Bilk Creek Falls Loop Trail

The Bilk Creek Falls Loop Trail uses segments of the Lizard Head Trail and the Wilson Mesa Trail and an old mining road on the northern edge of the Lizard Head Wilderness near Telluride in southwest Colorado. The trail head is at the south end of Sunshine Mesa Road.

Sunshine Mesa Road connects to the South Fork of the San Miguel Road and starts out straight, wide and smooth as it climbs. This lower road segment is a part of the Galloping Goose Trail that runs about 21 miles north from Lizard Head Pass and connects to the Telluride Valley Floor Bike Trail. After the point where the Galloping Goose Trail branches off and becomes a single track trail, the Sunshine Mesa Road becomes narrow, rough and twisty with a few mud holes before arriving at the trail head.

The signs at the trail head say Wilson Mesa Trail and 2 miles to the Lizard Head Trail and Bilk Creek, though practically speaking this is the trail head for the Lizard Head Trail also. The trail head elevation is about 9760 feet. About 0.8 miles along this wide and smooth segment, the Wilson Mesa Trail turns west and the old mining road continues south. I continued south on the old mining road as it is the shorter route to the Bilk Creek Falls, but a hiker can choose either route.

The old mining road stays on the east side of Bilk Creek and is mostly in deep Engelmann Spruce and Aspen forest with a few views to the flanks of Wilson Peak. Just before the mining site the trail crosses Bilk Creek. When I hiked there was a hiker arranged log and plank bridge to aid the crossing.

The mining ruins site is notable in that somehow a large red tractor trailer had been pulled in there. Quite a bit of old hardware is inside the trailer and scattered around the site. About 0.5 miles past the mining ruins site, the Bilk Creek Falls start to come into view.

The falls is a series of falls and cascades. The forest is thick and the falls has carved a steep rocky chute I didn’t see an easy way to get close for a good view. The trail switch backs up the slope and there are higher views but no close ones.

I climbed the trail until I was near the same elevation as the top of the falls, about 10,400 feet. The trail continues up into Bilk Basin and then continues on toward the base of Lizard Head Peak. I hiked for 1:50 hours before turning around.

On the return hike I took the longer Lizard Head Trail segment to complete the loop. The trail junction is at the old mining site and the Lizard Head route is clearly marked. If you took this longer route first the old mining road on the other side of the creek might not be noticed and there isn’t a sign pointing it out.

The Lizard Head part of the loop stays on the west side of Bilk Creek for about 2 miles and passes through meadow areas offering some views to the north. There is another small falls a short distance below the main falls. The Lizard Head Trail officially ends at a trail junction with the Wilson Mesa Trail and it is another 3 miles back to the Sunshine Mesa Trail Head, climbing through forest back to the old mining road.

The return crosses a level section of Bilk Creek over a foot bridge that is falling into disrepair but is still useable (but missing by 2011). There might be some beaver ponds along this section of Bilk Creek. My total hike took 4:30 hours for about 9 miles using the loop route. The minimum hike to see the Bilk Creek Falls would be about 5 miles. It was about 60 F degrees at the trail head at 10:00 AM on an early August partly cloudy day. I carried 3 liters of water but only drank 2.