Northwest Ridge over UN 13,128 and Thirsty Peak

Overview

Lakes Peak is at the head of Brush Creek, above the two Brush Lakes, south of the Cloverdale Basin. It is usually climbed on a ridge loop with UN 13,128, Thirsty Peak and Eagle Peak.

From UN 13,128 you cross a saddle, climb rubble to Thirsty Peak, then stroll a mostly tundra ridge to Lakes. All of it is Class 2. Watch for elk in the Brush Creek basin.

The full loop with Eagle Peak is about 10.4 miles with 3,745 feet of gain and took one party about seven hours. If you can't drive past Rainbow Lake, you'll walk the road, which adds several miles each way. Electric Peak is nearly two miles farther southeast.

Plan of the day

Getting to the trailhead

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.

Next: the route, step by step →

The route

1. 1

   Road's end 11,300' · 0 mi

   Hop across the stream to the south, follow a faint path up the bank and walk south along the edge of the forest, above the willows.

2. 2

   Beaver dam 11,350' · 0.3 mi

   Where the meadow narrows, cross on a beaver dam and a faint path through the marsh to the forested foot of the valley between UN 13,128 and Eagle Peak.

3. 3

   Upper valley 11,600' · 0.5 mi

   Climb about 200 feet through the trees into a wide valley of grass, low willows and flowers.

4. 4

   Creek crossing 12,000' · 0.75 mi

   Wander up the valley to about 12,000 feet and cross the small stream on its west side.

5. 5

   UN 13,128 13,128' · 1.1 mi

   Climb a shallow valley that comes down northeast from the summit. It is grassy and moderately steep, with rock only near the top.

6. 6

   Saddle 12,700' · 1.35 mi

   Walk southeast down mostly rocky ground to the saddle, about 15 minutes. The Garner Creek Trail crosses here.

7. 7

   Thirsty Peak 13,200' · 1.8 mi

   Climb about 500 feet of rubble, southeast then east, to this unranked summit.

8. 8

   Lakes Peak 13,384' · 2.8 mi

   Drop south-southeast to a saddle, then follow a longer, flatter ridge south-southeast and southeast. It is easy tundra and embedded rock; a grassy strip just east of the crest helps. The top is rockier.

Getting down

Walk back to Thirsty Peak and continue to Eagle Peak (see that page), or return over UN 13,128.

If things go wrong

Head back north toward Thirsty Peak and UN 13,128.

3D flyover

See the trail on video

Other routes

Every way up Lakes Peak we list, with its class.

• Lakes Peak NW Ridge this routeClass 2 10.9 mi