Little Sand
- 21.4 mi
- round trip
- 2,591 ft
- climb
- 10,688 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Jul, Sep
- best months
Is Little Sand open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in San Juan National Forest. It doesn't name Little Sand, 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.
Little Sand is a hard out-and-back hike in Colorado's San Juan National Forest, within the Pagosa Ranger District. The route climbs from about 7,700 feet to roughly 10,700 feet, with an elevation gain of 2,591 feet over a total length of 21.4 miles. The trail is on natural surface and is open to both horses and bikes. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at a lower elevation show July highs around 76°F with lows near 42°F, and the trail is open from June 1 to September 30. North Ridge lies about 0.8 mile away, and Weminuche Creek offers canoeing at about 1.5 miles. For an overnight base, Williams Creek Campground and Teal Campground are both about 3.3 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Crazy Horse Outfitters6 mi away
- Wilderness Journeys Pagosa20 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- North RidgeHiking0.8 mi
- Weminuche CreekCanoeing1.5 mi
- Shaw CreekHiking2.9 mi
- Sweet Willie BoulderRock climbing3.1 mi
Williams Creek CampgroundCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain3.3 mi- Teal CampgroundCamping3.3 mi
- Williams CreekCanoeing5.4 mi
- Piedra River - Upper West aka Never MindRock climbing6.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- North RidgeHiking · ~1 min drive
- Shaw CreekHiking · ~5 min drive
- Hossick LakeHiking · ~13 min drive
- Divide LakesHiking · ~13 min drive
- WeminucheHiking · ~8 min drive
- Granite LakeHiking · ~14 min drive
- Palisade MeadowsHiking · ~17 min drive
- Pine-PiedraHiking · ~8 min drive
- Piedra FallsHiking · ~18 min drive
- Williams Fork LakeHiking · ~18 min drive
Best time to visit Little Sand
Best months: June–July 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.
Jan
34° / -4°
4 wet · 4 snow
Feb
37° / -2°
4 wet · 4 snow
Mar
43° / 9°
5 wet · 5 snow
Apr
50° / 20°
6 wet · 5 snow
May
60° / 29°
5 wet · 2 snow
Jun
71° / 36°
5 wet
Jul
76° / 42°
11 wet
Aug
73° / 41°
13 wet
Sep
68° / 35°
9 wet
Oct
58° / 25°
6 wet · 2 snow
Nov
44° / 12°
4 wet · 3 snow
Dec
34° / -3°
4 wet · 3 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Rio Grande Rsvr, CO, 15.7 mi away at 9,492 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
