Overview
Gilpin Peak stands on the south side of upper Yankee Boy Basin, across from Mount Sneffels. Newer survey data added 5 feet. A 4WD saves a lot of walking on the road.
From the trailhead at the vault toilet, you follow the Sneffels road and trail to a pond below a big rock glacier, contour southwest, and climb a steep couloir next to the ridge between Gilpin and Sneffels. From the top of the couloir, a short walk up the north ridge leads to the summit. It is Class 2+ with tough talus, and not a family hike.
The round trip is about 5.5 miles with 2,395 feet of gain. The ridge east to Mount Emma has Class 3 sections with some exposure; doing both peaks is about 6.95 miles with 3,295 feet of gain.
Plan of the day
By 7 a.m.
Be at the top of the couloir by 11 a.m.
The steep couloir, either loose talus or snow.
Easy. The couloir sits just left of the Gilpin-Sneffels ridge.
Sneffels Creek and side streams. Filter it.
Getting to the trailhead
Yankee Boy Basin - Mt. Sneffels
Take U.S. 550 to Ouray. About a quarter mile south of town, turn west onto County Road 361 toward Yankee Boy Basin. This is a dirt road. Keep right at the 4.6-mile mark. Around 5.2 miles the road runs along a shelf cut into the cliff, with rock hanging overhead. Stay right at the Imogene Pass turnoff near 5.9 miles.
At about 6.7 miles you reach the Governor Basin junction. Two-wheel-drive cars should park here; this adds about 1.75 miles round trip. High-clearance vehicles continue to the lower trailhead with an outhouse at about 7.5 miles and 11,350 feet. The figures on these pages start there. The last mile of road above the outhouse is very rough and only for high-clearance, short-wheelbase 4WD vehicles.
Camping inside Yankee Boy Basin is only allowed at the Thistledown and Angel Creek campgrounds lower on the road; check that they're open. Don't camp at the trailhead. Some flat spots near the toilet sit on old mining claims, and whether you can camp there is unclear.
Base towns and camping for this climb
Coming from out of state? See Lodging & Camping for how free camping works, what is closed this year and where to stay.
Before you go
Check these the week of your climb.
Official forecast
The National Weather Service forecast for the summit area, hour by hour. Look for thunderstorm chances and wind above treeline.
NWS point forecast →Directions to the trailhead
Yankee Boy Basin - Mt. Sneffels. Road conditions near the trailhead change after storms. Check your clearance and have a backup plan for a lower lot.
Get directions →Roads and highways
Closures, construction and winter conditions on the highways that get you there.
COtrip road conditions →Closures and fire rules
Trail closures, fire bans and other alerts from the Forest Service in Colorado. For the latest on your trailhead, call the local ranger district.
Forest Service alerts →Snow on the route?
From fall through early summer, any snow slope can slide. Check the avalanche forecast before you go.
Avalanche forecast →Cell signal
Most trailheads and many summits have little or no signal. Check coverage near the trailhead and carry a satellite messenger or beacon if you can.
FCC coverage map →