San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 466 of the 13ers
West Slope from The Unicorn
Montezuma Peak, 13,158'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip10 mi
Elevation gain3,900'
TrailheadTreasure Creek
Trailhead elevation10,950'
Less traffic, less margin
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.
Montezuma Peak is the third and most northern of the Treasure Creek 13ers. It's a pleasant Class 2 summit, usually done as the last stop after Summit Peak and The Unicorn. Newer survey data added 8 feet to its height.
From The Unicorn, easy tundra leads down to a saddle, and about 570 feet of steeper, rubbly rock leads up to the top. You descend the east ridge to a big tundra flat and drop south into the open upper basin of the west fork of Treasure Creek.
From The Unicorn it's about 0.8 mile. Summit Peak, The Unicorn and Montezuma Peak make an easy loop from Treasure Creek. Using Trail 710 both ways, it's about 10 miles with about 3,900 feet of gain. Mileage and gain are our estimates.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on The Unicorn by 11:30 a.m.
Crux
Rubble on the final climb.
Route-finding
Moderate. On the way down, aim for open ground and avoid the willows and dead trees.
Water
Treasure Creek and side streams. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,158'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
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Tomorrow
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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.
From the center of Monte Vista (US 160 and Highway 15), go south on Highway 15 about 15.7 miles, past the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, to where County Road 12S (also shown as County Road FF) heads west. Take it west. It runs straight, then bends southwest into the hills; after about 10.7 miles you reach a junction on the north side of Terrace Reservoir.
Turn right (west) on Forest Road 250 and follow the Alamosa River for many miles, first northwest, then southwest. Keep right at the next junctions, staying on the main road southwest (it becomes Forest Road 380); small Stunner Campground is near here. The road climbs four quick switchbacks, crosses Iron Creek and reaches De Nolde and Annella lakes; stay on the north side of the lakes. Where Forest Road 380 turns right to climb toward Stunner Pass, stay left on Forest Road 243 past Lake Annella. In 2.6 miles the road ends at Treasure Creek, the trailhead.
The road is in good shape and fine for passenger cars. You can car camp at the trailhead, and there are primitive sites on side tracks along Road 243 and at the two lakes. Stunner Campground has five tent sites, a vault toilet and no water, with no fee and no reservations.
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
Treasure Creek trailhead 10,950' · 0 mi
Take Trail 710 down to the main fork of Treasure Creek and cross it on three solid logs.
2
West bank 10,900' · 0.4 mi
Follow the trail south high on the creek's west bank, through mostly beetle-killed forest that is kept clear.
3
Switchback 11,600' · 2 mi
Where the basin opens into wide tundra with many small streams, the trail turns back north-northwest and curves west.
4
Divide trail 12,000' · 3.2 mi
Trail 710 meets the Continental Divide Trail (813) on the lower east ridge of Summit Peak. Elk are common in this basin.
5
East ridge 12,600' · 3.7 mi
Rocky outcrops and two gullies cut the lower east ridge. Most people swing to the south side and climb the steepening tundra slopes along the ridge. You can also go straight up one of the gullies.
6
Summit Peak 13,304' · 4.25 mi
Keep climbing steep tundra with some embedded rock to the top. The north side drops off sharply.
7
Saddle tarn 12,700' · 4.75 mi
Head down the north ridge. The first part is steep, loose rock and rubble; stay on the west side of the crest, since the east side is a cliff. A small snowmelt tarn sits at the saddle.
Watch for: Loose, steep rubble at the start.
8
The Unicorn 13,030' · 5.55 mi
Walk up easy tundra to the south summit, the high point. The lower north summit is just under 13,000 feet.
9
Montezuma saddle 12,590' · 6 mi
Go north over the lower north summit, or skirt it on the east, and drop easily on tundra to the saddle. You may find a bit of trail here.
10
Montezuma Peak 13,158' · 6.35 mi
Climb about 570 feet, most of it on steeper, rubbly rock, to the top. It takes about half an hour from The Unicorn.
Getting down
Walk down the east ridge to a large tundra flat near 12,500 feet, then head south through a few rock bands toward the west fork of Treasure Creek. Cross the creek and climb a few hundred feet south to rejoin Trail 710, and follow it back. Going straight down the west fork is shorter but full of fallen trees.
If things go wrong
The upper basin of the west fork is open and easy to reach from the ridge.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past the Continental Divide Trail the route follows open ridges and slopes without a set trail. 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.
Other routes
Every way up Montezuma Peak we list, with its class.