Overview
Tundra Top is a broad, flat 13er south of Lake City, in the high, grassy country above Cataract Lake. Older maps and registers called it Meadow Mountain, and the name fits.
From Carson Pass you follow the Colorado Trail west to a tundra pass, then walk north up gentle slopes to the ridge and the big flat top. It is an easy Class 1 hike and good for families.
The round trip is about 8 miles with 1,450 feet of gain. Cataract Peak is less than a mile north, and Carson Peak is along the ridge to the east, so many people add one or both.
Plan of the day
By 7 a.m.
Be on the summit ridge by noon.
Some scree just below the ridge.
Easy. Leave the Colorado Trail at the tundra pass and head north.
Lost Trail Creek and side streams below the trail. Filter it.
Getting to the trailhead
Carson Pass
From Lake City, head south on Highway 149 and turn right on County Road 3 (BLM 3306, shown as CR 30 on some maps) toward Lake San Cristobal. It's paved past the lake, then turns to good gravel that any car can drive. About 2 miles beyond Williams Creek campground, turn left (south) onto the Wager Gulch road (BLM 3308 or FS 568), signed for the old Carson townsite.
From that turn, plan on 4WD with good clearance. The road climbs through aspen and evergreens, steep in spots, to the Carson ruins. Above Carson it gets rockier and runs through willows for about the last mile to Carson Pass at 12,370 feet. Recent grading has made it easier, but it is still slow, and conditions change. If the top part makes you nervous, park near Carson and walk up.
You'll find Forest Service campgrounds at Mill Creek, Williams Creek and Lake San Cristobal. Wager Gulch has a few level primitive spots; a good one is a meadow on the west side of the road just before the Carson turnoff, near 11,240 feet. Beetles have killed many trees around it, so check above your tent before you pitch it.
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 →