Colorado · Hiking · Uncompahgre Wilderness

Little Elk

23.8 mi
round trip
2,086 ft
climb
11,272 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun, Sep
best months

Caution today

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 11 h ago

Is Little Elk open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. It doesn't name Little Elk, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Little Elk is a hard hike in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on the Gunnison Ranger District of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests in Colorado. The trail is about 24 miles long and rises from roughly 8,850 feet to about 11,270 feet, with an elevation gain of about 2,086 feet. The Forest Service manages the land. The route is an out-and-back. Horses are allowed, and the trail surface is natural. Bikes are not. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. A nearby weather station records typical July highs around 72°F with lows near 40°F. That station sits about 1,600 feet below the high point, so temperatures on the trail run cooler. The trail is open from July 1 to September 15. The parking is labeled Little Elk. Well Gulch Trail 244.1A lies about 0.7 miles away, and Independence Bypass and Independence Gulch are both within about 2.4 miles. For camping, Big Blue Campground is about 7 miles off.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun, Sep

    Best time to visit Little Elk

    Best months: June and September. 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.

    1. Jan

      35° / 2°

      7 wet

    2. Feb

      36° / 3°

      7 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 12°

      7 wet

    4. Apr

      48° / 19°

      7 wet

    5. May

      58° / 27°

      8 wet

    6. Jun

      68° / 34°

      7 wet

    7. Jul

      72° / 40°

      15 wet

    8. Aug

      70° / 39°

      15 wet

    9. Sep

      64° / 33°

      11 wet

    10. Oct

      55° / 23°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      43° / 13°

      5 wet

    12. Dec

      34° / 2°

      7 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Santa Maria Rsvr, CO, 24.1 mi away at 9,687 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.

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