Is it right for you?
Mountaineer Peak (once listed as UN 13,434) is a mostly grassy 13er west of Highland Mary Lakes, near Silverton. The easy way goes over Mount Rhoda, just to the south.
You hike the Highland Mary Lakes trail to just below the first lake, climb west up a grassy ridge and a flowery basin to Mount Rhoda, then walk north along the ridge. There is a bit of scree and rock mixed into the tundra. It is Class 2 and family-friendly, with views of Arrow and Vestal Peaks to the south.
The round trip is about 7.5 miles with 3,300 feet of gain. Whitehead Peak and UN 13,117 lie south of the saddle below Rhoda, and Mountaineer Peak is a half-hour walk north, so you can bag several summits in one day.
Plan of the day
By 7 a.m.
Be on Mount Rhoda by 11 a.m.
Nothing hard.
Easy. Leave the trail a few hundred yards before the first lake.
Cunningham Creek and the Highland Mary Lakes streams. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
Loading Fetching the forecast for 13,441'…—
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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
Cunningham Creek
From Silverton, go to the east edge of town and bear right at the fork just past the courthouse onto County Road 2. The pavement ends after about 2 miles and the road becomes good gravel. At the old Howardsville site, 4.2 miles from town, turn right on Forest Road 589 toward Cunningham Gulch and Stony Pass. Keep right at 4.4 miles, and keep right again at 5.9 miles; don't take the Stony Pass road.
Drive on up Cunningham Creek. The good road ends at about 7.8 miles, but cars with fair clearance can keep going: take the right fork, cross the creek, and climb one switchback. At 8.6 miles a spur turns left and drops steeply to a low-water crossing of Cunningham Creek, which can be hard during spring runoff. Park on the flat old mine tailings before the crossing (about 10,460 feet), or cross and drive 0.2 mile to a small upper lot. A gate a bit farther up stops all vehicles.
You can car camp at the parking areas, and there are a few pullouts along Cunningham Creek past the Stony Pass turnoff; watch for private property. The closest Forest Service campgrounds are on South Mineral Creek and at Little Molas Lake. For a night out, there is a good camp in the last trees below Highland Mary Lakes, about 1.5 miles up the trail near 11,650 feet, with room for several tents and water close by.
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
Cunningham Creek. 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 →