Lower Sheep Creek
- 4.1 mi
- round trip
- 286 ft
- climb
- 9,530 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Lower Sheep Creek open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Rio Grande National Forest. It doesn't name Lower Sheep Creek, so check the source for the area it covers.
Closures and dangerous conditions on roads, bridges, and trails from flooding
Agency closure covering Rio Grande National Forest · USFS · Rio Grande National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Rio Grande National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Lower Sheep Creek is a moderate 4.1-mile out-and-back hike in the Saguache Ranger District of Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail gains about 286 feet from a low point of 9,216 feet to a high of 9,530 feet. It is a natural-surface route that accommodates horses and bikes, so riders and pack animals are welcome. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from the nearby Sargents weather station run from highs around 65°F with lows near 26°F in May to highs around 73°F with lows near 28°F in September. That station sits about 1,070 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. The Sheep Creek hike starts about a mile away, and East Sheep Creek is roughly 2 miles off. Buffalo Pass Campground lies about 4.5 miles away, and the Upper Razor Spur Trail is close to 4 miles from the trailhead.
Local outfitters
- Monarch Spur RV Park25 mi away
- San Luis Valley Campground29 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Sheep CreekHiking0.9 mi
East Sheep CreekHikingPhoto: bgautrea, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)2.2 mi- Upper Razor Spur TrailHikingPhoto: bgautrea, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)3.9 mi
- Buffalo Pass CampgroundCamping4.5 mi
- Razor Creek 487Hiking6.1 mi
- Luders Creek CampgroundCamping6.9 mi
- Upper Crossing Guard StationCamping7.6 mi
- Needle Creek Reservoir Camping AreaCamping8.3 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- East Sheep CreekHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: bgautrea, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Upper Razor Spur TrailHiking · ~7 min drivePhoto: bgautrea, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Sheep CreekHiking · ~1 min drive
- RAZOR CREEKHiking · ~14 min drive
BIG BEND CREEKHiking · ~16 min drivePhoto: aspidoscelis, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)- Green Mountain Trail 645Hiking · ~13 min drive
- MIDDLE RAZOR CREEKHiking · ~11 min drive
- Razor Creek 487Hiking · ~11 min drive
- Razor Creek Trail 487Hiking · ~14 min drive
- Baldy Lake TrailHiking · ~13 min drive
Best time to visit Lower Sheep 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
33° / -5°
7 wet · 7 snow
Feb
37° / -3°
7 wet · 7 snow
Mar
45° / 9°
7 wet · 6 snow
Apr
54° / 20°
7 wet · 4 snow
May
65° / 26°
7 wet · 1 snow
Jun
76° / 32°
6 wet
Jul
82° / 39°
11 wet
Aug
79° / 37°
11 wet
Sep
73° / 28°
8 wet
Oct
61° / 17°
6 wet · 2 snow
Nov
46° / 8°
6 wet · 5 snow
Dec
34° / -4°
7 wet · 7 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sargents, CO, 11.5 mi away at 8,460 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
