Is it right for you?
Mount Kreutzer is a fairly easy Sawatch 13er above Tincup and Mirror Lake, reached from the Garden Basin trailhead on the Continental Divide Trail. Lovely Mirror Lake is worth a visit afterward.
You follow the trail to the Garden Basin creek, go east up the south side of the creek, then climb rubble to the west ridge and walk it to the top. It is Class 2 with talus and boulders but no exposure. Plan on about 2.5 hours up.
The round trip is about 5 miles with 2,260 feet of gain. Chalk Rock Mountain is an easy ridge walk north, and a ranked 12er (UN 12,730) can be added on the way back.
Plan of the day
By 7 a.m.
Be on the west ridge by 10:30 a.m.
Boulders and rubble below the west ridge.
Easy. Stay on the creek's south side, then aim southeast for the ridge.
The Garden Basin creek low down. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
Loading Fetching the forecast for 13,122'…—
—
—
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
Garden Basin
From Gunnison, take Highway 135 north to Almont and turn right on County Road 742. It climbs the Taylor River canyon about 20 miles to Taylor Park Reservoir, past several small Forest Service campgrounds. At the reservoir's southeast end, by a few stores and cabins, bear right on Forest Road 765 and follow good gravel to Tincup.
In the middle of Tincup, turn left (east) on Forest Road 267. It's rockier and dusty, but most cars can get as far as the Mirror Lake area. About 3 miles from town, a turnout with a short loop and a toilet sits on the left (north) side. That's the Garden Basin trailhead. From Monarch Pass, you can also go north from Parlin through Ohio City and Pitkin and over Cumberland Pass into Tincup.
Mirror Lake campground is about half a mile farther, at the end of a short, steeper, rougher stretch. It has 10 first-come sites for a fee, a toilet and no water, and it's busy on summer weekends. Expect mosquitoes. There's lots of dispersed camping north of the reservoir.
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
Garden 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 →