Mount Wilson

Recommended Route

Navajo Lake Basin to Southwest Ridge- use of this route will help to reduce impacts to this Fourteener’s fragile alpine environment. Click on the following link for detailed route information including pictures, maps, and elevation profiles.

Route Information and Additional Resources

From Telluride, take CO-145 S to Lizard Head Pass. Continue for 5.1 miles and turn right onto FR 535. At 5 miles, pass the Kilpacker Road intersection. Continue 2 more miles to reach the Navajo Lake Trailhead Entrance. Turn right to find the parking area.

From the trailhead, it is 4.5 miles to Navajo Lake. Follow the route to the upper east end of the basin where at about 12,200, the turnoff to Mount Wilson is visible. Follow the Mt. Wilson trail and traverse southwest below the ridge. At about 14,100, climb a gully that runs to the top of the NW ridge to the summit of Mount Wilson.

The above information does not replace the need to consult additional maps and Colorado Fourteener Guidebooks for more detailed route descriptions. We suggest checking multiple resources before departing on any hike. Keep in mind that not all guidebooks list this recommended route and that each guidebook’s description or route name may vary slightly.

Peak Specific Environmental and Safety Concerns

Visitors are encouraged to climb these peaks in the early summer season so as to travel mainly on snow to reduce impacts. Travel on snow and rock instead of the tundra wherever possible.

This route enters the Lizard Head Wilderness Area. Group size may not exceed 15. Dogs must be kept under control and at least 100 feet from streams and lakes.

Helmets, crampons or spikes, and ice axes are recommended, as the route crosses many steep, snow-covered gullies.