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Summit

Bristol Head

Colorado

About

Bristol Head is a high summit in Mineral County, Colorado, within the Divide Ranger District of the Rio Grande National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the nearest town is the City of Creede, about 8 miles away. This is a big peak in the forest's high country. For a base nearby, Rio Grande Campground sits about 3 miles away, and Bristol Head Campground is a little over 5 miles out. Clear Creek offers canoeing at roughly 3 miles, and the Shallow Creek Cut-Off hike is just under 4 miles from the peak.

Summit Facts

Summit elevation

12,708 ft

Land manager

Forest Service

Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).

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Location

Bristol Head

Colorado

Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.

Facts about this place

Where it is

Nearest town
City of Creede, Colorado · 8 mi
Managed by
Forest Service

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Divide Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Bristol Head open right now?

No closures listed

The Forest Service lists no closures for Rio Grande National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Rio Grande National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.