From Telluride, drive south on Colorado 145 to Lizard Head Pass. Continue south for 5.2 miles and turn right onto Forest Road (FR) 535. Drive 4.1 miles on the 2WD dirt road to a large meadow and junction. Stay straight on 535, pass the Kilpacker trailhead at 5 miles and continue another 2 miles (7 total from CO 145) to reach the Navajo Lake trailhead entrance on the right.

In 2026, the U.S. Forest Service changed Navajo Lake Basin to a designated dispersed camping model. They have established camp spots in the lake area and ask that you do not camp elsewhere. When visiting this area, try to avoid busy weekends and have a plan B in case all campsites are occupied. The nearest alternative camping area is near the Kilpacker Trail Junction (2.3 miles south of the lake). More Info...

From the trailhead  1, it's just over 4.5 miles to reach Navajo Lake. Start by hiking about 0.25 mile to pass the Groundhog trail junction  2. Stay to the right, passing through some scenic meadows  3 before re-entering the trees. At 9,500', you'll cross a bridge spanning the West Dolores River and ascend a steep hill  4. Continue to 9,800', where the trail opens into a large meadow  5; from here, the path alternates between forested sections and smaller meadows  6  7. Near 10,700', ascend through another meadow and navigate several switchbacks to reach 11,000'  8. Then traverse eastward across the hillside, returning to the forest to meet a junction with the Woods Lake trail  9. Stay to the right, with Navajo Lake roughly 0.5 mile from this junction. As you approach, you'll see 13er Gladstone Peak to the east  10 and El Diente Peak towering to your right. Campsites begin appearing on the right side of the trail 0.25 mile before reaching the lake  11  12.

From Navajo Lake at 11,150', it's about 2 miles farther to the eastern end of the basin and starting points for Wilson Peak and Mt. Wilson routes. If climbing El Diente, it's 1.5 miles to the location where the El Diente route departs from the main Navajo trail. Pass the lake on its left side and follow the trail through the bushes  13. Roughly 0.5 mile east of the lake, you'll leave the bushes and traverse the left side of the basin  14  15. Near 11,900', the terrain flattens out a bit  16. If you're climbing El Diente's North Slope route, your climb starts to the right. For Wilson Peak or Mt. Wilson, continue to the end of the basin  17 and refer to those route descriptions.

There are several place to camp just below Navajo Lake, 4.5 miles from the trailhead. IMPORTANT: This route enters the Lizard Head Wilderness area. Designated wilderness areas have special regulations and restrictions for party size, dispersed camping, campfires, etc. Also, dog owners should read the wilderness information carefully because some wilderness areas prohibit dogs to be off-leash and/or limit how close dogs can be to lakes and streams. If you have questions about the wilderness area, please contact a U.S. Forest Service office for the National Forest(s) listed above.