Vermilion Peak Hike Guide
Vermilion Peak is a 13er and Colorado centennial (top 100 peak) located in the San Juan Mountains of Southern Colorado. Just shy of 14,000ft at 13,894 the most common way to access this mountain is from Ice Lake to the East. Although this hike is Class 2, there is a lot of loose terrain and exposed sections, especially on the ridge. This hike turned out to be a sneaky difficult one but anchors its views with iconic Ice Lake and the summit views are outstanding.
Vermilion Peak Quick Facts
Vermilion Peak Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)
Virtual Trail Guide: Vermilion Peak
Distance: 10 Miles RT
Elevation Start: 10,325ft
High Point: 13,894ft
Total Elevation Gain: 3,740ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 6-8 Hours RT
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult What does this mean?
Class: Class 2+ Areas of Class 3 can be found if you really work for it, but generally this is an exposed Class 2 route. – What does this mean?
Season: June – October (Expect lingering snow on both ends of this range)
Crowds: Low
Directions to Vermilion Peak
Trailhead: Ice Lakes
Getting Here: Getting Here: From Silverton: Take US 550 north for 2 miles until you reach Forest Road 585 on the left. Take this dirt road for 4.3 miles until you reach the trailhead. This dirt road is in great shape and is doable in most cars.
From Ouray: Take US 550 south for 20.9 miles until you reach Forest Road 585 on your right. Take this dirt road for 4.3 miles until you reach the trailhead. This dirt road is in great shape and is doable in most cars. You can enter Ice Lakes Trailhead into your favorite navigational device.
Secret (Very limited) Parking: If you have a 4×4 higher clearance vehicle, you can take a shortcut to save about a mile of hiking and 400ft of elevation gain by taking CR 815 (Clear Lake Road) about .7 miles prior to the Ice Lakes TH. There is no official parking area if you want to park here so please ensure you do not block the road or park directly at the switchback.
Parking: Ice Lake & Island Lake has a parking lot that can fit about 30-40 cars. This lot will 100% fill up on most weekends, but additional parking can be found along the road or near the campground located by the trailhead. There are non plumbing bathrooms at the trailhead.
Permits/Fee: No fee required.
Summary
Dogs: If your dog has some mountain experience and is either A: good off leash or B: good on loose terrain, I think that Vermilion Peak is an okay option to bring your dog. I would not recommend this for an inexperienced mountain dog.
Camping: Vermilion Peak has plenty of camping options. CR585 has a lot of dispersed (car camping) spots and if you can’t find something there, Highway 550 has PLENTY of options in both directions if you are willing to drive a bit. Not looking to camp? Silverton has plenty of hotels to sleep in as well.
Make it a Loop: Vermilion Peak is an out and back hike with the option to add on unofficial “13er” Fuller Peak (13,700ft or so) fairly easily. The most logical addition to make this hike a lollipop loop would be adding on Island Lake which turns this hike into about 11.5 miles and adds a bit of elevation gain.
Trail X Factors: Loose Trail Conditions
When Aria and I hiked Vermilion Peak we had about 4-5 inches of consolidated snow to deal with in many of the shaded aspects of the mountain. In some ways, this made the hike more difficult and in others, I believe, it may have made it easier. The major sections that may be loose and present some challenges to you will be: climbing up the saddle to start the ridge to Vermilion and the entire ridge itself. It’s pretty obvious that this mountain has been deteriorating over the decades
Hike Tip(s): Although it’s a trade off in many ways, I would argue that having snow for this hike makes it a bit easier. Yes, the ridge turns a bit sketchier but the climb up to the saddle is MUCH more enjoyable than the loose scree and dirt that typically sits on the mountain. Additionally, like many high elevation hikes, you will want good weather for Vermilion Peak since almost the entire hike is exposed to the elements.
Best Views: From Ice Lake to the Summit, Vermilion Peak brings the A+ views. The higher you get, the scenery gets better and better. The summit views from Vermilion Peak are excellent in all directions. This hike is great for Fall Foliage and for Summer wildflowers, you really can’t go wrong.
Gear Needed
- 14er Day Hike Packing List
- Men’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Cyklon
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- Backpack (Winter)
- Backpack (Summer)
- Base Layers
- T Shirt
- Mid Layer
- Rain Jacket / Shell
- Outer Layer
- Pants
- Shorts
- Socks
- Food & Water
- Optional: Water Filter
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles – 120CM
- Optional: Headlamp
- Optional: Climbing Helmet
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro 360, Drone, Insta360
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