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 2WD Trailhead at 8,800'. To reach the 4WD Trailhead, continue 2.7 miles to parking/camp spots before a river crossing, near 9,950'. 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.

The South Colony Lakes road requires a 4WD vehicle and is very rough. If you have a 2WD or standard AWD vehicle without high clearance, park at the lower 2WD trailhead at 8,800 feet. Parking here adds 2.7 miles of one-way distance up the road and over 1,100 feet of elevation gain. If you have a high-clearance, capable 4WD vehicle, continue up the road  1. The drive becomes more difficult within the first quarter-mile. It is narrow and slow going, so a 4WD-Low setting is highly recommended. At approximately 2.5 miles, pass the signed Rainbow Trail junction  2. Continue another quarter-mile to reach the 4WD trailhead  3. You will find several campsites nearby if you prefer not to backpack your gear up to the lakes.

From the 4WD trailhead at 9,900 feet  4, follow the trail over a footbridge  5 and walk 2.5 miles up the old road  6 to reach a junction  7. Turn right for the trail to Humboldt Peak and Upper South Colony Lake (described at the start of the standard Humboldt Peak route). If you are camping or heading directly to The Crestones, stay left, walk down to the creek, and cross it on a log bridge. Reach the old 4WD trailhead from before the upper road closure  8  9. Pass the gate and continue  10 3/4 mile to 11,400 feet, where the old road ends and a smaller trail begins  11. Hike through willows and into the trees  12. Follow the trail as it turns left above 11,600 feet and parallels the stream below lower South Colony Lake. You will soon reach campsites and the trail junction for The Crestones  13. If you continue to the right, you will drop slightly to follow the trail toward the stream flowing out of the lower lake  14. Additional campsites sit slightly downstream on both sides of the creek. Please treat this fragile area with care and dispose of all waste properly.

IMPORTANT: This route enters the Sangre De Cristo 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.