Posted By: JasonCrane Info: Colorado 82 is dry & smooth all the way to La Plata TH. Fall foliage just changed within the last couple of days & is really starting to shine. Decent traffic in & out of the direction of Independence Pass. Roadside TH has room for a handful of cars & a bit rough with rocks & wash-outs, but not really a big deal. The little downtown of Twin Lakes has 2 police vehicles & one of them has a mannequin in the driver seat, but the purpose is to get drivers to slow down through that area for safety reasons. Some roadside activity with pedestrians & people stopping at the Inn, restaurant & store. Saw another driver pass me on the double yellow & flying through there clearly in a rush. Don’t be that person. | ||||
Posted By: ssowalskie Info: The parking lot was full when I arrived at 6am on Saturday morning, though there were still parking spots available on the road. | ||||
Posted By: bagelbattalion Info: Trailhead parking was full at 5am on Saturday. Was a busy day out on trail. Parking available on the side of the road as overflow. | 1 |
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Posted By: aldsw Info: Do NOT camp in the forest on the left side of the parking lot at the trailhead / road to La Plata. There are a couple spots in there that look great for a tent for the night and there are no signs saying that is part of the private property but we returned from our hike to find our tent flipped over and an angry man yelling at us that it was private property and we had trespassed. We apologized profusely but he yelled at us for more than 5 minutes and said he would have completely destroyed our gear if we hadn’t come back when we did. We are lucky to have access through the private property so we felt terrible we camped where we did. I’m hoping this note helps others avoid the same mistake. | ||||
Posted By: MtSherman2015 Info: Plenty of room for at least a dozen cars, TH parking was nearly full at 6am. | ||||
Posted By: BillShatner Info: As always, ignore Google maps. The closure comes after the TH. Roads are dry. | ||||
Posted By: JasonCrane Info: Colorado 82 is plowed to TH, as well as, the parking area. There’s enough room for about 10-15 vehicles. 2WD should be okay on CO82 with careful driving as there’s a thin layer of snow in the shadowy sections, along with patches of ice. | ||||
Posted By: JasonCrane Info: Colorado 82 from Twin Lakes to TH is completely dry, as well as the parking area. | ||||
Posted By: hogantheepic Info: This trailhead is completely open. It’s on the side of a paved road so any car could make it to the trailhead. No snow anywhere near the road. | ||||
Posted By: adhend Info: Easy access. Road clear all the way. Just a little packed powder in places but mostly clean. Any vehicle can get there. | ||||
Posted By: ccampini Info: Google maps says the road is closed oct-May, but the road closes immediately after the trailhead. You are able to drive to trailhead. We used spikes the whole way up, snowshoes the whole way down. Tons of snow still in most places. Patches without once you get on the ridge line. | ||||
Posted By: JasonCrane Info: Colorado 82 is plowed, but the road is glazed with snow & several patches of ice. La Plata parking area has not been plowed. There’s a 1-2 ft. layer of snow parallel to the road (caused by the street plow). AWD SUV was no problem today. Another hiker with a Sedan was shoveling a path. | ||||
Posted By: Paula Info: Road and trailhead are plowed. There is a trench as far as the bridge, presumably for a while beyond, but that’s as far as we walked. | ||||
Posted By: drchele Info: Some fresh snow covering the parking lot, a few inches. Trailhead located right off 82 (open to the La Plata TH). Navigable in 2WD passenger car. | ||||
Posted By: kayleenann8 Info: In summer condition still. Watch out for the people sitting in the middle of the road to get pictures with the aspen. | ||||
Posted By: sky_high Info: Independence pass is open for business. Nothing to add to the last post regarding the trailhead as it is right off the highway and clear to all comers; parking will be sparse after 6 am. I’ll just mention, beyond the trailhead if you are looking to camp it is getting crowded and getting far along the road takes a vehicle with decent clearance and some careful driving. Nothing requiring lots of torque, but plenty of holes, dips, and twists. | ||||
Posted By: Joan Info: Arrived at 7 a.m. on a Sunday in July and found the La Plata Gulch Trailhead parking lot to be full (holds around a dozen cars), but there was space on the first 20 feet of 82C (the private dirt road) still open (when I returned in the afternoon I saw that late-comers had availed themselves of that space). There was also room on the shoulder of 82 immediately before and after the parking lot that latecomers used. NOT BAD for a Sawatch TH given how late I arrived! Plus, 82 is paved, so unlike other 14er approaches, my 2WD purred contentedly with getting my carcass to the TH!! | ||||
Posted By: cdecker Info: Although CO-82 was technically closed it had only minimal snow at 6AM. By the time we drove out in the afternoon it was just wet. The TH parking was mostly snow free by afternoon. | ||||
Posted By: Solo Info: Drove rented ford SUV to within a half mile of TH. After walking it it turns out I could have EASILY gone all the way. I’m sure a subaroo could make it... with an occasional bump. | ||||
Posted By: kingshimmers Info: Trailhead parking is open, and the dirt road from the parking to the start of the trail is dry. |
