Sheep Creek
- 12.4 mi
- round trip
- 2,353 ft
- climb
- 9,511 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Jul, Sep
- best months
Is Sheep Creek open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in San Juan National Forest. It doesn't name Sheep Creek, 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.
Sheep Creek is a 12.4-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado's San Juan National Forest, within the Pagosa Ranger District. The trail climbs from 6,830 feet to a high point of 9,511 feet, with a total elevation gain of 2,353 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is natural-surface. The climb is hard. The trail is best planned for late spring through early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at a similar elevation show July highs around 76°F and September highs near 68°F, with snow days common from November through April. The Sheep Creek Trailhead is the parking point. The trail is open from June 1 to September 30. The Poison Ivy hike starts just 0.1 mile away, and Devils Hole and the Piedra Camp sites are about 0.6 mile off. Paddlers can reach the First Fork Piedra River about 5 miles away.
- Poison IvyHiking0.1 mi
- Devils HoleHiking0.6 mi
- Piedra Camp 3Camping0.6 mi
- Piedra Camp 2Camping0.6 mi
- Piedra Camp 1Camping0.9 mi
- First Fork Piedra RiverCanoeing5.2 mi
- Devil CreekCanoeing6.1 mi
- Piedra RiverRock climbing8.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Sheep Creek
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, 29.2 mi away at 9,492 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
