Gopher
- 13.4 mi
- round trip
- 340 ft
- climb
- 8,148 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- best months
Is Gopher open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in San Juan National Forest. It doesn't name Gopher, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).
Travel is not advised to the San Juan NF
Agency closure covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
Closures and dangerous conditions on roads, bridges, and trails from flooding
Agency closure covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
Multiple roads and trails damaged by flooding on SJNF
Agency closure covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
Bear Activity High Across San Juan National Forest
Agency alert covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
West Fork Road and Bridge Closure Order
Agency alert covering Pagosa Ranger District · Order 02-13-06-25-19 · USFS · Pagosa Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · San Juan National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Gopher is a hard hike in the Pagosa Ranger District of the San Juan National Forest in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is about 13.4 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 340 feet, and it is an out-and-back route. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows bikes, but it is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Lemon Dam weather station, at a similar elevation, show July highs around 79°F with lows near 49°F, while August and September bring more wet days. Aspen Run and Brockover, both mountain biking trails, sit within a mile. Happy Camper RV Park is about 1.7 miles away, and Devil Creek, a canoeing spot, is about 5.5 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Wilderness Journeys Pagosa4 mi away
- Pagosa Pines RV Park6 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Aspen RunMountain biking0.8 mi
- BrockoverMountain biking0.9 mi
- Happy Camper RV ParkCamping1.7 mi
- Devil CreekCanoeing5.5 mi
- Pagosa Pines RV ParkCamping6.2 mi
Stollsteimer CreekCanoeingPhoto: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)6.9 mi- Cast Iron CragRock climbing7.2 mi
- West ForkRock climbing7.2 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Aspen RunHiking · ~2 min drive
- PowerlineHiking · ~2 min drive
- Turkey SpringsHiking · ~8 min drive
- Snow Springs TrailHiking · ~8 min drive
- Lower RimHiking · ~3 min drive
- BrockoverHiking · ~2 min drive
- Coyote HillHiking · ~8 min drive
- Newt JackHiking · ~4 min drive
- Upper RimHiking · ~4 min drive
- Piedra Stock DrHiking · ~10 min drive
Best time to visit Gopher
Best months: May–June and September–October. 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
37° / 9°
9 wet
Feb
40° / 11°
8 wet
Mar
47° / 19°
8 wet
Apr
54° / 26°
7 wet
May
63° / 35°
8 wet
Jun
75° / 43°
7 wet
Jul
79° / 49°
14 wet
Aug
76° / 48°
16 wet
Sep
70° / 41°
11 wet
Oct
59° / 32°
8 wet
Nov
46° / 22°
7 wet
Dec
37° / 13°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lemon Dam, CO, 29.4 mi away at 8,110 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
