14ers.com • Trailhead Info and Status (Blue Lakes Trailhead)

Blue Lakes Trailhead

Location

Sangre de Cristo
37.31247° N, -105.13871° W

Road Difficulty

2 (0=Paved, 6=Very Difficult 4WD)
2WD dirt to 10,500' at the campground
Narrow 4WD up FSR 436, to 12,000 feet+

Driving Directions

Take US 160 east from La Veta Pass or west from Walsenburg and turn south onto CO 12, toward the town of La Veta. Drive 5 miles south to La Veta and continue 12 miles to the town of Cuchara. Still on CO 12, continue 3.5 miles south and turn right onto Forest Service Road (FSR) 422 (dirt). Drive 4 miles up FSR 422 to reach a road junction where Blue Lake Campground is on your right. This is the 2WD trailhead. Turn left onto FSR 436 and park just up the road in a designated spot. There are a few dispersed camping along FSR 436 but you might consider camping at the Blue Lake campground or up FSR 422 at the Bear Lake campground.

Winter Access

Unknown

Status Updates
2020-09-27 Posted By: Uffda Info: I was able to get to the treeline campsites on FSR 436 in my Forester with no issues.
2020-05-09 Posted By: seoulman Info: Gate not open yet, adding allot of distance to the trip. About a mile above blue lake the trail gets snowy. Traction or floatation advisable.	1
2019-05-05 Posted By: WildWanderer Info: Winter closure in effect 2 miles below Blue Lakes campground at the picnic area, which holds several vehicles. FSR 422 road to closure easy and dry 2WD access. After closure road has several feet of snow.	5
2018-06-24 Posted By: BillMiddlebrook Info: FSR 422 is bumpy washboard right now but most 2WD vehicles will have no problem reaching the campground junction and bottom of FSR 436.