Elk Park/Needleton Loop – Weminuche Wilderness, CO Aug 2013 (Backpacking Trip Report)
Weminuche Wilderness, CO – Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike
Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video
- Trail Name – Elk Park/Needleton Loop
- Location – Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan National Forest, CO
- Park Type – National Forest, Wilderness Area
- Fees & Permits – None
- Length Of Time Hiked – 6 days, 5 nights
- Trail Type – Semi loop – Train drops you off and picks you up
- Miles Hiked – 48
- Trail Difficulty – 8
- Fires Allowed – Yes (No fires in Chicago Basin or Needleton drainage)
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Elk Park to Needleton Loop Hike Map – Weminuche Wilderness Maps
Here’s an overview map of the Weminuche Wilderness, which includes trailhead locations.
Weminuche Wilderness Map With Trailheads
Here’s my caltopo map of the Elk Park/Needleton hike:
Fees & Permits
There are no fees or permits needed to hike or camp in the Weminuche Wilderness. However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This was $90 each person for a round trip ticket, plus $10 to each to haul your backpack. Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness.
Day 1 – Monday August 5th, 2013
Miles Hiked – 5.4
Route – Elk Park train stop to camp along Elk Creek at ~10,300ft
Finally, it was time to start this hike. We’d been in Colorado a week now, doing other cool stuff like the Colorado National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, Denver & Boulder, Rocky Mountain National Park, Telluride, etc. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. Lisa had a bit of trouble last year in the Maroon Bells when we hiked the Four Pass Loop, and I may have had a slight headache that first day as well. Not this time though! (more…)
