Colorado · Hiking · Near Telluride

Needle

NeedlePhoto: markbyzewski, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
17.8 mi
round trip
4,466 ft
climb
12,692 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Caution at last check

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 18 h ago

Is Needle open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Columbine Ranger District. It doesn't name Needle, so check the source for the area it covers (5 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Columbine Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Needle is a hard hike in Colorado's San Juan National Forest, within the Columbine Ranger District. The route is an out-and-back that climbs from about 8,189 feet to 12,692 feet, with a total elevation gain of 4,466 feet over 17.8 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced and open to horses. The most comfortable stretch for a visit is summer, when the open season runs from June 1 to September 30. That window is based on the Forest Service's trail records, and it gives a season to plan around rather than a month-by-month schedule. Two other hikes, McCauley Peak and Grizzly Peak, sit about 0.7 miles away. The Needles climbing area is about 5.4 miles off, and Little Molas Lake Campground is about 8.4 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Little Molas Dispersed Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 8.4 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Natalia's 1912 Restaurant

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 13 mi
  • If it rains

    Little Hawaii Grotto

    Attraction

    In town

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