Buzz Saw West
Photo: supercraigtalbert, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 1.5 mi
- round trip
- 132 ft
- climb
- 9,352 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Jul
- best months
Is Buzz Saw West open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Limited parking at Snowmass Creek Trailhead
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Grizzly Creek Trail Closure
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · Order 2026-02 · USFS · White River National Forest
Ruedi Marina Day Use area Dump Station is CLOSED
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Asbestos safety closure - Camp Hale
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Buzz Saw West is an easy, short hike in the Dillon Ranger District of White River National Forest in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is about 1.45 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 132 feet, and it makes an out-and-back route between a low point of about 9,219 feet and a high of about 9,352 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Dillon show July highs around 75°F with lows near 38°F, while winter highs stay in the low 30s. The trail is on natural surface and allows both bikes and horses. Eureka Patch and Mammoth Trail, both mountain biking routes, sit about 0.1 mile away. Peak One Campground and Pine Cove Campground are within a mile, and Dillon Reservoir is about 1.4 miles off.
Go with a guide
- Mineral Belt Trail Guided WalkRoamze · $25 per person · 26 mi away
- Lostfork Basecamp23 mi away
Best time to go · Jun–Jul
Best time to visit Buzz Saw West
Best months: June–July. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
31° / 1°
12 wet
Feb
33° / 4°
11 wet
Mar
41° / 10°
11 wet
Apr
47° / 18°
11 wet
May
58° / 26°
10 wet
Jun
69° / 33°
9 wet
Jul
75° / 38°
12 wet
Aug
73° / 37°
13 wet
Sep
66° / 30°
10 wet
Oct
54° / 21°
8 wet
Nov
41° / 11°
9 wet
Dec
32° / 3°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dillon 1 E, CO, 3.5 mi away at 9,065 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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