Mtn Reservoir down to Curecanti Creek then up to a junction with trail 8861. Going on to Curecanti Pass then up does work but has a lot of deadfall. It's best to take trail 8861 to the pass then up tundra to el 11200 where small talus starts. At N38 42846, W107 22897 el 11440 there is a pathway running left of center. It comes back to center then it's best to stay on center to avoid shifty rocks. This takes 9 or 10 hours, 14 miles with 4200 gain. 1600 of the gain is on the way out. The trails are in decent shape and easy to follow. Posted 2026
8. SPRING BENCHMARK el 8894 has a trail. It starts at a restroom at mp 48.4 on highway 92 el 8640. It goes a hilly mile and a half to the rim el 8600 above Crystal Reservoir. A left fork along the way goes up to the peak. Posted 2026
9. OREGON BENCHMARK el 10029 is on the east rim of Curecanti Creek. FR720 leaves highway 92 at mp 65 and goes 8 miles to a TH at the end. Subaru types can make it. Cars can make it to the first good campsite 2.5 miles in then bike the rest. I parked at about 6 miles in at a sunny campsite el 8520 then walked a clearing to trees then another clearing at N38 33537, W107 21871. I leveled off to the right and on to 33531, 21775 then in a few feet moved left to a ridge and up that. At el 9550 there is a knife edge. Walking the top is easy but low left would likely work too. At 33481, 21559 el 9600 I hit an elk trail and there are 2 ways to go. Easiest is to walk the trail on to the main ridge south of the summit then up. The other way is a trail at 33443, 21521 that goes a few feet thru a saddle then down a little and on to a drainage that leads up to the summit. That is steeper. 3 hours and 1500 gain. Deadfall not much of an issue but wading the creek at the start might be early in the season. No cattle for decades. Peakbagger has never heard of this so I put a track up under the next peak to the south. Posted 2026
10. PEAK 11725 is on the west rim of Soap Creek. At mp 71.8 on highway 92 there is a sign for the creek and a graded road goes as far as Soap Creek Cg. It's 4wd beyond there with a steep hill near point 7994. That's the worst of it. The road goes on to a fork at FR721.3G and that road goes to the Coffeepot Creek Trail. Ebikes could make it there. The trail starts off to the right of what the topo shows at N38 39528, W107 19252. At el 10150 there is a trail junction and the right fork tops out at el 10300 on the south ridge of the peak. I went up the ridge then at a crag used a game trail at 40753, 19530 el 10800 and walked up a grassy slope right of center then back to center at el 11200 and on up. 5 hours, 3100 gain and 7 miles. LONG VERSION - stay left at the fork el 10150 and go on up to peak 11942 then run the ridge to peak 11725 and down the south ridge. That looks like a good one. Posted 2026
11. PINE CREEK TRAIL is one I didn't do. It's below the Blue Mesa Dam on the south side of the river. It shows on the sat image and goes down to the river then along the bank to what?
12. CEBOLLA BENCHMARK el 8926 is on the south side of Blue Mesa Reservoir. I parked my truck at a pullout at mp 136 next to the lake bridge near point 7576 then rode my cycle west a half mile to county 26. I went up that for 3 and a half miles to powerlines then left on good high clearance for a mile and parked at a steep hill. I walked up the hill to point 8798 and then ran the ridge over the peak then down to point 8031. I went north there to powerlines then walked along those to Fourmile Gulch where dropping left or right goes down and then I crossed a fence at N38 27845, W107 15262 to get to the pullout. 3 hours, 6 miles and 850 gain. A car and ebike gets this done. Best done late in the season when the lake has receded from Fourmile Gulch. County 26 goes on to highway 149 and that drops into the Lake Fork of the Gunnison. A good road goes down that and the last 5 miles is on a RR grade. Good for two wheelers and there are campsites but not much to do. Posted 2026
13. RED CREEK has a decent road for nearly 16 miles to a TH at the head of Sixmile Gulch el 11450. It starts at mp 138 on US 50. Campsites start in half a mile. Subaru types can make it to the end. This looks like the closest access to the high peaks. Posted 2026
14. WEST ELK PEAK el 13035 is best as a one way hike from Red Creek TH to Mill Creek TH. But those THs are 55 miles apart. I parked my cycle at Mill Creek then rode my Zizzo mostly downhill to Gunnison and took my truck on to the Red Creek TH. The bike ride is half the fun. The next day I started out over a low ridge to the trail that goes to the south saddle el 11877 of Middle Baldy Mtn. Then I went up on the far right to avoid brush and on over the Baldy peaks to N38 42272, W107 11285 at peak 12968. I dropped a little then took an easy angle up to the east ridge of that peak where a hiker trail goes on to West Elk. I retraced down the trail to el 12600 then dropped into a basin at the head of Mill Creek and picked up the trail again at the 12000 line and went on down to my cycle. 8 hours, 13 minutes and 16 miles with about 3000 gain. Facebook has a message board for Gunnison where a bored housewife or retiree could be recruited to drop hikers off at the Red Creek TH. Another option is two parties hiking in opposite directions and each drives the other's vehicle back to town. But who gets to start at the high TH? Well, you do since it's your idea. SHORT VERSION - go as far as North Baldy then drop into Mill Creek. Posted 2026
15. PEAK 11790 is west of the Red Creek road. I hiked over it to retrieve my vehicle at the start of the West Elk Peak hike that I did the day before. I parked on the Red Creek road where a road goes up West Red Creek. But that is now an elk trail then cattle trail. Just past the 10000 line the trail runs on the left bank in a long clearing. I went on to FR723.F1 and up to the rim then on over the peak to the TH at the end of the Red Creek road. 3 hours, 15 minutes and 6.6 miles with 2200 gain, nearly all easy. This is on trails, closed roads and tundra. I wore shorts. I put a track on peakbagger. Posted 2026
16. SOUTH BALDY and MIDDLE BALDY el 12709 have trails and tundra the nearly the whole way. From the Red Creek road TH I started out over a low ridge to the trail that goes to the south saddle el 11877 of Middle Baldy Mtn. Then I went up on the far right to avoid brush. I came back to the saddle then over South Baldy and down the south ridge to a hiker trail at N38 39624, W107 11888 el 11950 that leads to the main trail. 5 hours, 6 miles with a bit over 2000 gain. Just doing South Baldy would be a lot shorter. Posted 2026
17. DIILLON MESA el 9412 is a part of the west rim of Red Creek. The Dillon Pinnacles trail starts near a bridge (low water allowed me to park a quarter mile closer) on US 50 and goes up Dillon Gulch as the topo shows and on past a spring then it bends left toward a saddle north of peak 9017. It fades along there but it's easy to walk low right up the ridge and on to survey junk at peak 9412. Walking back down the mesa is easy then there is a way down at N38 28737, W107 14983. I went down and left a little then to a game trail at 28756, 15061 el 8400 and walked it down. 4 and a half hours, 9 miles with easy 2000 gain. I couldn't find the spring. This is pristine and no cattle ever and no brush. Every other BLM mesa around Gunnison has been run over. ONE WAY VERSION - ride an ebike up the good Red Creek road and walk the trail up Lion Gulch to get on the rim and walk it down to the lake. WEST RIM - I went back later and walked the trail to the rim then over peak 9017 and down to the rim over the pinnacles. I got back down to the trail on a sheep route at 29277, 15663. That took 3 hours, 20 minutes and 6 miles. Posted 2026
18. TENDERFOOT HILL el 9249 is on the east rim of Red Creek. I parked at the Dry Gulch campround at mp 140.3 and walked an old road north up to el 9700 as the topo shows then cut over under peak 9843 and came back over Tenderfoot then on to point 8726. I dropped off the rim on a trail there at N38 29450, W107 11853 then down to a gap in brush at 29320, 11425 to get back on the old road. 5 hours, 10 miles and a bit over 2000 gain, all easy. I wore shorts OK. No cattle for decades. Posted 2026
19. STEVENS CREEK is state land and requires a SWA pass. Those are cheap for old coots. Fishing and hunting licenses also allow access. A short loop up canyon and back on the west rim is easy. The road in starts at mp 145.8 on US 50. There is a pullout 1.3 miles in that Subaru types and bikes can make. Then it's nearly a mile to walk on to a fork and go left up a bad road to a trail at N38 31179, W107 07152 el 8700. That trail leads to the rim top then it's an easy stroll down to a trail at 30120, 06807 and it goes down to a saddle. There is one more little peak and I counted 9 cairns on it. Did paleface build those? 2 and a half hours, nearly 5 miles with 1200 gain. Posted 2026
20. WOLF CREEK BENCHMARK el 8800+ is on the west side of highway 149. The only road in I could find starts at mp 112 and follows powerlines. It has a bad spot 2 miles in. Rigs with lockers make that. 2 and a half miles in there is a fork and the left one goes up to the summit as the topo shows. The main road goes on and drops steeply down to the powerline road and that goes back. This area is for riding and ebikes work on most of it. Cell coverage makes it easy to navigate the maze of roads. Posted 2026
21. IOLA BENCHMARK el 8754 is on the east side of highway 149. A south to north one way hike can be done using the highway. I parked at mp 115.2 and rode my Zizzo up to mp 108.4 el 8550 then coasted down a BLM road for 1.3 miles to a fork. I walked the left fork along the west side of peak 8721 then up into the north saddle where there is a gate. I just kept going north over the peaks. On the descent into the saddle el 8511 there is a trail right of center. The next peak has a strange excavation and I just kept going down the main ridge to mp 115.2. 3 hours, 17 minutes and 6.5 miles with a bit over 1000 gain for the hike part. No brush. The 7 mile ride took an hour but would be easy with an ebike. The road up Willow Creek on the east side would be an option. Posted 2026
22. BEAVER CREEK has a good trail. It starts at a picnic area at mp 150 on US 50. The trail goes along the west side of peak 8290 then it's easy to go up into the north saddle of that peak then walk the pristine ridge back to power lines el 7700 then drop back to the trail. 2 hours and 800 gain. This is so easy it makes pie look hard. Carry a sack of bricks to make it a challenge. Posted 2026
23. HARTMAN ROCKS RECREATION AREA is on BLM land on the south side of Gunnison off of county 38. Designated sites are free to camp in for now. Restrooms are available. Smooth trails for two wheelers crisscross the area, some motorized. The entrance road is steep but cars make it. It's too close to town and I was buying ice cream every day. How far do you have to hike to burn off a Ben and Jerry's? Whiley Hall has put tracks up on peakbagger for every peak around town so there's no chance of running out of things to do. Posted 2026
24. SIGNAL PEAK el 9042 is on the NE side of Gunnison. A decent road goes nearly all the way. It leaves US 50 at mp 159.3. Just follow the sat image up. Subaru types can make it or park at the BLM boundary and ride an ebike 3 miles up. Posted 2026
25. FLAT TOP el 10572 is a short hike north of Gunnison. FR829 goes in from county 730 at mp 8.1. It's easy 4wd but embedded rocks make for slow going. Two wheelers can thread all that. I just went on to FR955.1E and that ends at almost 10400 about 5.5 miles in but deadfall stopped me a little short. There is some talus and deadfall to deal with on the hike to Point BM but no big deal. It's pristine on top. Posted 2026
26. CARBON PEAK el 12079 is north of Gunnison and has a trail the whole way up the NW ridge. County 730 goes along the west side to FR730.1B. Cars might get that far. 4wds can go right a third mile and ATVs can go more. The road shrinks to a foot trail like the USFS topo shows and in less than half a mile an obvious fork goes up a ridge all the way to the summit. 5 hours, 9 miles with 2600 gain. I saw a couple with mtn bikes near the summit but I wouldn't do it. Posted 2026
