San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 56 of the 13ers
Southeast Ridge from Campbell Creek Peak
UN 13,801, 13,801'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip8.65 mi
Elevation gain4,535'
TrailheadGrizzly Gulch - Silver Ck
Trailhead elevation10,440'
Conditions on the summit
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Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Colorado 13er · Southeast Ridge from Campbell Creek Peak
Overview
UN 13,801 sits on a ridge east of Handies Peak, above Grizzly Gulch near Lake City. Pairing it with Campbell Creek Peak keeps you away from the Handies crowds for most of the day.
You leave the Handies trail to climb an avalanche gully to tundra, follow the ridge over Point 12,792 to Point 13,502, then cut across the head of Campbell Creek to Campbell Creek Peak. From there you follow the connecting ridge west to UN 13,801. A rough section with one deep gash sits midway along that ridge; a game trail on the south side gets around it at Class 2. Staying on the crest is Class 2+ or harder.
Campbell Creek Peak to UN 13,801 is about 1.5 miles with 735 feet of gain. The full loop from the trailhead is about 8.65 miles with 4,535 feet of gain and takes 6 to 7 hours. Whitecross Mountain and Handies are other nearby options.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Campbell Creek Peak by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
The broken section with a deep gash on the ridge between the two peaks.
Route-finding
Moderate. Find the right gully low down and the south-side bypass on the ridge.
Water
Grizzly Gulch creek and the lake at 12,323 feet. Filter it.
Head south out of Lake City on Colorado 149 for roughly 2 miles, then go right on County Road 30, the road to Cinnamon Pass. The trailhead is almost 16 miles up this road. Keep right close to 11.8 miles.
After about 12.5 miles the road gets rougher. Between 13 and 14.5 miles it becomes a narrow shelf road cut into the south side of Sunshine Peak; drive slowly and watch for oncoming traffic. The Silver Creek / Grizzly Gulch trailhead is just before the 16-mile mark. The Silver Creek trail goes north from the road; the Grizzly Gulch trail across the road leads to Handies Peak.
High clearance is advised above Sherman; some spots will be hard for low cars. Williams Creek and Mill Creek campgrounds lie below Sherman and fill on weekends. Some people camp at or near the trailhead and at spots farther up the road; watch for private land. Busy weekends mean you may have to squeeze in to park.
Trail in the treesTundraRidgeTalus and screeExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
Grizzly Gulch trailhead 10,440' · 0 mi
Cross the Lake Fork on the footbridge behind the toilet and hike west-southwest up the Handies trail through open forest.
2
Avalanche gullies 11,125' · 1 mi
Look across Grizzly Gulch for three side-by-side avalanche chutes coming off Point 12,792. Cross the stream and climb the third one, the farthest west. Keep to one side to dodge willows; the left side has many game trails. The gully narrows halfway up, then opens again.
3
Point 12,792 12,792' · 1.8 mi
Trees end near 12,000 feet. Climb tundra full of July flowers to Point 12,792.
4
Point 13,502 13,502' · 2.6 mi
Walk easier slopes, mostly tundra with one short rocky stretch, to Point 13,502.
5
Head of Campbell Creek 12,800' · 3 mi
Follow the ridge south-southwest down to a saddle below UN 13,801. Leave the saddle to the left and contour down into the top of Campbell Creek, staying at or above 12,800 feet.
Watch for: Snowfields linger here early in the season.
6
Campbell Creek Peak 13,461' · 3.4 mi
Climb to a saddle on Campbell Creek Peak's west ridge, about half a mile from its top and well east of the rocky part of the ridge; a game trail may help. Then walk east-northeast up tundra and rock to the summit.
7
Rough section 13,150' · 4.3 mi
Head west-southwest down to the low saddle and start back up. Just past the low point the ridge turns broken and rocky, with one deep gash. Before you reach it, drop about 100 feet on the south side and pick up a game trail under the outcrops that climbs back to the ridge beyond them.
Watch for: On the crest itself expect Class 2+ and maybe Class 3.
8
Summit 13,801' · 4.9 mi
Continue northwest over tundra, embedded rock and scree to the top.
Getting down
Walk down the north-northeast ridge on game trails to Point 13,502. Follow the ridge north at least 100 feet lower, then turn into a shallow gully of small scree that runs down fast to a turquoise lake at 12,323 feet. Don't try to climb this gully. From the lake, go down to Grizzly Gulch and follow the Handies trail out.
If things go wrong
From Point 13,502, return the way you came up.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
About a mile up the Handies trail the route leaves it for an avalanche gully and open ridges. A flyover only works when there is a set trail to trace. Without one, the line would be a guess, and a guess could send you the wrong way on the mountain. Use the step-by-step route with a good map and GPS track instead.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Most 13ers see few people, so there may be no one along behind you. Check recent conditions the week you go, carry a map, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the day tells you to.