Colorado trails · West Fork Trail
West Fork Trail
A 11.2-mile out-and-back in Colorado, with 3,667 ft of climbing, topping out at 11,793 ft. Reaches Hot Springs and other lake/pass/spring destinations. Managed by USFS Pagosa Ranger District.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 44% of the ascent falls between mile 3.7 and mile 7.5.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Hot Springs (spring)
- Piedra Pass (pass)
- Borns Lake (lake)
Getting there
West Fork Trailhead — parking nearby, restroom. About 1 h 50 min drive (77 mi) from Durango. 37.45770, -106.91910 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:48 a.m., the sun rises at 7:14 a.m. and sets at 6:32 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:58 p.m. (MDT) — 11 h 17 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 22.5-mile round trip works out to roughly 12 h 00 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- Manzanares Cutoff Trail + Trail Creek + West Fork Trail — 10.3 mi loop, 802 ft gain
- West Fork Trail — 5.7 mi loop, 1,068 ft gain
- Main Fork Trail + West Fork Trail — 17.3 mi loop, 1,599 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Middle Fork Trail — 13.1 mi
- Continental Divide Trail — 15.5 mi
- Ivy Creek Trail — 16.0 mi
- Dry Creek Trail — 20.3 mi