Is it right for you?
Gold Dust Peak sits in the northern Holy Cross Wilderness south of Eagle, at the head of the New York Lake valley. Its summit looks right down on New York Lake, a seldom-visited gem. A military jet crashed into its north face in 1997. It pairs well with Pika Peak to the south.
Most of the way is on the good Lake Charles trail. You then climb east into a grassy basin and go up the broad southwest slope and west ridge on a long stretch of broken rock. It's Class 2+, and the route is easy to find.
The round trip is about 10.5 miles with 3,950 feet of gain. The ridge south to Pika Peak is a long Class 3 scramble that can take up to three hours; most people drop back into the basin and climb Pika from there.
Plan of the day
By 6:30 a.m.
Be leaving the basin by 10:30 a.m.
About 1,400 feet of broken rock on the flank.
Easy. Leave the trail at the small lake and go east up the basin.
None at the trailhead. Streams in the basin and Lake Charles. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
Loading Fetching the forecast for 13,398'…—
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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
Fulford Cave - Lake Charles
Leave I-70 at Eagle and cross the river heading south. At the roundabout just past the river, go west on old US 6, then turn south at the next roundabout, about a mile on, following signs for Sylvan Lake State Park. The road winds south and southeast through neighborhoods to the Brush Creek Road (County Road 307, also Forest Road 400) just after a creek crossing. Turn right (southeast) and drive 11.8 miles, past a large golf course, to a signed junction and turn left (east) on Forest Road 415.
The good gravel road reaches a set of switchbacks after about 3 miles and Yeoman Park Campground 2.7 miles later. Keep going southeast past the campground and past the left turn to Fulford, to the end of Forest Road 415. Only the last 2 miles are rough; regular cars do make it, but higher clearance helps. It's about 19 miles from the second roundabout in Eagle. The lot is busy on weekends with people going to Fulford Cave.
Walk from the southeast end of the lot along an old road bed to a fork. The Iron Edge trail (1873) goes right toward the Peter Estin Hut; take the left fork, the Lake Charles trail (1899). If you pass cabins, you're on the wrong one. Yeoman Park Campground has toilets and fee sites, and a small fee campground with six sites and a toilet sits at the trailhead. Neither has water, and both fill up on summer weekends.
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
Fulford Cave - Lake Charles. 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 →