Deer Peak

Overview

In the south-central Wet Mountains, Deer Peak is a mellow, easy-going peak with nice views of the Sangres across open meadows. Neighboring Saint Charles Peak can be viewed to the south. The namesake summit of the Deer Peak quadrangle, this mountain can be distinguished from other nearby peaks by the array of communications towers at its summit. In the summer, the slopes are covered in a riot of multi-hued wild flowers. Despite the built-up nature of the summit (with the towers), few people seem to visit this peak and you will likely enjoy solitude during your stay. Pack a lunch and plan to spend some time at the grassy summit, wandering around to breaks in the trees to sample the different views.

Rank: 1512th highest peak in Colorado
Prominence: 872 feet
USGS Quad: Deer Peak

Rank & Prominence Source: Lists of John

Getting There

Deer Peak is about 35 miles as the raven flies southwest of Pueblo, Colorado. Most of us will access Deer Peak via CO 165 in Fairview. Criss-crossed by roads, currently in use to service towers on the peak as well as decommissioned, the peak is highly accessible, particularly in summer.

Red Tape

There is little red tape in this part of the San Isabel National Forest. There are no fees to park or recreate in this area.

Camping

National Forest Campgrounds

Campground Name	Elevation	Sites	Nightly Rate	Season	Notes
St. Charles	8,800 ft.	15	$15	May through October	Near Lake Isabel Recreation Area
Ophir	8,900 ft.	30	$15	Late May to early September	Very close to Bishop's Castle
Davenport	8,500 ft.	12	$13	Late May to early September	Close to Ophir CG
Oak Creek	7,600 ft.	16	Free	Year-Round	Lowest elevation; Closest to Cañon City; No water
La Vista	8,600 ft.	27	$15-$19 (RV)	Mid-April through Mid-October	Only CG in San Isabel NF with electric hookups

Cañon City
This community has a few limited lodging options, mostly on the simple end of the spectrum. Visit this page for more information about lodging in the Cañon City area.

Pueblo
This city of more than 100,000 residents has a reasonable selection of hotels and restaurants for visitors. Visit this page for more information about lodging in and around Pueblo.

Weather & Seasons

The Wet Mountains generally tend to be warmer and drier than most mountain ranges in Colorado. (They are considered "wet" compared to the arid Pueblo and Cañon City areas, however.)

Summer: Expect summers to be relatively hot compared to other mountainous areas of Colorado.

Fall: The autumn leaf display in the Wet Mountains is simply spectacular. In addition the ubiquitous golden-hued Aspen, these mountains also boast thick stands of orange-to-crimson Gamble Oak.

Winter: Nowhere near as high or steep as the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to their west, many of the Wet Mountain summits sit below timberline. Combined with a generally smaller snow-pack, much (though not all!) of the Wet Mountains can be enjoyed in snow season without that tingling fear of avalanche experienced in much of the Colorado high country.

Spring: The snows will typically melt earlier in the Spring in the Wet Mountains than in other, higher ranges and mountains to the north.

Images

View Deer Peak Image Gallery - 14 Images