Sawmill
- 6.3 mi
- round trip
- 1,211 ft
- climb
- 8,717 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Sawmill open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. It doesn't name Sawmill, so check the source for the area it covers.
Area Closure for the Fishhook Fire - Routt National Forest
Agency closure covering Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District · Order 02-06-03-26-222 · USFS · Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District
Access Impact: Big Creek Lakes Dam Project
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
Trail & Access Impact: Stillwater Reservoir Project
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
Snowy Range - 2026 Active Vegetation Operations
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Sawmill is a 6.3-mile out-and-back hike on the Forest Service's natural-surface trail in the Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in Colorado. The trail rises from 7,713 feet to 8,717 feet, a one-way gain of 1,211 feet, and is rated hard. The Sawmill Trailhead offers year-round access. The route works for hikers, riders and pack animals, with bikes and horses both allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Spicer, Colorado, show July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F, while winter highs there stay near freezing. North Fork Elkhead sits just 0.2 miles away, and Bears Ears and Black Mountain are both within about 4 miles. For an overnight stay, Freeman Reservoir Campground is about 7.6 miles off.
- North Fork ElkheadHiking0.2 mi
- Bears EarsHiking3.6 mi
- Black MountainHiking3.7 mi
- Elkhead CreekCanoeing4.6 mi
- Grizzly ParkHiking5.9 mi
- Freeman Reservoir CampgroundCamping7.6 mi
- Little Bear CreekCanoeing7.9 mi
- Bison Carpenter CampCamping8.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Mountain View TrailHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- North Fork ElkheadHiking · Next door
- Fortification CreekHiking · ~13 min drive
- Nipple Peak TrailHiking · ~25 min drive
- Mountain View TrailHiking · ~19 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Black MountainHiking · ~6 min drive
- Sand Mountain TrailHiking · ~22 min drive
Sand Rocks TrailHiking · ~20 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Bears EarsHiking · ~15 min drive
- Oliver CreekHiking · ~27 min drive
Best time to visit Sawmill
Best months: June–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
28° / 7°
8 wet
Feb
31° / 9°
8 wet
Mar
40° / 15°
8 wet
Apr
49° / 23°
9 wet
May
59° / 30°
10 wet
Jun
71° / 36°
8 wet
Jul
77° / 42°
9 wet
Aug
76° / 40°
11 wet
Sep
68° / 34°
8 wet
Oct
55° / 25°
7 wet
Nov
39° / 16°
8 wet
Dec
29° / 9°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Spicer, CO, 47.4 mi away at 8,385 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
