Sneffels Highline Trail Loop

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The reward is unmistakable. The groves of aspen and conifer forest thin below 12,000 feet, and the trail breaks into the open with broad panoramas that include Telluride, the Telluride Ski Resort, and farther to the south, the Lizard Head Wilderness, encompassing Lizard Head and the Mount Wilson massif. -Additional contributions from Outdoor Project contributor Jonathan Stull.

Despite the exposure and the effort, hiking above treeline in Telluride is a requirement for any outdoor adventurer worth the mud on their boots, and the Sneffels Highline is one of the best opportunities to experience this alpine environment.

The trails here are very well- marked, so navigating the Highline should be straightforward and without drama. All the better. From the Jud Wiebe Trail, ascend roughly a mile to the junction with the Mill Creek Trail. Almost immediately you'll reach a junction with the Sneffels Highline Trail to the right. Here the ascent begins in earnest. Ascend for about 3 miles, gaining 2,000 feet of elevation. At treeline, around 11,750 feet, the trail opens abruptly into Pack Basin. Continue ascending through alpine tundra to a saddle below Mount Emma; be careful here, as the trail ascends switchbacks on a very steep slope. The saddle below Mount Emma marks the highest point on the Sneffels Highline at 12,260 feet, 3.84 miles from the junction of the Sneffels Highline and Mill Creek trails. Begin descending through the larger Mill Creek Basin below Gilpin Peak and Dallas Peak. Once in the basin, the trail levels to a gentler descent for several miles. After several switchbacks, the Sneffels Highline Trail joins the Deep Creek Trail; keep left for about a mile. At a junction with the Mill Creek Trail, continue left for about 2 miles, passing the original junction with the Sneffels Highline Trail before rejoining the Jud Wiebe Trail. At the Jud Wiebe Trail, hikers have the option of continuing the Jud Wiebe Trail to completion or returning to the trailhead. Even at the end of a long day, the Jud Wiebe Trail is highly recommended.