East Dallas Creek Trailhead

Location

Range: San Juan Mountains
Coordinates: 38.035877, -107.806704
14ers: Mt. Sneffels
Elevation: 9,350'

Road Difficulty

2 (0=Paved, 6=Very Difficult 4WD)
2WD Dirt to the TH.

Driving Directions

Take CO-62 from Ridgway (there's only one direction: west) and follow it for a few miles up a steep gain and around a bend. You descend a gentle hill where there is a brown recreation sign that says "National Forest Access East Dallas Creek" with an arrow pointing to the left (south). Take this turn and follow the road for approx. 9. There are a number of turnoffs/driveways for various ranches, but just stay on the well-marked, main road. The trailhead is easily accessible for two-wheel drive, and there is plentiful camping in one of the finest car-accessible campsites in Colorado.The trailhead itself is about a quarter mile further up the road from the open meadow where the first campsites are located. It gets a bit more rough on this final stretch, but it's still an easy road and a 2wd shouldn't have any trouble making it.

Winter Access

Usually closed at least 4 miles below the TH.

More Info

Fees? No

Trailhead added by BillMiddlebrook

1, 2, 3 >

Status Updates
2022-10-28 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: There was wuite a bit of snow on the road, starting st mile marker 2. vy mile 7 it was 6 to 8 inches deep until the trailhead. After another stirm or two, the rosd will probably be impassable beyond mile 4 or 5.
2022-10-20 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Mostly dry to the trailhead. There are some quite large potholes filled with water in the last 2 miles from recent snow in the area.
2022-10-13 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Mostly dry to the trailhead. There are some rsther large potholes filled with water in the last 2 miles from recent snow in the area. The fall colors were quite beautiful.
2022-09-12 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: road is completely dry to the trailhead. Several potholes in the last 2 miles are deep enough that i went quite slow.
2022-09-07 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: road is completely dry to the trailhead. Several potholes in the last 2 miles are deep enough that i went quite slow.
2022-09-01 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Road is dry nost if the way to the trailhead. Recent rains have created at oot of potholes, several kindof deep in the last 2 miles. This nakes fir a little rougher ride in that area, so i went somewhat slower thsn usual.
2022-08-24 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: road was dry to the trailhead.
2022-08-18 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Road is a little wet and muddy in the last 2 miles rrom all of the recent rain.
2022-08-03 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: road had some mud, and quite a few puddles from all of the recent rain.
2022-08-02 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: road is dry to the trailhead. Recent heavy rains have nade the potholes noticeablylarger, a d deeper in the last 2 miles.
2022-07-20 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: road is clear to the trailhead with very little mud.
2022-07-16 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Road is a little muddy in places due to recent rains. i onow this is not the correct place gor this info, but there was a phone left just to the left of where you dign the trsil register at the trailhead. it was there this am. and still there when i returned atound 3:30pm.
2022-07-04 Posted By: supranihilest Info: Lots of potholes, some rocks on the road. Plenty of folks drove low clearance vehicles up anyway... Oh yeah, and the shitter’s full.	1
2022-06-28 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: road us clear and dry to the trailhead. There is now a portable toilet in front of the regular restroom with no toilet paper.
2022-06-24 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: road is dry, and clear to the trailhead. restroom is open, and during yhe day it was stocked with toilet paper.
2022-06-09 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Road is clear and dry to the trailhead. Restroom is open and stocked with toilet paper.
2022-05-27 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Road is clear, and dry to the trailhead. Restroom is open and has toilet paper
2021-12-22 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: I stopped 4 miles short of the trailhead due to snow as I had forgot my shovel and did not want to get stuck. I just walked the rest of the road to the trailhead, took snowshoes but did not need them. 2 other vehicles made it to mile 8 where it was somewhat obvious that one got stuck in deep snow, then dug out, turned back and parked. No vehicles made it to the trailhead. Restroom is still open with no toilet paper.
2021-12-04 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Some snow on the road in the last mile before the trailhead. Less than last week. This will change soon as that area is forecasting snow 3 days this week. Restroom is open with no toilet paper.
2021-11-27 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: More snow on the road thus week. Patchy snow starts about mile 2 with continuous snow after mile 7 until the trailhead. Not impassable, but quite slippery the last 2 miles. Restroom is still open, with no toilet paper.
2021-11-20 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Road is dry until the last mile where there is a little snow. It was snowing hard at lower blue lake. Restroom is open with no toilet paper.
2021-11-13 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Road has a little snow and ice in the last mile. Restroom is still open with no toilet paper.
2021-11-06 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Road is clear, and dry all the way to the trailhead. The restroom is still open with no toilet paper.
2021-10-30 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Even with the new snow last Tuesday, the road is mostly dry until the last mile where there is mud and a little snow. Restroom is still open with no tp.
2021-10-23 Posted By: ltlFish99 Info: Road is mostly dry until the last mile where there it is wet and muddy. No snow on the road. Restroom is open with no tp.