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Uncompahgre Peak

 South Ridge
Difficulty
 Class 2 

 Intermediate
Risk Factors
ExposureModerate
RockfallConsiderable
Route-FindingModerate
CommitmentModerate
TrailheadNellie Creek 11,400 feet
Summit14,318 feet
Elevation GainFrom 4WD TH: 3,000 feet
From 2WD TH: 5,500 feet
Length Round-TripRTFrom 4WD TH: 7.50 miles
From 2WD TH: 15.50 miles
Peak Conditions308 reports
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Route Last Updated: Jul 2026

Trailhead

From Lake City, turn west onto Second street. Drive 0.1 mile and turn left onto Bluff Street which turns into the Henson Creek road/Alpine Loop Scenic Byway. Drive 5 miles to the sign for the Nellie Creek trail (#877), on the right. If you don't have a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, park on the Henson Creek road and start here. It's 4 miles up the Nellie Creek road to reach the trailhead. Cross Nellie Creek at 1.8 miles. At 2.3 miles, stay left at a junction. At 2.7 miles, cross the creek a second time. Grind up the remaining narrow road to reach the trailhead.

Route Description

From the upper end of the parking area , start up the trail  1 and hike nearly 1/2 mile to tree line where the trail approaches Nellie Creek. Near 11,800', pass some large boulders as you parallel the stream  2. Ascend a hill to reach a trail junction near 11,950' and continue west into the large basin, south of Uncompahgre  3  4. Turn left and follow the trail southwest across the basin and toward the south ridge  5.

Reach the south ridge near 12,900' and follow it west/northwest  6. Continue to Uncompahgre's southeast face  7  8 and ascend a few switchbacks to reach the crest of the ridge, near 13,800'  9. Follow the trail left to the west face, where you're faced with the crux of the route – 150 feet of steep, loose rock below the upper slopes  10.

From here, your goal is to regain the ridge, but you must first ascend some loose, Class 2 terrain. Walk toward the tower seen in  10, where you'll have a couple of options: 1) Pass the tower  11 before turning right to regain the ridge, or 2) Take a slightly steeper line just before the tower. Both options hold loose rock  12. Once the terrain eases, you'll find a more-defined trail  13  14.  15 looks down on much of the route. Walk up to the summit  16  17  18  19.

Skiing?

Uncompahgre with snow:  20  21  22  23  24  25

Notes

The Nellie Creek 4WD road is rough and narrow and in early summer the stream crossings can be a bit tricky. IMPORTANT: This route enters the Uncompahgre 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.

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Photos

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Weather

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