Colorado trails · Endlich Mesa Trail

Endlich Mesa Trail

A 20.3-mile point-to-point in Colorado, with 5,203 ft of climbing, topping out at 12,887 ft. Reaches Trimble Pass and other lake/pass/summit destinations. Managed by USFS Columbine Ranger District.

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Length

20.3 mi

Elevation gain

5,203 ft

Highest point

12,887 ft

Difficulty

Expert

Max grade

37%

Steepest mile

+1,177 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

8.4 mi

Shape

point-to-point

Surface

dirt

Dogs

yes

Bikes

yes

Horses

yes

Managed by

USFS Columbine Ranger District

Elevation profile

The climbing leans toward the first third: 51% of the ascent falls between mile 0.0 and mile 6.8.

3-D terrain

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Trimble Pass (pass)
Columbine Pass (pass)
Durango Reservoir Number 1 (lake)
City Reservoir (lake)
Lake Marie (lake)
Endlich Mesa (summit)
Columbine Lake (lake)

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.

Terrain graded T2 (SAC scale).

Sections reported faint or hard to follow — carry a map or download this area offline.

Getting there

Endlich Mesa Trail access — parking nearby. About 51 min drive (26 mi) from Durango. 37.42540, -107.55512 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:50 a.m., the sun rises at 7:17 a.m. and sets at 6:34 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:01 p.m. (MDT) — 11 h 18 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 20.3-mile route takes roughly 10 h 07 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 5:23 p.m. — 1 h 11 min before sunset.

Nearby trails

Vallecito Trail — 3.6 mi
Needle Creek Trail — 12.2 mi
Middle Fork Trail — 23.2 mi
Ute Creek Trail — 25.8 mi