Hermosa Area Trail System
Elbert Creek Trail
The views from Purgatory Cliffs at the top of the Elbert Creek trail overlooking the Needles are beautiful no matter what time of year you scale the heights; however, there is almost no better place to witness the changing aspens in the fall.
Because the Elbert Creek start of the trail starts at just above 8,500 feet, hikers will witness the landscape transforming from the desert sagebrush and scrub oak of Durango (6,512 feet) to aspen groves and alpine meadows of the higher elevation.
- Length
- 9.7 Miles
- Climb
- 4000 Feet
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- From Durango
- 27 Miles
Getting there
Needles Store Parking Area Northern Hermosa Creek Access Southern Hermosa Creek Access A quick 20-minute drive north on Highway 550 from Durango will find you at the Needles Country Store. Make a left into the lot, but parking for the trail is limited to a few spots on the far south end near the empty cattle pens. Or, take Hwy 550 north to Purgatory Resort and ride up Hermosa Park Road or the Worlds Trail until you get to the Elbert Creek Road (about 3 miles).
Where it starts
The pin marks an end of the mapped trail. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Trail layout
The line is the mapped path. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.