San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 384 of the 13ers
Northwest Ridge over Matterhorn Peak
Broken Hill, 13,254'
Class 3 on Matterhorn
Broken Hill itself is Class 2, but this route goes over Matterhorn Peak's Class 3 summit tower first. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip10.2 mi
Elevation gain4,140'
TrailheadMatterhorn Creek
Trailhead elevation10,840'
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,254'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
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Day three
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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 · Northwest Ridge over Matterhorn Peak
Overview
Broken Hill is a modest 13er between Wetterhorn and Uncompahgre that most people walk right past. It gives one of the best views anywhere of Wetterhorn Peak. On its own it's an easy family hike; here it's paired with Matterhorn.
From Matterhorn you drop back to the 12,458-foot saddle, then walk a broad ridge over Point 12,896 and Point 13,052 to Broken Hill. The north face is a steep wall, so you slip through a rock rib to finish on the south side. It's Class 2 on Broken Hill, with Class 3 on Matterhorn.
The round trip with Matterhorn is about 10.2 miles with 4,140 feet of gain. From Matterhorn it's about 2.75 miles and 990 feet one way.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Matterhorn by 10 a.m.
Crux
Matterhorn's summit tower.
Route-finding
Easy. Follow the broad ridge south, then southeast.
Water
Matterhorn Creek. Sheep have grazed up here, so filter it.
From Lake City, go west on Second Street and turn left after a block onto the Henson Creek road (the Alpine Loop). Zero your odometer at that turn. The Nellie Creek road goes off at about 5 miles. Near 9 miles, at Capitol City, bear right onto the North Henson road (Forest Road 870). It's rougher, but most cars with decent clearance handle it.
Near 11 miles a sign points right to the Matterhorn Creek trailhead. Without 4WD, park at this junction and walk. With 4WD, turn right and go about 0.7 mile up the spur to a small lot with a gate, near 10,840 feet. Walking from the junction adds about 1.4 miles to the round trip. The route enters the Uncompahgre Wilderness, so follow its rules on group size, camping, fires and dogs.
The 2026 Elk Fire led to closures of the Matterhorn Creek road and the Wetterhorn approach (the Nellie Creek side stayed open). Check current Forest Service closures before you go. Camping is primitive only, best around Capitol City (mind the private land) and near the trailhead turnoff.
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
Matterhorn Creek trailhead 10,840' · 0 mi
Walk uphill from the parking area to a gate and follow Trail 233 north.
2
Trail junction 11,200' · 0.75 mi
Stay right on the main trail as it switchbacks up the hill into the wilderness.
3
Treeline 11,700' · 1.4 mi
Past the last trees the upper basin opens up, with Matterhorn straight ahead and Wetterhorn to the left.
4
Wetterhorn turnoff 12,000' · 2 mi
Stay right on the main trail where the Wetterhorn trail splits off.
5
Saddle 12,458' · 2.5 mi
Follow the trail to the saddle between Matterhorn and Broken Hill. Here the trail starts down toward Uncompahgre; leave it.
6
Southeast slopes 13,300' · 3 mi
Cross a flat spot and a small stream, then climb the long grassy, flowery slope west, then northwest. It gets steeper and rockier as you go.
7
Summit tower 13,400' · 3.15 mi
The slope turns to talus. Walk the fairly flat bit of ridge toward the summit tower and choose your line.
8
Matterhorn Peak 13,590' · 3.25 mi
The tower is easier than it looks. Climb it on the crest for more solid rock, or skirt it on talus beneath a rock rib and go up the face, reaching the crest just below the top. Either way it's easy Class 3. Early in the season, a couple of steep snow patches may sit below the top.
Watch for: Class 3 scrambling.
9
Saddle again 12,458' · 4 mi
Go back down south-southeast to the saddle, the pass between Matterhorn Creek and the East Fork of the Cimarron.
10
Point 12,896 12,896' · 4.6 mi
Climb southeast. The crest is rocky for a while, then turns back to tundra.
11
Point 13,052 13,052' · 5.3 mi
Keep south to this wide, flat point covered in yellow gravel and scree.
12
Broken Hill 13,254' · 6 mi
Turn southeast along the grassy ridge. A rock rib runs south from the summit; find the easy gap through it and finish on the south side, away from the north wall.
Getting down
Return along the ridge to the saddle and follow the trail down Matterhorn Creek.
If things go wrong
From the saddle, take the trail down.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route is off-trail from the 12,458-foot saddle onward. 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.