Venable Lake
- 2.6 mi
- round trip
- 1,018 ft
- climb
- 12,789 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Venable Lake open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Rio Grande National Forest. It doesn't name Venable Lake, so check the source for the area it covers.
Closures and dangerous conditions on roads, bridges, and trails from flooding
Agency closure covering Rio Grande National Forest · USFS · Rio Grande National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Rio Grande National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Venable Lake is a moderate out-and-back hike in Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, within the Saguache Ranger District of the Rio Grande National Forest. The trail is about 2.6 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 1,018 feet, taking you from a low point of about 11,754 feet to a high point of about 12,789 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is on natural surface. The trip is open year-round, and the trail is not open to bikes. For a longer stay, North Crestone Creek Campground and Alvarado Campground are both about 4.3 miles away. Climbers can head to the Sangre de Cristo Range, also about 4.3 miles off, and mountain bikers will find the North Fork Crestone and Phantom Terrace trails about 0.9 miles from the route.
Local outfitters
- San Luis Valley Campground20 mi away
- Journey Quest24 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- North Fork CrestoneMountain biking0.9 mi
- Phantom TerraceMountain biking0.9 mi
- ComancheMountain biking1.6 mi
- North Crestone Creek CampgroundCamping4.3 mi
Alvarado CampgroundCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain4.3 mi- Sangre de Cristo RangeRock climbing4.3 mi
CrestoneRock climbingPhoto: ikewinski, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)5.9 mi- Taylor CreekCanoeing9.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Horn PeakHiking · ~8 min drive
Mount AdamsHiking · ~9 min drivePhoto: Todd Dwyer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Phantom TerraceHiking · ~3 min drive
- San Isabel LakeHiking · ~3 min drive
- North Fork CrestoneHiking · ~3 min drive
Challenger PointHiking · ~9 min drivePhoto: Todd Dwyer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Burnt Gulch TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- Hermit LakeHiking · ~4 min drive
- Rito Alto PeakHiking · ~4 min drive
- Mount OwenHiking · ~4 min drive