San Luis Peak - Camping at West Willow Creek TH

[marcusmartin]

Going to do San Luis Peak from the South Ridge starting at the West Willow Creek TH.

Does anyone know if you can camp at the WWC TH, or is there dispersed camping north of Creede along Road 503?

Thanks,
Marcus

[Ptglhs]

Yes, you can. I was there this am. The road up from equity mine needs decent clearance 4wd. There are a couple of big ruts. TH camping makes the most sense for that peak IMO.

[Cruiser]

My recollection was that there wasn't a ton of flat ground outside the parking area right at the th but that there were a couple of established pulloffs in pretty close proximity along the road. My crew was a bit larger that trip though so we needed a little more space for tents. If you were solo you would surely have an easier time finding a spot to pitch near the parking lot.

[Ptglhs]

x2 I was up there last year in a RWD F150 and was disappointed at the camping around equity mine. To be fair it was pitch black outside

The equity mine is about 2 miles from the TH. There are spots near the TH to camp: a couple of tents were set up there yesterday and this am, or you camp just up the trail before the CDT split, downstream in the willows, etc.

[Ptglhs]

The road that turns left at the mine correct? That road was a little gnarly for me to drive on with stock clearance at night..

Correct. I was dropped off there by the driver of a stock highlander who didn't want to return for pickup. I thought the drive was fine with an SUV but you're correct that a couple of spots are gnarly, I described them as such too.

[ncxhjhgvbi]

I was there in mid-May and we found a spot for a large tent about .5 miles before the Equity Mine on the right/east side of the road and set up there at about 11,000'. It has great views but is exposed to the wind on the north side (it ended up being a very cold and windy night). We didn't see it on the way up - only on the way down on the left when we turned around to look for a good flat spot. We then found a much larger site on our way out with two firepits and plenty of space on the west side of the road about .75 miles from the mine. This one is tucked away a bit, but has room for multiple tents and is surrounded by trees and a hill to the north. I think it would be very hard to notice these at night. From both it would probably be 15-20 mins to the TH depending on mud conditions/vehicle capability. I think there was one flat-ish spot on the west side of the 4x4 road about .2 miles from the creek crossing. It had a very small firepit but is very exposed. I think it depends on how you feel about those variables - the basin is beautiful and if you can handle the cold and wind or have a warm night camping by the trailhead would be pretty great. Of note, a ranger passed us as we were setting up camp at the first site mentioned so I believe it is ok to camp there.

[wineguy]

I camped out there last night and climbed San Luis today. Several grassy areas near the TH to pitch a tent, though none are as flat as I would like. I slept in my SUV but two tents were pitched nearby. I made it to the TH in my Acura RDX (comparable to RAV4) without a problem, though I got out twice to plot a route through two rough spots. Never touched bottom. I was by far the lightest duty vehicle at the TH. Lots of ATV traffic during the day.

[marcusmartin]

This is very helpful information! Thank you to each of you.

[JacerJack]

Marcus - you should have no problems finding a place to camp on your way up to the TH. If you see a good spot on your way up, I'd jump on it, as camping at the TH is somewhat limited. At the TH itself, there is one spot with a fire ring and enough flat(ish) ground for maybe 2 or 3 tents (located just behind my truck in the photo below). We slept in the truck at the TH and there is enough parking and flat ground for maybe 3 or 4 vehicles to do the same. A few weeks ago, the road was a nightmare past the creek crossing, but it sounds like it's relatively dry now. Enjoy!

[huffy13]

My hiking partner and I were able to camp at the WWC TH at the end of the 4-wheel drive road. As others have said previously, there is not a lot of level places along the road, and much of the land on the way there is on private land, so options are limited. But there are quite a few suitable, fairly level spots at the end of the road. I did post a pic of our tents in my trip report from a couple years ago. It's literally just a few yards from the TH sign.

[marcusmartin]

Thanks all for the very helpful information - I really do appreciate it! Marcus