Crestone Peak

Route: Cottonwood Creek
Posted On: 7/11/2026, By: Arthur Shagisultanov
Info: Not much to add to the last conditions report, apart from some tips for the approach.

We found a few possible routes through/around the crux waterfall: red line approximately follows small ledges on climber's left, green (the standard route) climbs steep slabs left of the falls, blue crosses the creek and climbs a large step right of the falls, purple shows possible routes on the other side of the falls (thought the bushwhack there looks awful). If you choose to bushwhack to the other side, we saw what might be a trail turn off around 37.95257, -105.58527 (climb down and right immediately after the large flat slab).

IMO, if you have a lighter pack, the red line is best on the approach and blue on the descent. If you have bulky or heavy packs, a short rope may be helpful for lowering your pack. 

Route: Cottonwood Creek
Posted On: 7/6/2026, By: vcarletto
Info: Started at the Cottonwood Creek TH — 2WD is fine, and there’s room for about 8–10 cars. The trail is solid and well‑defined for roughly the first 3 miles, ending near the pancake rocks. From there, cairns are consistently placed and easy to follow.

You’ll pass a campsite on the right, then wind through a set of switchbacks to a rockfield. Push through a short section of willows and you’ll reach a small waterfall. Just before it, there’s a narrow Class 3 squeeze — totally manageable, but large packs can snag in the tight rock slot.

Above that, follow cairns into a wide grassy opening, then another stretch of willows. The trail leads you into a second open area where the Red Gully comes into view. From there, it’s the classic never‑ending climb: steady Class 3, loose pockets of scree, and a long grind to the top.

The approach along Cottonwood Creek is gorgeous — constant water features and a great mix of terrain. I’d strongly recommend GPS breadcrumbs (I ran two) since the descent has a few spots where it’s easy to drift off‑trail. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 6/28/2026, By: Nosimplehighway
Info: The route is at full summer conditions, but with enough residual melt from a few snow patches that there is at least a trickle to a small stream of running water is available up the first half of the red gully. On Saturday, June 27, there were a wide variety of weather conditions experienced from a clear calm morning up to Broken Hand Pass, then overcast conditions, low clouds and wind on the other side of BHP, with clouds clearing but wind intensifying as the morning wore on. In comparison to other recent 13ers I have done after the winter's drought, there are still ample places to refill water along the route including during the lower reaches of the red gully. Summited both the traditional peak and Northeast Crestone, the latter of which was especially windprone. Also, I would encourage people to do the Crestone routes without their dogs - though some dogs may make it most of the way to the top - and indeed I saw one halfway up the red gully - the final reaches to the summit are not going to be easy for most four-legged companions. Otherwise, a gorgeous but windy day to summit Crestone Peak 

Route: Crestones Traverse
Posted On: 6/25/2026, By: wmagnuson7
Info: Completely summer conditions, no snow whatsoever on any portion of the hike. Enjoy! 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 6/20/2026, By: smurray798
Info: There isn't much snow left in the Red Gully, and all of it is easily avoidable. There is water available all along Cottonwood Creek, but don't count on it flowing through the Red Gully for much longer.
We did the approach from the West along Cottonwood Creek, which is not as well maintained as the South Colony approach on the East side. The Western aproach has many sections on steep and slick banks, through thick bushes, along cairned slabs, over some blowdown, and even up several class III climbs in the forest. But, it's shorter if you can't park at the 4WD lot along South Colony Creek, and you don't have to go over Broken Hand Pass. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 6/10/2026, By: josephnephi
Info: Just a few snow fields left in the red gully that are avoidable. Made ~10 steps on snow the whole day. Came up Cottonwood side. 

Route: Crestones Traverse
Posted On: 5/31/2026, By: kushrocks
Info: There was a lot more snow on Crestone Peak today than on either the Crestone Traverse or the descent of Crestone Needle.

I wore microspikes up Broken Hand Pass and on Crestone Peak, but I didn't need them for the traverse itself. Early on the traverse there was one somewhat tricky downclimb across a snow covered slope, but after that most of the remaining snow could be avoided. The crux wall was, as always, exposed, but all of the snow there could be bypassed. Sorry I suck at taking pictures.

Great running into Andrew, Andrea, and their friend out there today! 

Route: Crestones Traverse
Posted On: 3/26/2026, By: SeanWhelan
Info: Did the Crestones traverse yesterday (3/25), good mostly dry conditions, 2 miles of snowshoeing on the approach and descent. I shouldn’t have stashed my snowshoes because I ended up wallowing in snow up to my chest in the red gully up to Crestone Peak. Going up broken hand pass was full of snow, but a good glissade on the way down. Wore trail runners then LS aequilibriums, microspikes and ice axe were handy in a few spots. 21 miles, 15 hrs. No one else up there. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 2/6/2026, By: markf
Info: Trail from Cottonwood Creek TH (west side approach) is dry or well tracked to 10000'. I put on micro spikes at 10000', used snowshoes briefly above 11000'. I did not summit but the entire south face of Crestone Peak looked completely clear of snow. 

Route: Crestones Traverse
Posted On: 11/16/2025, By: MMAfightingClimber
Info: See conditions report for Crestone Needle. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 11/15/2025, By: kremitkromit
Info: Trail up from the cottonwood Creek trailhead is dry, while iced over the creek generally melts out by mid day and we noticed that even at 12k water was running and not frozen at around 7am red gullys stream is iced/snowed out, though the whole climbers left side of the gully is bone dry from the bottom to the notch, including the scramble to the summit, east crestone had significant snow but staying on the rocks made it avoidable, and for the traverse, though mostly dry from the turnoff to the initial walk to the crux there are easy to avoid snow and ice patches, the crux has consolidated snow up to it and around it, climbing around it is likely easier now, knife edge is dry including the headwall, and from what I've heard the downclimb on the needle is dry but quite wet during late morning to noon hours expect ice, verglass, and freezing conditions, above 10,500ft during night/early morning hours.
(We did not need any ice/snow equipment, and wore approach shoes whole way up and down, I'd recommend atleast carrying an axe, and. Spikes/crampons depending on route. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 10/11/2025, By: Nosimplehighway
Info: Updated as of October 18: Freeze-thaw cycles are in full effect, Snow from the previous week is melting during the day and freezing solid overnight, making crampons and an ice axe the safest way to reach the Crestone Peak summit via Broken Hand Pass (BHP). The final 100-foot stretch up to BHP was not safe with spikes - crampons and an ice axe would be needed to ascend safely during the cold, early morning hours. I returned to South Colony Lakes one week after turning back at Broken Hand Pass due to high winds and low visibility. The approach above 11000 feet or so was solid, hard ice (morning temperature were in the 10s Fahrhenheit above the South Colony Lakes) and spikes were insufficient to gain traction and pierce the hard ice. Stongly advise only to attempt this approach with high-quality crampons and an ice axe. Spikes did not provide enough traction and I slid a substantial distance down a steep ice chute just shy of BHP. THe only way over was across solid ice. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 10/5/2025, By: Veory
Info: Started very early (1:30 am) from the cottonwood th because one of our party members had to catch a flight out of Denver. Climbing up the red gully in the dark was very icy, the lower spots i would've preferred to have crampons to micros, but they sufficed. Snow and ice covered most of the route to the notch. Coming down everything was softer and much easier. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 10/4/2025, By: EvanKBlack
Info: Posted traverse conditions from Cottonwood under Needle and reposting here— all dry except avoidable patches around Black Gendarme ans before/after headwall. Did not use traction. Precip was dropping as we drove away, so next few days likely to be much worse conditions. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 9/29/2025, By: Novochops
Info: Snow and ice above 13.5k from last night’s storm. There was a layer of rime on everything including us as we climbed. All was passable with careful footing. There wasn’t much snow and day or two of sun would probably melt it all.