Trailhead › Molas Pass - Elk Park Trailhead

Map shows the Molas Pass trailhead near Molas Lake, south of Silverton and the section of the Colorado Trail that hikers can connect to that drops down to cross the Animas River at Elk Park and then heads east up Elk Creek to the "beaver ponds" camp area.

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Route shown is an approximation. Not intended for use as a GPX track.

Directions

From the highway intersection just west of Silverton, CO, drive south on US550 in the direction of Molas Pass for 5.3 miles. About .6 mile, or at 5.3 miles total, after the turnoff for the Molas Lake there is a turnoff to the left into the trailhead parking area, accessible to 2WD vehicles. The dirt parking lot may be muddy at times and have a few potholes to avoid. There is usually plenty of room to park here, but can get a little full on weekends.

If coming from Durango, drive north on US550 over Coal Bank Pass and Molas Pass. After cresting Molas Pass, the turnoff for the trailhead will be 1.1 mile further north and on the right. The drive from Durango will take about an hour.

Camping

You can probably vehicle camp at the trailhead but there is no immediate toilet facility. You could also hike south along the trail a short distance from the TH and pitch a tent. There is a vault toilet back at the top of Molas Pass or at the turnoff for Molas Lake, you can drive down to the park and pay a fee to camp where there are not only vault toilets, but also hot showers for $5.00. There is also a fee campground at "Little Molas Lake," which is on a graded dirt road that turns off to the west, from the highway back towards Molas Pass. So overall, there are plenty of camping opportunities in the immediate vicinity.

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