Chicago Basin Purgatory Creek Approach Hike Guide
The Purgatory Creek trail is the shortest and most common way to access the Chicago Basin if you do not want to or are not able to take the Silverton/Durango train. During the summer of 2018, train access to the Chicago Basin was stopped due to a controversy around the Durango Fire, so the Purgatory Creek trail became much more high trafficked. The Purgatory Creek trail is long with steady elevation gain over the 15 miles from parking lot to Chicago Basin. Trail conditions almost solely consist of packed dirt with a handful of wooden bridge crossings along the way.
Chicago Basin via Purgatory Creek Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Chicago Basin Purgatory Creek Trail
Purgatory Creek Trail Rating: ★★★ (3/5 Stars)
Distance: 32 Miles RT to Trail Split with Columbine Pass, About 30 miles to start of Chicago Basin
Elevation Start: 7,826 ft
Highest Point: 11,100 ft
Total Elevation Gain: 3,600ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 14-16 Hours RT – time varies on your exact spot in Chicago Basin
Difficulty: Strenuous – What does this mean?
Class: Class 1
Season: July – September (Expect snow outside of this period)
Directions to Chicago Basin Purgatory Creek
Trailhead: Purgatory Creek
Getting Here: Directions vary drastically depending on whether you are coming from the north or south. In either case, navigate to Purgatory Resort and find Tacoma Dr directly across from the resort. Continue on Tacoma Dr for about ¾ of a mile and find the parking area on the left.
Fees: None
Parking: The Purgatory Creek trail has a rather large lot to leave your car for multiple days. We spent about 4 days in Chicago Basin and had absolutely no issues with our cars in the lot for that amount of time. The lot can fit about 30 cars but there are not any restrooms at the parking lot.
Train Information: If you plan on taking the train into the Chicago Basin, there is a $110 or so fee to do so. The train will drop you off at the Needleton stop, which subtracts about 19 miles RT from this hike. However, as of 2018 – all train service to the Needleton stop has been cancelled. Visit the Silverton Durango train site for more information.
Summary
Camping: Camping comes in many forms along the Purgatory Creek trail. Your first option to camp is around 2 miles, at 4.5 miles near the Animas River crossing, around 10 miles near the trail junction and trail registry and of course all over the Chicago Basin itself. If you are camping in the Chicago Basin, fires are never allowed and be sure to follow leave no trace (aka bring all of your trash out with you.) If you do plan on camping in the Chicago Basin, expect wildlife to frequent your camp so plan on bringing bear bags to protect your food.
Dogs: The Purgatory Creek Trail is dog friendly but be sure to bring food and water for your dog if you plan on bringing them to the Chicago basin. Please also remember to pack out all of its poop as the basin is full of wildlife that doesn’t need your dog’s shit as part of its diet.
Make it a Loop: Purgatory Creek is an out and back trail used to access the many hikes in the Chicago Basin including Window Peak, Sunlight Peak, North Eolus and Eolus Peak.
Trail X Factors: Length & Elevation Gain
Hiking to the Chicago Basin via the Purgatory Creek Trail is a major pain in the ass. The mileage is long and the elevation is steady, especially on the way out. While 15 miles isn’t the longest hike in the world, the miles feel much longer when you are carrying 20+ lbs on your back for these miles. Although it doesn’t feel like it, the hike out of Purgatory Creek has a lot of elevation gain which sort of sneaks up out of nowhere. Be physically and mentally prepared for a long slog getting to and out of the Chicago Basin.
Mick’s Tip: Assuming you are heading to the Chicago Basin for more hiking, I highly recommend breaking up the trip on the way out. We camped in the basin and hiked about 5 miles out on one day and then hiking the remaining 10 the next morning. While this may not be an option for some, it made our hike out much more doable on our tired legs from the previous 4 days of hiking long miles and lots of elevation.
If you plan on hiking to Chicago Basin without a lot of backpacking experience, be smart with every.single.item. you put into your bag. Do you really need that pillow, extra shirt or full sized deodorant? Whatever you pack into your bag, you are going to be carrying for 30+ miles. If possible, I would highly recommend bringing a smaller “summit” bag to cut your weight for hikes within the Chicago Basin itself.
Finally, if you have some extra time to kill, I would recommend camping near the 10 mile mark on your hike in or out of the Chicago Basin. This is a great place to camp, near a water source and breaks up your long approach into 2 days of more manageable mileage.
Best Views: The Purgatory Creek trail is loaded with awesome river views, views into the canyon and of the many mountains in the Weminuche Wilderness. Views around the 3-4 mile mark, 5-6 mile mark and of course once you enter the basin (14-15 mile mark) are all pretty awesome and well worth your time to stop and take some photos.
Chicago Basin Purgatory Creek Hike Route
(Includes All Four 14ers & Hike Back to Camp)
Gear Needed
- 14er Day Hike Packing List
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Women’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Booths (Women’s)
- Backpack
- Food & Water
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles
- Optional: Headlamp
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
- *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.
My Trip to Chicago Basin, Purgatory Creek Approach: September 2018
Ever been in the dog house a week after you got married? I have! I had planned a trip to the Chicago Basin earlier in the summer before realizing that our wedding was going to be the week before the trip. Instead of enjoying a nice relaxing weekend with my lovely wife, I was going to be spending 4 days hiking 50+ miles and gaining 13,000+ feet of elevation gain. Jackie, if you are reading this, I love you.
When I arrived to the trailhead, after a long morning in the car from northern Colorado the temperatures were in the mid seventies (hot for my taste), I was tired from the early morning and long drive and really not in any mental spot to attempt a long hike with 30+ lbs of gear attached to my back. I was going to be hiking into the Chicago Basin with my friend Nick and his friend Erin. None of us had been on the Purgatory Creek trail before but had heard varying distance reports of 10-15 miles one way to reach the Chicago Basin. We strapped on our heavy bags and hit the trail, excited but weary of the adventure ahead.
For the first 2-3 miles we worked down into a valley eventually reaching Cascade Creek. Although the trail was initially easy to follow, things got a bit tricky once we approached the creek. This was a popular spot for day hikers and there were several false trails, one of which we followed for a bit. We thought we had to cross a stream, so made the stream crossing only to realize that we had made a mistake and had to go back across the stream. I almost ate it coming down a short section of steep rock and Nick ended up falling into the stream. Really a hot start to our long day ahead of us.
Eventually, we reconnected with the true trail and had no problem following from that point out. We worked along Cascade Creek and started to pick up some elevation as we worked deeper into a canyon. This portion of the hike consisted of rolling hills as we hiked through the Canyon, eventually reaching the other side around the 4 mile mark. From here, we had a good view of the train tracks below and the valley we would follow into the Chicago Basin. We continued hiking down a steep hill and reached the Animas River Crossing via a strong bridge at the 4.5 mile marker. The heat was steady and the miles were starting to add up, but we still had a long way to go.
After crossing the river and shortly after, the train tracks, we continued along the Animas River via a solid dirt trail. This trail stayed flat for the most part, but did pick up little bits of elevation here and there along the way. The gear for 4 days was really starting to get to us and even though we were three strong hikers, started taking frequent breaks to re-hydrate, refuel and give our backs a rest. After what seemed like forever, we reached yet another bridge around the 10 mile marker. (Side Note: This is a great place to camp on the way in or way out of the Chicago Basin if you have some extra time to kill and don’t want to knock out all the miles in one day.)
We wondered where the hell the Needleton Train stop was and quickly found our answer when we reached a trail junction. All three of us had forgotten that the train didn’t drop hikers off directly at the Chicago Basin trail registry, but rather required an additional mile or so walk to get to the point where we now were. We continued past the trail junction and reached the trail registry shortly after.
At this point in the day, we had been hiking for hours. Energy and morale were low and we just wanted to reach the Chicago Basin. Unfortunately for all three of us, we still had a long way to go with lots of elevation gain. We continued hiking the Purgatory Creek trail and were now working our way along the Needleton Creek towards our right. We passed yet another bridge around 12 miles in and just as the sun was fading reached the Chicago Basin around the 15 mile mark. In retrospect, we should have hiked a bit further up the trail for our camping spot but we were all dead and ready to call it a night. We hiked to about 15.5 miles, found a camping spot near the creek, pumped some water and set-up camp. I don’t think any of us made it longer than 15 minutes after dinner before heading to bed. We were beat and had a long couple of days of hiking ahead of us.
Overall, the Purgatory Creek Trail was a monster, especially on the way out (which I obviously didn’t talk about here.) Although it doesn’t seem like much, the elevation gain on the way out, on tired legs, really eats at your soul. However, the Chicago Basin was breathtaking and worth the trip in. Class 2 fun at its finest!
For My Trip Hiking the 14ers in the Chicago Basin, Check out: Sunlight & Windom Peaks here and North Eolus & Mt Eolus Peak here.
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