Trip Name: Highland Mary Lakes/CDT/Cunningham Gulch Loop. Travel Guide. Hiking poles would be helpful for steeper sections and creek crossings. … From short and sweet hikes (the Piedra Falls trail runs about 1.2 miles round trip) to epic trails to high altitude lakes (like the 7.6-mile Highland Mary Lakes Cunningham Gulch Loop Trail), there’s plenty of ways to explore on foot. Highland Mary Loop. Silverton, CO. Water availability is not a problem, but all water used in this area should be filtered, due to Giardia. The loop is created by combining the Highland Mary Lakes Trail # 606, the Whitehead Trail # 674, the Continental Divide Trail # 813, and Cunningham Gulch Trail. Meeting with the Highland Mary Lakes connector, one last switchback brings you into the final patch of trees before a rolling tundra unveils unhindered mountain views off to the west, including Mount Rhonda, Kendall Peak and Little Giant Peak. Get Here. Passenger cars can make it close to a trailhead (to reach the actual TH it is better to have a 4WD - stream crossing required). Climbing out of Cunningham…” Apr 22, 2018 - Highland Mary Lakes Cunningham Gulch Loop | Colorado's Wild Areas Carpool $8. From short and sweet hikes (the Piedra Falls Trail runs about 1.2 miles round trip) to epic trails to high altitude lakes (like the 7.6-mile Highland Mary Lakes Cunningham Gulch Loop Trail), there’s plenty of ways to explore on foot. The trail starts at 10,480 ft., and climbs 1,600 ft. to the first lake. This is a very popular trail and can be very crowded, especially on weekends. This trail passes by the two largest Highland Mary Lakes as well as the nearby Verde Lakes. Hike as far as you want…the Colorado Trail continues to Durango, Colorado and the Continental Divide Trail continues to Mexico. RECOMMENDED ROUTE Very Difficult. Featured Routes. Rich sunset light illuminates the golden autumn tundra of Cunningham Gulch, with the Grenadier Range in the background. Solo big loop of the area, Cunningham Gulch up to PT 12905, then out and back to "Beartown Bald" and followed the Whitehead Trail around the back of the Highland Mary Lakes area to PT 12936, then up the 13109-Whitehead saddle. Cunningham Gulch Sunset. The trailhead is the end of Forest Service road 589 east of Silverton. Easily accessible from the Cunningham Gulch road by most high clearance vehicles, this backcountry trail into the Weminuche Wilderness offers astounding high country views. We headed back as threatening afternoon clouds began to roll in. Start at the parking area for Cunningham Gulch and Highland Mary Lakes and get ready to sweat. After 0.4 miles, the trail reaches a junction with the Cunningham Gulch Trail #502. The trail into Spencer Basin begins as a road on the west side of the drainage. The hike is located in the Weminuche Wilderness - the largest … There is room for several vehicles to park. Trail on Cunningham Creek, Mountaineer Creek, and Deep Creek in San Juan National Forest, Weminuche Wilderness. Weather. Great way to enjoy a clear day. I'm not sure how long it is but other hikers I talked to were doing it as a day hike today. Make a longer loop by combing it with the Cunningham Gulch Trail. Trail Attributes. Take time to explore the main lakes, or keep following the trail up another 300 feet to a high tundra shelf. But, in my opinion, the most interesting part of the hike is the second half of the trail. Explore. Highland Mary Lakes Loop 7.8 mi 12.5 km • 1,824' Up 555.88 m Up • 1,824' Down 555.87 m Down. Register by Email. Area: Weminuche Wilderness of San Juan National Forest in Colorado. Big dark clouds in the afternoon had us scurrying back to the safety of our truck! Cunningham Gulch (FS#502) Leaving the trailhead behind, the first half mile of the route rises through 700 feet of stunted high-alpine growth as the trail clambers towards treeline. ajberry - Jun 27, 2017 10:36 … Posted: Jan 26, 2015 by Sam Szarka. Highland Mary Lakes - Silverton A little over a month ago I hiked Highland Mary Lakes - a gorgeous hike southeast of Silverton. Big views, small miles: The Highland Mary Lake Loop is a mere 7.8 miles, and while that could easily be achieved in a day, slow down and take your time experiencing the unparalleled beauty of San Juan Mountain high country. The five-mile stretch up Wager Gulch is a rough road that requires a high-clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicle. You’ll quick gain 12,000 ft. and stay there for much of the 9-mile loop. Click on the map to enlarge. At about 1.9 miles there is a junction with a trail to Cunningham Gulch/Highland Mary Lakes Loop and at 3.3 miles is another junction with Highland Mary Lakes Loop/Whitehead Trail. The Highland Mary Lakes are perhaps one of the most popular day-hike destinations in the area. The Highland Mary Lakes trail is an exception, providing day hikers quick access to this alpine wonderland. The Highland Mary Lakes are a group of seven above-timberline lakes on the northwestern side of the Weminuche Wilderness Area. The Highland Mary Lakes area has wide open … The hike visits three of the seven Highland Mary Lakes as well as the Verde Lakes, all above 12,000-ft. Getting to the lakes basin requires a bit of effort. East of Silverton, this is a rewarding and scenic hike past alpine lakes, through a high tundra basin, on a trail with spectacular valley and mountain views. The trailhead is the end of Forest Service road 589 east of Silverton. Highland Mary Lakes via Spencer Basin, loop hike Friday, October 4, 7:30 am New Destination. 682 Likes, 7 Comments - @gobroncobilly on Instagram: “Colorado Running Ranch Giddyup Camp, day 3: Highland Mary Lakes Loop. Started at highland Mary lakes and hiked to kite lake, camped, then over humpback / Nebo pass into Ute basin. Climb 1,300 feet from the trailhead to reach the first of the Highland Mary Lakes. Camped by West Ute lake that night, got two inches of snow during 6 hours of kinda terrifying lightening. Silverton, CO. Highland Mary Lakes Running. Saturday Classic Hike: Highland Mary Lakes Cunningham Gulch Loop Saturday, August 3, 7:30 am Canceled due to road closure. Make a longer loop by combining it with the Cunningham Gulch Trail. Starting our hike from the Highland Mary Trailhead in Cunningham Gulch. The Highland Mary Trail starts east of the old mining town of Silverton (which is worth a visit itself.) Here, the Alpine Loop intersects with County Road 36, which heads south for about five miles to the ghost town of Carson. Highland Mary Lakes Cunningham Gulch Loop. Trinity and Silex Lake Route 34.4 mi 55.4 km • 9,059' Up 2761.26 m Up • 9,059' Down 2761.11 m Down. Highland Mary Lakes – CDT Loop Featured Route 7.3mi. Hike up into Spencer Basin, if it is separate from the Highland Mary Lakes loop. Register by Email. Highest Elevation: 12,550 feet. Tram tower at end of road. Trailhead Elevation: 10,700 feet. Highland Mary Lakes Cunningham Gulch Loop. Note the old tram tower that was probably associated with the Highland Mary Mine. Three principle trails originate in Cunningham Gulch. Saved from coloradoswildareas.com. Visit three alpine lakes perched atop a high rolling plateau in the northwest corner of the rugged Weminuche Wilderness backcountry of Colorado. From the start, the Highland Mary Lakes Trail #606 follows a curvaceous path along Cunningham Creek. Colorado Travel Guide .. Cunningham Gulch Trail . Approach from the Highland Mary Lakes/ end of Cunningham Gulch out of Silverton. This one has been on my to-do list for a couple of years now - so when it was posted as a day trip for Western Slope Adventurers on my last free Summer weekend, I jumped at the chance to do it! A car shuttle is required prior to starting hike. I actually was hoping that the smoke in the air would make for a good sunset later in the evening. Next day we hiked back out to the highland Mary trailhead via the Cunningham gulch. Wager Gulch-Carson Ghost Town – About 5.5 miles beyond the south side of Lake San Cristobal, the road comes to Wager Gulch. We spent the second day doing a fairly long day hike from Stony Pass to a high point above Highland Mary Lakes. Like. Wanted to go further but got stormed out as we climbed back up to high country on the CDT. The Cunningham Gulch is a fantastic backcountry camping option for those visiting the Silverton area, whether for off-road excursions or hiking. Upper end of gulch. The blue-line route is the shorter Highland Mary Lakes option, and the red-dot route is the shortcut from Verde Lake to #674. View 7 Day Forecast on weather.gov. Mar 5, 2015 - View of the Highland Mary Lakes in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado. Prints Available. Alpine lakes are just about my favorite highlight of backpacking trips. Do not camp on the lake shore. The Highland Mary Lakes area has wide open feel with broad gradual grassy … Continue up the road and come to parking areas for hikers doing the Highland Mary Lakes Cunningham Gulch Loop, a very popular hiking trail. The Highland Mary Lakes is a short backpacking loop hike located in the Weminuche Wilderness of southwest Colorado. Trip Name: Highland Mary Lakes/CDT/Cunningham Gulch Loop Area: Weminuche Wilderness… Highpoints #41, 42 and 43: Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota Blog Post , Posts By intuito September 11, 2017 5 Comments Drive past these and head up the hill to the end of the road. Passenger cars will … The trail is approximately 3 miles, one way, but can be made into a 7.8 mile loop via a segment of the Continental Divide Trail to Cunningham Gulch Trail. The open meadows are filled with wildflowers in the late summer, providing beautiful views and excellent opportunities for photography. Travel. You drive about four miles through Cunningham Gulch on an increasingly rough road that includes a creek crossing at the end. The Highland Mary Lakes are rated fair for rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout, but keep in mind, like most subalpine lakes… Tacoma on tundra. Mar 5, 2015 - View of the Highland Mary Lakes in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado. Followed the ridge from 13109 over Whitehead and Rhoda to Mountaineer and down Spencer Basin. Travel Tips. Total Mileage: 10 miles. Highland Mary Lakes: This day hike from Silverton offers a glimpse of what the Weminuche is all about: high tundra, wildflower fields, remote lakes and extensive views — all in an 8-mile there-and-back hike. The Highland Mary Lakes is a short backpacking loop hike located in the Weminuche Wilderness of southwest Colorado. This trail is easy to follow but doesn't give you very many breaks in the first two miles. The Highland Mary area is a high-altitude, subalpine basin that is largely free of trees. I love high basins. Once above tree line you will wind in between the Highland Mary Lakes chain. This loop trail starts near the end of the road climbing into Cunningham Gulch, which is rough, rocky and requires high clearance to get to the trailhead. Visit three alpine lakes perched atop a high rolling plateau in the northwest corner of the rugged Weminuche Wilderness backcountry of Colorado . Hike the Highland Mary Lakes → CT → Cunningham Gulch trail loop. 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