Crestone Traverse 14er Hike Guide
The Crestone Traverse is a Class 5 scramble linking 14ers Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle in the Sangre de Cristo Range of southern Colorado. According to legendary mountaineer, Gerry Roach, this is one of the four great Colorado 14er traverses. The route has lots of route finding, high exposure and Class 3/4 terrain with a 5.2 move on the trail. This scramble has high exposure but solid rock quality making it a fantastic ridge traverse. In terms of the Colorado 14ers, this is one of the hardest pairs of mountains to link together but a classic day for hikers with the right experience, preparation and weather.
Crestone Traverse Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
| Hike Rating | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Area | Sangre de Cristo Range, Colorado |
| Trailhead | South Colony Lakes |
| Distance | 13 Miles Total – 4×4 TH 18.5 Miles Total – Lower TH |
| Route Type | Lollipop Loop |
| Elevation Start | 9,900ft – Upper TH 8,800ft – Lower TH |
| Highest Elevation | 14,299ft – Crestone Peak 14,196ft – Crestone Needle |
| Total Elevation Gain | 7,000ft – Upper TH 8,200ft – Lower TH |
| Estimated Time to Complete | 14-16 Hours Total Upper – TH 15-17 Hours Total – Lower TH |
| Difficulty | Strenuous – What does this mean? |
| YDS Class | Class 5 – What does this mean? |
| Exposure | High |
| Best Season | July – September |
| Activity Type | Hiking, Scrambling, Backpacking |
| Crowds | Low |
| Dogs Allowed | No |
| Permit/Fee | No |
| Last Hiked Date | 9.2.17 |
Crestone Traverse Virtual Trail Guide
In this virtual trail guide you’ll see the trailhead, route conditions, navigation tips, difficult sections, summit views, what to expect throughout the hike and of COURSE, my unique experience on this hike.
Crestone Traverse Route Map & GPX
The map below shows the route that I followed for this hike. GPX files are available through a suggested donation of $3-$5. Creating and maintaining hiking guides, videos and GPX files takes a tremendous amount of time. Your support helps keep The Virtual sherpa running, covers website hosting costs and allows me to continue creating free hiking content.
After making a donation, click the button below to send me an email with the hike name in the subject line. I’ll send the GPX file as soon as possible.
Crestone Traverse Directions & Parking
Protected Area Type: National Forest; Wilderness Area
Protected Area Name: San Isabel National Forest and Rio Grande National Forest; Sangre de Cristo Wilderness
Trailhead: Upper South Colony Lakes Trailhead, Lower South Colony Lakes Trailhead
Coordinates: 37.976573, -105.505
Driving Directions: From Westcliffe, Colorado navigate to the lower parking area which is on paved or well maintained dirt roads. Immediately after this point, the dirt road will get significantly more rough, requiring high clearance AWD or a 4WD vehicle and a good driver. The first mile after the lower trailhead is, generally speaking, the roughest but this will change year over year. Continue on another 2.5 miles to reach the upper trailhead where the road ends
Parking: There are two main lots for Humboldt Peak, the upper area and lower area. As mentioned above, the upper area requires higher clearance AWD or 4WD. The lower lot can fit about 15-20 cars and will fill up on busy weekends. The top lot can fit about 20 cars or so and will also get full on busier weekends. Neither area has a bathroom, so bring your TP + squatting stance and be sure to pack out all trash.
Permits or Reservation/Fee Description: The Crestone Traverse does not require a permit or fee.
Crestone Traverse Trail Overview
First, get to the upper trailhead which is about 3 miles from the lower one. The trail starts on the back left corner of the lot, crosses a creek and then continues up an old 4×4 road through forest for about 2.5 miles. Here, there is a trail split, left leads to Broken Hand Pass and the Crestones while right leads to South Colony Lakes, 13er Columbia Point and of course, Humboldt Peak. continue away from the mountain before looping back closer to it, hiking over South Colony Lakes and eventually reaching the climb up Broken Hand Pass. This section of trail is extremely loose and rocky so be sure to wear a helmet and test all of your holds.
After you gain the pass, the trail splits again, straight down goes to Cottonwood Lake, Crestone Peak and right goes up the Crestone Needle. Head down and then start regaining elevation as you work up the northeast side of the mountain into the red gully, the standard route up Crestone Peak. The gully has some snow runoff, Class 3 scrambling and occasional loose rock. After gaining the ridge, head left to the summit of Crestone Peak. From here, descend down the red gully to about 13,600ft and locate cairns and eventually the Black Gendarme. Carefully continue through the loose rock in this section until reaching the class 5.2 move.
After gaining the class 5 move, the extremely exposed knife edge comes next, with slippery holds. Continue on for more Class 3 and 4 to a large white rock that marks the last section before the final crux. The final pitch is Class 4. The left side of the ridge is extremely exposed but a bit less technical and the right side is less exposed but steeper and higher Class 4. The Crestone conglomerate gives large hand and foot holds all the way up, with a belay station near the top and the summit of Crestone Needle is only 50 yards away. The Needle descent is still tricky, with exposed Class 3 and 4 sections and loose rock and then you retrace your steps back down Broken Hand Pass to where you started.
Plan Your Hike
Best Season: July through September is your best bet to have the ability to drive to the upper South Colony Lakes trailhead. Snow will likely block your route, adding mileage outside of this window. Whenever you attempt the Crestone Traverse, you will want completely dry rock or this route could easily become deadly.
Check Weather: Crestone Traverse Weather
Camping: There is a lot of camping for the Crestone Traverse. The first spots are before the upper parking area along the road between the lower and upper trailheads. There are also scattered spots at the upper parking area and along the trail to the South Colony Lakes. Once at the lower South Colony Lake, this is by far the most popular spot to camp near the mountain itself if you are looking to make this a multiday trip. PLEASE take care of this area and follow all wilderness area camping rules. Even on busy weekends (Labor Day, 4th of July etc.) there still should be plenty of room up here to camp, but get there early because it will get crowded.
Bathrooms: Neither parking area has a bathroom.
Hazards: Route Finding, Loose Rock, Exposure, Lightning, Water Crossing, Rockfall, Weather Exposure
Dog Description: There is no planet in the universe where I would recommend a dog on the Crestone Traverse. Leave them at home.
Water Sources: Water can be pumped at South Colony Lake and your last chance to refill before the traverse, Cottonwood Lake.
Drones: Crestone Traverse is not a drone friendly hike as drones are not allowed in any US Wilderness areas. Please always follow all drone regulations.
Hike Tip(s): Before attempting the Crestone Traverse, ask yourself: are you able to route find in steep, technical terrain? Are you okay scrambling on sections of rock with extreme exposure? Is the weather perfect for the day you plan to attempt it? Have you completed other technical 14ers or ridge traverses? If the answer is yes to all of these questions, then you are in good shape to attempt the traverse. If not, please pick another objective until you are ready.
Once you do get on the trail, route finding to start the traverse itself can be very tricky. Have a .gpx file, images, video etc. to refer to along the route. Additionally, there is a lot of attention to the class 5 grade of this route but in reality its just one move. You do not need special climbing shoes or harness/rope for this move in my opinion. If you are not familiar with the route down Crestone Needle, be sure to have .gpx for that as well as it can be easy to take the incorrect gully down to Broken Hand Pass.
Best Views: The Crestone Traverse is full of photo opportunities, from South Colony Lakes to Broken Hand Pass to the traverse itself. Pack weight matters on this route, so leave extra camera gear in the tent and consider a GoPro for action shots, especially on the final wall.
Primary Attractions: Summit Views, Waterfall, Alpine Lake, Ridgeline, Wildflowers,
Gear Needed
New to 14ers? This is What to pack for a 14er day hike.
Required Gear
- Hoka Mafate 5 – My go to hiking shoes and trail runners
- La Sportiva Cyklon – Great for scrambling
- Osprey Talon 22 Backpack
- Sunglasses
- Running Hat – Save 15% Using “DMRCMickey15”
- Base Layers
- T Shirt
- Mid Layer / Sun Hoodie
- Rain Jacket / Shell – Black Diamond
- Mountain Hardwear Puffy Jacket
- REI Sahara Pants
- North Face Wander Shorts
- Socks
- Hiking Poles – 120CM
- Helmet
Seasonal Gear
Optional Gear
- Water Filter
- Garmin inReach
- Headlamp
- Garmin Fenix Watch
- UD Running Vest
- Osprey Running Vest
- Film Gear: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro Max 2 , Drone, Insta360
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
More Hikes in the Area
- 14er Humboldt Peak
- Columbia Point – Previously a 13er Centennial, but recently removed from the list.
- 14er Crestone Needle
One thought on “Crestone Traverse 14er Hike Guide”
Really enjoyed this, thank you. My days of hiking such pitches are probably past, so I am delighted to share this route via your descriptive writing and beautiful media. Thanks again.