In March of this year, I hiked the Dillon Pinnacles Trail in the Curecanti National Recreation Area on my way to Montrose, Colorado. I drove to Montrose again in July and hiked the 2.5 mile Crystal Creek Trail, which is located 24 miles from the junction of Highway 50 and Colorado Highway 92.
I had read that highway 92 is a beautiful drive and it certainly was, with groves of aspen trees and gorgeous views of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The highway crosses the Blue Mesa Dam and then winds around the north rim of the Black Canyon. There were numerous 20-30 mile turns and top speeds of 50 mph. With little traffic, it took about 40 minutes to drive the 24 miles. The trail head is on the left side of the road. It has a restroom and a small parking area.
Crystal Creek Trail description from the
NPS.gov website:
Winding through abundant wildflowers, Gambel oak, aspens, conifers and a recovering burn area, Crystal Creek Trail is ideal for spring or fall hiking. Sweeping views of Cimarron Valley, the West Elk and San Juan Mountains can be viewed along the way. The trail ends at an overlook, 1800 ft. above Crystal Reservoir.
Good shoes or boots are recommended. Carry at least 2 quarts of water per person. Check for ticks frequently during the hot summer months.
- Length: 5 miles (round trip)
- Difficulty: Moderately strenuous. Trail begins at 8900 ft above sea level. Allow 2 hours for round trip.
According to the sign at the trail head, there was a forest fire in 1974 that destroyed over 70 acres of growth. The sign also named some of the wildlife that you might find on the trail - elk, deer, bears, coyotes, golden eagles and blue grouse. This was useful to me later when I wanted to confirm what I thought I saw.
At the beginning of the trail, there were a lot of wildflowers but I didn't take any pictures, thinking I would take them on my way back. Unfortunately, my camera battery was completely depleted by the time I came back. Fortunately, I did take some pictures of the valley and mountains along the way and of the spectacular views at the end.
About a mile into the hike, I came to a fork in the trail. I didn't have a map so I didn't know which way to go. I followed the trail to my left and a short distance later, came to a dead end. There was a bench and a nice view but I knew this wasn't what I came to see! I went back to the fork and followed the correct path.
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| Aspens |
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| Indian Paintbrush |
It took me about 40 minutes to hike the 2.5 miles to the viewpoint overlooking the river. I only saw one other person on the trail, a park ranger.
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| Sign at the Crystal Creek Overlook |
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| A "Close-up" of Crystal Creek |
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| Looking Back Towards Cimarron |
On the way back, I was looking at a clump of Sulphur flowers and saw three or four blue grouse. They flew way too quickly for me to take a picture.
I spent as much time driving to and from the trail head as I did hiking but the drive was so pleasant and the hike so beautiful, it was definitely worth it!
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| View of Highway 92 |
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