Is it right for you?
Carson Peak is one of about a dozen easy 13ers around Cataract Lake and Pole Creek Mountain, south of Lake City. With 4WD to Carson Pass, it is a day hike.
You follow the Divide trail west to a broad tundra pass, climb grass and scree north to the ridge between Carson and Tundra Top, and walk east to the summit. It is rated Class 1, but a few spots on the ridge narrow to a foot or two with big cliffs on the north side. Elk graze in Mill Gulch below, and a large herd of domestic sheep may be on the slopes.
The round trip is about 9 miles with 1,700 feet of gain. You can also reach Carson by a 1.3-mile ridge walk west from Bent Peak, then go on to Tundra Top and Cataract Peak.
Plan of the day
By 7 a.m.
Be on the ridge by 11 a.m.
The narrow stretches of ridge.
Easy. Trail to the pass, then an obvious ridge.
Small streams near the trail. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
Loading Fetching the forecast for 13,662'…—
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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.
Getting there
Carson Pass
From Lake City, drive south on Highway 149 and turn right onto County Road 30 toward Lake San Cristobal. Pavement lasts until you are beyond the lake; after that the road is graded dirt that any car can drive. Roughly 2 miles beyond Williams Creek campground, go left (south) on the Wager Gulch road toward the old town site of Carson.
From this turn, 4WD with good clearance is best. The road climbs through aspen and conifer forest, steep in places, to Carson. Above Carson it gets rockier as it climbs through willows to Carson Pass at about 12,370 feet. Recent grading has made it easier, but it is still slow. If you are not comfortable with the last mile, park near Carson and walk. A few primitive campsites line the road below Carson, though many dead trees stand around them.
Just south of the pass, a junction of several tracks is a good place to park. A 4WD can save about 0.6 mile of walking by taking the road southwest to where the good road ends at a viewpoint. On the way down that road, the Continental Divide / Colorado Trail (Trail 787) leaves on the right at about 12,100 feet, marked by a post. You can also start from the Cataract Gulch trailhead near Sherman, which any car can reach, but that adds about 2,500 feet of climbing over roughly 4.5 miles to Cataract Lake. For a developed campground, try Williams Creek, Mill Creek or the ones by Lake San Cristobal.
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
Carson Pass. 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 →