Venable Creek Trail

Venable-Comanche Trail is a loop trail that takes you by a lake located near Westcliffe, Colorado.

Start at the Music Pass trail head south of Westcliffe, Colorado off County Road 119. You will need a 4x4 with high clearance to get to the actual trailhead as the last 2.5 miles are rough. Otherwise, park at the Crape Creek TH and walk the 2.5 miles up to Music Pass Trailhead.Once on the trail, the first mile starts out going straight up toward Music Pass where you will achieve most of your ...

There are a couple different trailheads that lead to Kit Carson Peak, but the one from Willow Creek Trailhead will give you the opportunity to peak another fourteener, Challenger Point, and let you pass through and/or camp at Willow Lake, which is a beautiful destination by itself. If approaching from the north, go 13.8 miles south on Colorado 17 from the Colorado 17-US 285 junction. If approac...

Nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, Willow Lake offers a stunning destination to a rigorous hike. The hike is approximately 9 miles out and back with 2800 feet of elevation gain. The trail is well marked and maintained. However, the hike rarely levels off. Be prepared for a steady incline the entire way until you reach the lake.Along the way you'll come across a beautiful valley, wildfl...

Joyful Journey hot springs offers the full hotel and spa treatment, but in a valley where most people live off the grid, we chose the more rugged experience.The yurts gather together like penguins huddling not far from the springs. The wooden slates offer welcome relief from the frigid valley weather. The dogs snuggled into the yurt, and we bundled off to the hot springs.The three pools range f...

Few places can match the epic scale of this bizarre wilderness in southern Colorado. Great Sand Dunes National Park contains 750 foot tall sand dunes (the tallest in North America) resting at the foot of 13,000 foot peaks (the Sangre de Cristo range). However, to really experience the park in its wildest, purest form you'll have to backpack and camp in the dunefield itself.One of the coolest as...