Huerfano/Lily Lake Trailhead

Sangre de Cristo

Road Difficulty

3 Easy 4WD/AWD, good clearance

Location10,700 feet
37.62361, -105.47278

Driving Directions

From the town of Gardner, located northwest of Walsenburg, take Colorado 69 west for approximately half a mile, then turn west onto County Road 550. The trailhead is 22+ miles from this point. Start measuring mileage here:

At 7.0 miles, the road turns to dirt.
At 11.8 miles, stay left on Forest Road 580.
At 15.7 miles, stay left at the entrance to the Singing River ranch. The road becomes narrow, but usually still 2WD with good clearance.
At 16.7 miles, pass the entrance to the Aspen River ranch.
At approx. 20 miles, reach the the west side of large, landslide area where the road was re-routed in 2016. After this point, there's a steep section that requires 4WD.
Continue 2 miles on the rough, narrow road to reach the Lily Lake TH. There are dispersed camping spots along this section.

Notes

Do not attempt to get anywhere near the trailhead if you have a low clearance 2WD. The road is usually rough 2WD to the west side of the landslide area, 20 miles in and 2 miles from the trailhead. From there, 4WD/AWD/Good Clearance is required to reach the Lily Lake trailhead at 10,700'. 4WD may be required in spring when large puddles and mud are present.

Trailhead Status Updates

Most Recent Update 8/2/2026:

Easy to reach the trailhead in a high clearance vehicle. A sube outback, maybe not. I didn't see any outbacks at the TH on 8/2/26. Sections of the road prior to entering the trees have deep pot holes, currently avoidable.

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Winter Access

Usually closed near the Singing River Ranch, far below the trailhead.

Trailhead Facilities & Fees

Parking: Room for ~10 vehicles at the trailhead but other places to pull off the road.
Camping: Dispersed camping at the pull-offs on the road.
Restrooms: No
Fees: No

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