Cliff Creek
Photo: indigoprime, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 21.4 mi
- round trip
- 1,750 ft
- climb
- 9,970 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 9 h ago
Cliff Creek is a hard hike in the West Elk Wilderness, part of the Paonia Ranger District of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests in Colorado. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface out-and-back that runs about 21.4 miles round trip, with a one-way climb of roughly 1,750 feet from a low point of about 8,893 feet to a high of about 9,970 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Crested Butte, which sits a few hundred feet lower, show July highs around 76°F with lows near 40°F, while winter highs stay in the mid-20s and lows drop to about -7°F in January. The trail is not accessible, and horses are allowed. Beckwith Bench lies just 0.1 mile away, and Dollar Lake and Dyke Mountain Bike are both within about 2 miles. Lost Lake Campground, about 2.3 miles off, is the closest place to camp.
- Beckwith BenchHikingPhoto: indigoprime, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.1 mi
- Dollar LakeHiking1.6 mi
- Dyke Mountain BikeHiking2 mi
- Lost Lake CampgroundCamping2.3 mi
- Ruby Anthracite CreekCanoeing3.4 mi
Lake IrwinCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain5 mi- Kebler Pass Camping AreaCamping5.1 mi
- Coal CreekCanoeing8.2 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Ridge 70Hiking · ~9 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- Irwin Lake TrailHiking · ~10 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
West Elk PeakHiking · ~10 min drivePhoto: John Sowell, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Beckwith BenchHiking · Next doorPhoto: indigoprime, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- ScarpHiking · ~10 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Daisy Pass Blue LakeHiking · ~11 min drivePhoto: Kyle Watson Photography, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- Kebler Wagon TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- Three Lakes LoopHiking · ~4 min drive
Upper Peeler LakesHiking · ~12 min drivePhoto: Kyle Watson Photography, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- Little Pass CreekHiking · ~9 min drive
Best time to visit Cliff Creek
Best months: June–August. 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
26° / -7°
12 wet
Feb
29° / -2°
11 wet
Mar
38° / 7°
10 wet
Apr
47° / 19°
9 wet
May
58° / 28°
8 wet
Jun
70° / 34°
7 wet
Jul
76° / 40°
10 wet
Aug
74° / 38°
12 wet
Sep
66° / 31°
9 wet
Oct
54° / 22°
8 wet
Nov
39° / 9°
9 wet
Dec
27° / -4°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Crested Butte, CO, 11.4 mi away at 8,867 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
