Is it right for you?
Mount Mamma is a Class 2 summit near St. Elmo, up Baldwin Gulch. The higher south summit is the true top; a lower named north summit sits about half a mile away. Lidar raised the height from 13,646 to 13,672 feet.
From the 277/278 split you walk Road 277 up Baldwin Creek to a switchback at 12,000 feet, follow an old road to a mine at treeline, cross rubble to a saddle south of the peak, and walk north up the ridge. It's Class 2 on rubble, scree and talus, with no exposure.
The round trip is about 9.2 miles with 2,810 feet of gain from the upper trailhead. A 4WD with good clearance can drive the 2.6 miles to the 12,000-foot switchback and save over 1,100 feet. Going over to the north summit and back adds 1.0 mile. Boulder Mountain is about 2 miles away along a connecting ridge, and Grizzly Mountain is a longer Class 2+ ridge away.
Plan of the day
By 7 a.m.
Be at the saddle by 11 a.m.
Rubble below the saddle.
Easy. Aim for the saddle between Point 13,405 and the south summit.
Baldwin Creek along the road. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
Loading Fetching the forecast for 13,672'…—
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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
Baldwin Creek (upper trailhead)
South of Buena Vista, U.S. 285 and U.S. 24 meet. Head south on 285 from that junction for roughly 5.5 miles, and past Nathrop take a right (west) onto Chaffee County Road 162. This road goes up the Chalk Creek valley; the pavement stops at about 10 miles. At nearly 12.5 miles, watch on the left for the signed Baldwin Gulch road, also known as the 277 road.
Passenger cars park at pull-offs along County Road 162 near the bottom of the Baldwin Gulch road. The 277 road is steep, rocky and narrow, and only short-wheelbase, high-clearance 4WD vehicles should try it. Drive slowly and be ready to back up for oncoming traffic. There are dispersed campsites along the road above the creek crossing near 10,850 feet. Snow can block parts of the road into early July.
About 3 miles up Road 277, at 10,870 feet, Forest Road 278 splits off to the left (southeast) and fords Baldwin Creek. This split is the upper trailhead. Road 278 climbs Mount Antero and drops into the Browns Creek basin; Road 277 keeps going southwest up the creek. The road is slow and rocky with heavy jeep and ATV use, so only bring a 4WD with excellent clearance. Land around the old Alpine townsite at the bottom is mostly private, so park carefully there.
Fee campgrounds along County Road 162 (Bootleg, Mount Princeton, Chalk Lake, and Iron City on the way to St. Elmo) fill up on weekends. There are a few primitive sites a short way up Road 277 past the split, and more on Road 278 just after the creek.
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
Baldwin Creek (upper trailhead). 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 →