Overview
UN 13,093 is an easy Class 2 summit south of South Cottonwood Creek, west of Buena Vista. In early summer the ridge is thick with wildflowers.
A typical Sawatch trail climbs steeply out of the valley and levels off above. Near treeline you leave it and walk a broad, grassy ridge to the top. Allow about 1.5 hours to treeline and an hour more to the summit.
The round trip is about 7.6 miles with 2,820 feet of gain. UN 13,332, about 1.8 rocky ridge miles east, makes a longer day.
Plan of the day
By 7 a.m.
Be at treeline by 10:30 a.m.
Nothing hard.
Easy. Leave the trail before the saddle.
Green Timber Creek low down. Filter it.
Getting to the trailhead
Green Timber Gulch
In Buena Vista, turn west off US 285 on County Road 306 toward Cottonwood Pass. After 7.7 paved miles, turn left (south) on County Road 344 toward Cottonwood Lake. It's 3.6 miles of gravel to a picnic area at the east end of the lake.
Keep west 3.35 miles to the Hope Gulch trailhead (easy to miss), then 0.95 mile more to the Green Timber Gulch trailhead (Trail 1436), also to the left. A side road drops steeply to a nice dispersed camping area; higher clearance can help. A footbridge over South Cottonwood Creek starts the trail.
Cottonwood Lake campground, west of the lake, has 28 first-come sites with water and toilets, and fills on summer weekends. There are free primitive sites farther west, including at the Hope Gulch and Green Timber trailheads. Some parcels along the road are private.
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
Green Timber Gulch. 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 →