Mcneil West
- 4.5 mi
- round trip
- 17 ft
- climb
- 7,859 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct
- best months
Is Mcneil West open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in San Juan National Forest. It doesn't name Mcneil West, 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
As of · Source: USFS · San Juan National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
McNeil West is a moderate out-and-back hike in Colorado's San Juan National Forest, within the Mancos/Dolores Ranger District. The trail is about 4.5 miles long, with a low point of 7,747 feet and a high of 7,859 feet. It is managed by the Forest Service. The route is natural-surfaced and allows both horses and bikes. Because the trip is short and the climb is minimal, it makes an easy base for exploring the surrounding area, which has plenty of riding and climbing close by. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Yellow Jacket, which sits about 770 feet lower, put June highs near 81°F and July highs near 86°F. That station's July lows run around 55°F, so expect cooler temperatures on the trail. The open season runs from June 15 to October 15. Shush Bekeeh and Boggy, two mountain biking spots, are within a mile. Dolores Boulders is about 2 miles away, and House Creek campground is roughly 6 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Sundance RV Park15 mi away
- HTR Resorts31 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct
Best time to visit Mcneil West
Best months: April–June and August–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
40° / 17°
Feb
42° / 19°
Mar
51° / 27°
Apr
60° / 33°
May
69° / 40°
Jun
81° / 50°
Jul
86° / 55°
Aug
83° / 55°
Sep
75° / 47°
Oct
63° / 36°
Nov
50° / 26°
Dec
40° / 18°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yellow Jacket 4ne, CO, 13.3 mi away at 7,090 ft. The station sits about 800 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.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Mcphee Overlook
~11 min drive
17.20-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 763 ft elevation gain.
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Speedy's Loop
~1 min drive
2.7-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 232 ft elevation gain
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Mcneil East Trail
~3 min drive
5.74-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado with 942 ft elevation gain.
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Stoner Mesa Trail
~15 min drive
22.32-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 3,097 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Shush Bekeeh
~1 min drive
17.07-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 302 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Boggy Lower Loop Trail
~3 min drive
2.8-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado with 190 ft gain/loss.
HIKE
Boggy Upper Loop Trail
~6 min drive
6.12-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado with 875 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
BOGGY LOWER LOOP
~3 min drive
19.4-mile out-and-back out-and-back in Colorado with 1,754 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
String Bean
~5 min drive
8.07-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 93 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Boggy Upper Loop Trail
~9 min drive
6.14-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado with 661 ft elevation gain/loss.
