Most Remote/Toughest Trailheads

[kwhit24]

This weekend we traveled to the Hunchback Pass TH past Beartown. Just getting to the Beartown TH turnoff at 520/506 from the west was over 60 min depending on how many vehicles have to pass each other. Getting to Hunchback Pass TH was maybe another 60 min. Seemed like we were on 4wd roads forever.

Lake Como Road is listed as the toughest for main 14ers (14er Trailheads by Road Difficulty). Stewart Creek TH felt like one of the most remote in recent memory and that's a little over 2 hours from Gunnison

So curious, what are the most remote (furthest drive time from say a city/town with a gas station) and/or toughest to get to trailheads in CO?

[huffy13]

Stewart Creek was definitely the most remote of all the THs I've been to. Lake Como isn't all that remote, just extremely difficult to get to. We parked right at 9000 on the Como road and hiked in...took a long time to get there from the 2WD TH. The West Winfield TH for LaPlata is pretty remote, but is relatively easy to get to.

[Sbenfield]

The trailhead to access Summit Pk, Montezuma, and Unicorn is very remote. It several hours to drive on a dirt road. The road was in good condition though. The south San Juans felt very far out there

[montanahiker]

The trailhead to access Summit Pk, Montezuma, and Unicorn is very remote. It several hours to drive on a dirt road. The road was in good condition though. The south San Juans felt very far out there

I'll second this. That road seemed to go on forever, especially with the road being rough.

[kwhit24]

The trailhead to access Summit Pk, Montezuma, and Unicorn is very remote. It several hours to drive on a dirt road. The road was in good condition though. The south San Juans felt very far out there

I'll second this. That road seemed to go on forever, especially with the road being rough.

Yeah I forgot about that one. The peaks are pretty isolated too. South Fork and Pagosa Springs are both about 1hr45min from the Summit Peak TH with 90 min being on dirt roads once you turn off 160

[HikerGuy]

The trailhead to access Summit Pk, Montezuma, and Unicorn is very remote. It several hours to drive on a dirt road. The road was in good condition though. The south San Juans felt very far out there

That's the longest off-pavement drive to a trailhead that I have done. I think it is around 30 miles.

[supranihilest]

The trailhead to access Summit Pk, Montezuma, and Unicorn is very remote. It several hours to drive on a dirt road. The road was in good condition though. The south San Juans felt very far out there

That's the longest off-pavement drive to a trailhead that I have done. I think it is around 30 miles.

Tobacco Lake trailhead for Conejos Peak is even farther. You go past the turnoff for Summit Peak, up and over a pass to Platoro and then past that to another road which gains significant elevation and is longer and rougher than the Summit Peak road. I think it was 46 miles from SH-15 to Tobacco Lake TH or something. Have fun doing that drive all over again!

[CaptainSuburbia]

The trailhead for Italian Mountain is the most remote/toughest one I've been to. The last 5 miles are particularly brutal and took me an hour and 30 minutes to drive. My dog wanted to kill me. Definitely a 2 spare tire road. To make matters worse, you have to deal with dozens of dirt bikes and side by sides trying to pass. I'll take Como rd to 10,000 feet over this road any day.

[Will_E]

The trailhead for Italian Mountain is the most remote/toughest one I've been to. The last 5 miles are particularly brutal and took me an hour and 30 minutes to drive. My dog wanted to kill me. Definitely a 2 spare tire road. To make matters worse, you have to deal with dozens of dirt bikes and side by sides trying to pass. I'll take Como rd to 10,000 feet over this road any day.

Pretty sure you could walk 5 miles faster!

[CaptainSuburbia]

The trailhead for Italian Mountain is the most remote/toughest one I've been to. The last 5 miles are particularly brutal and took me an hour and 30 minutes to drive. My dog wanted to kill me. Definitely a 2 spare tire road. To make matters worse, you have to deal with dozens of dirt bikes and side by sides trying to pass. I'll take Como rd to 10,000 feet over this road any day.

Pretty sure you could walk 5 miles faster!

Yes, but my small dog breed would not have enjoyed the extra 10 miles.

[Bombay2Boulder]

The trailhead to access Summit Pk, Montezuma, and Unicorn is very remote. It several hours to drive on a dirt road. The road was in good condition though. The south San Juans felt very far out there

That's the longest off-pavement drive to a trailhead that I have done. I think it is around 30 miles.

Tobacco Lake trailhead for Conejos Peak is even farther. You go past the turnoff for Summit Peak, up and over a pass to Platoro and then past that to another road which gains significant elevation and is longer and rougher than the Summit Peak road. I think it was 46 miles from SH-15 to Tobacco Lake TH or something. Have fun doing that drive all over again!

Platoro was such a surprise. Major Alaska bush village feel. It's my new favorite cool fact to mention to CO natives. Unless you lived down in the San Luis valley, I doubt a lot of people even knows about it's existence.

[HikerGuy]

The trailhead to access Summit Pk, Montezuma, and Unicorn is very remote. It several hours to drive on a dirt road. The road was in good condition though. The south San Juans felt very far out there

That's the longest off-pavement drive to a trailhead that I have done. I think it is around 30 miles.

Tobacco Lake trailhead for Conejos Peak is even farther. You go past the turnoff for Summit Peak, up and over a pass to Platoro and then past that to another road which gains significant elevation and is longer and rougher than the Summit Peak road. I think it was 46 miles from SH-15 to Tobacco Lake TH or something. Have fun doing that drive all over again!

Thanks! It hurt me driving out without Conejos.