Overview
Cottonwood Peak is an easy Class 2 summit above Silver Lake, at the head of the Cloverdale Basin. The hard part is the drive: a long, slow, very rocky 4WD road.
From the old cabins you walk an old road and trail to Silver Lake, then up the basin to a rounded rib on the east face. It starts as tundra and turns to boulder talus near the top.
The round trip is about 4.4 miles with 2,300 feet of gain. If you can't drive past Rainbow Lake, you'll walk the road, which adds several miles each way. You can also go on south to UN 13,128.
Plan of the day
By 7 a.m.
Be at the foot of the rib by 10:30 a.m.
Tedious talus near the top.
Easy. From the lake, follow the main inlet stream up the basin to about 12,200 feet, then pick the rib on the east face.
Streams in the basin. Filter it.
Getting to the trailhead
Silver Lake - Cloverdale Basin
About 11 miles north of Westcliffe on Colorado 69, just before the settlement of Hillside, the highway makes a big curve. Turn west there on County Road 198 (Lake Creek Road); the turn is easy to miss. Three miles of good dirt bring you to Lake Creek Campground (fee) and a Lutheran camp.
Past the camps you need a high-clearance 4WD. The road climbs past Balman Reservoir and Rainbow Lake, then gets narrower and much rougher: loose cobbles the whole way, a crossing of a boulder field, and a tight switchback near some old cabins. It has been getting worse, and a 2024 report warned of likely damage to stock 4WDs. Allow close to two hours from the campground. There are camp spots along the road, at Rainbow Lake, near the cabins at 11,260 feet, and at the road's end by old beaver ponds.
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
Silver Lake - Cloverdale Basin. 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 →