Throughline
- 25.7 mi
- round trip
- 3,075 ft
- climb
- 9,181 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Oct
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 7 h ago
Is Throughline open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. It doesn't name Throughline, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).
Gold Mountain Wildfire Roads and Trails Closure Order v 4.0
Agency closure covering Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests · USFS · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
Ophir Pass Road Closure
Agency closure covering Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests · USFS · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
Potter Basin and Beaver Park Roads Emergency Closures
Agency alert covering Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests · USFS · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
TERMINATION OF ORDER - FIRE RESTRICTIONS
Agency alert covering Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests · USFS · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
Dallas Area Closure order
Agency alert covering Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests · USFS · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
As of · Source: USFS · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Throughline is a hard hike in Colorado's Paonia Ranger District, part of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from about 7,300 feet to roughly 9,180 feet, with a total elevation gain of about 3,075 feet over a route of about 25.7 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced and open to horses. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Montrose, which sits a few hundred feet lower than the trail's high point, show July highs around 78°F with lows near 53°F, while winter highs stay around freezing. The trail is open from June 1 to October 31, and the Throughline / Coal Creek Trailhead is the parking for the route. Several other hikes start close by, including Trail 860A and Lone Pine, both within a mile, and Sink Creek and Little Elk Basin, each about 2 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Cedar Creek RV Park and Lodging28 mi away
- Maroon Bells Guide and Outfitters42 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Trail 860AHikingPhoto: Blake Patterson from Alexandria, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.8 mi- Lone PineHiking0.9 mi
- Sink CreekHiking2 mi
- Little Elk BasinHiking2.2 mi
- PiburnHiking3.9 mi
- Coal CreekCanoeing8.2 mi
- Clear Fork CampgroundCamping9.1 mi
- Iron Creek CampgroundCamping9.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Trail 860AHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: Blake Patterson from Alexandria, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Indian Fire Nature TrailHiking · ~16 min drivePhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Lone PineHiking · ~1 min drive
- Sink CreekHiking · ~3 min drive
- CurecantiHiking · ~8 min drive
- West Shore TrailHiking · ~17 min drivePhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Little Elk BasinHiking · ~4 min drive
- Needle Rock TrailHiking · ~9 min drive
- Coal Creek TrailHiking · ~8 min drive
- PiburnHiking · ~7 min drive
Best time to visit Throughline
Best months: May–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
31° / 14°
11 wet
Feb
34° / 17°
11 wet
Mar
42° / 23°
11 wet
Apr
50° / 29°
11 wet
May
61° / 38°
9 wet
Jun
72° / 47°
6 wet
Jul
78° / 53°
10 wet
Aug
75° / 51°
9 wet
Sep
67° / 44°
8 wet
Oct
55° / 33°
8 wet
Nov
42° / 23°
8 wet
Dec
31° / 15°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Montrose 11 Ene, CO, 18.9 mi away at 8,402 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.
