Calico National Recreation Trail- North Trailhead

The Calico National Recreation Trail runs south from the south edge of the Lizard Head Wilderness for 19 miles high along the west side of the upper Dolores River in southwest Colorado. At the north end of this long trail there is a system of trails that offer several loop opportunities.

The Winter Trail starts at the same trail head, about 1 mile south of the very scenic “Meadows” area along the Eagle Creek Road, FR 471. The trail climbs steadily for 5 miles through  Spruce and Fir forest with a few aspens and scattered meadows. As the trail rises there are glimpses of Mt. Wilson, El Diente and the iconic Lizard Head back to the north.

The best views that I have found in this area south of Telluride are along the portion of the Calico Trail going over the top of Papoose Peak at 11,866 feet. The tall spruce trees give way to open rocky meadow and the views are unobstructed. All the mountains from Lone Cone to the west, across the Lizard Head Wilderness, over to the group at the Lizard Head pass are visible in one sweeping view.

I had to find a seat here and have lunch to prolong the experience. I was interested to spot the areas where other trails run. I could see the area below Lizard Head Peak where the Cross Mountain and Lizard Head Trails connect. The terrain that the Ground Hog Stock Trail covers could be easily viewed. Over to the west the Willow Divide and Black Mesa stood out.

Continuing on, the Calico Trail skirts high along the west side of Elliott Mountain. This section of trail felt a little exposed as the slope is steep on the downhill side. Below, there are glimpses of Eagle Creek Road and the East Falls Creek Trail. Up ahead is Sockrider Peak.

There are several options at the north end of Sockrider Peak. There is a loop route that circles Sockrider, and another loop option further on, but the distance will get much longer for a hiker. The trail signs direct horses and dirt bikes to stay on the west side of Sockrider while hikers can take the east side.

 I stayed to the west and continued downhill to the nearby junction with the East Fall Creek Trail. The East Fall Creek Trail descends rapidly down through the forest and turns back north with a few views to the west.

It is 1.5 miles along the East Fall Creek Trail to the Eagle Creek Road. At the junction with the road I turned back toward the trail head, another 5.5 miles. This is the shortest loop option. It took me 3:00 hours to cover the 5 miles to the East Fall Creek Trail junction and another 1:00 hour to get to the Eagle Creek Road.

The walking along Eagle Creek Road is easy and the road is lined with tall spruce. There are a few views but not as spectacular as above. My total hike was 6:00 hours for about 12 miles. It was about 60 F degrees at 10:00 AM and windy enough at the high elevations that I needed a second layer. At 2:00 PM along the forest road it was about 75 F degrees. I carried 3 liters of water.