South Colony Lakes Trailhead

Sangre de Cristo

Road Difficulty

4 Moderate 4WD, good clearance

Driving Directions

Take Colorado 69 south from Westcliffe. Drive 4.5 miles and turn right on Colfax Lane. Drive 5.5 miles to the end of Colfax. Turn right and drive 1 mile on a dirt road to a junction. Continue straight up the 120 Road for 0.3 mile to the Lower 2WD Trailhead at 8,800'. To reach the Upper 4WD Trailhead, continue 2.7 miles to parking/camp spots before a river crossing, near 9,950'. Note that in 2009, the South Colony Lakes road was permanently closed at this point (with a gate), and the official trailhead was established here. The trail begins next to the trailhead kiosk located in the main parking area.

Notes

Easy 2WD dirt to the lowest trailhead. 4WD (high-clearance required) dirt to the upper trailhead.

Trailhead Status Updates

Most Recent Update 8/6/2026:

I drove my stock Subaru Forester to the 4WD trailhead yesterday after reading the recent condition reports here. I made it up and down, but it was pretty rough. Even with some careful scouting and a good spotter, I scraped/hit pretty hard a couple of times. No serious damage, but it was risky. I don't regret taking my car up there because it turned out fine, but I don't want to do it aga...

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Winter Access

Usually closed near the lower TH at the bottom of the road.

Trailhead Facilities & Fees

Parking: ~20 vehicles at the lower, 2WD trailhead. No parking along the first 1+ miles of the 4WD road due to private property. Some pull-offs before the upper trailhead. Upper, 4WD trailhead has room for ~25 vehicles.
Camping: No camping at the 2WD trailhead. Not much camping along the 4WD road but there are a few spots. Some established camp sites near the 4WD trailhead.
Restrooms: No
Fees: No

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