Overview
Note About Name: This peak is officially unnamed. Mountain climbers have called it Anderson Peak after the lake by the same name that sits to the north of the mountain.
Anderson Peak
Anderson is a rugged peak that rises in the upper portions of the valley of Lincoln Creek not far from the town of Aspen in Central Colorado. The northern slopes of Anderson Peak are rocky/wall-like and create a basin that houses Anderson Lake (11820 ft).
To the northwest, Anderson is connected to
Peak 13505 ft (Petroleum Peak) and to the southeast, it connects to Point 13482 ft. The valley of Lincoln Creek sits to the east of Anderson Peak and the Valley of Tellurium Creek to the west of it.
Despite its intimidating looks, Anderson Peak can be climbed via a non-technical route. The usual approach is from the Lincoln Creek Road, a rough 10 miles long dirt road. From the road, you will cross Lincoln Creek and follow a trail to Anderson Lake. From there, you will hike up steep grassy slopes to the top of Point 13105 ft and then follow a rocky ridgetop past several high points to reach the summit.
Anderson Peak
Views From The Summit
Castle Peak |
Mt. Snowmass |
Petroleum Peak |
Point 13482 ft |
Ruby Lakes |
Grizzly Peak |
Truro & Larson |
Looking SW |
North Slopes |
Getting There
Anderson Lake
From the town of Aspen, drive roughly 10 miles east on Route 82 until you see the sign for the Lincoln Gulch Road (Forest Road 106) on the right (south) side of the road.
Guidebooks might say that most cars can drive up Lincoln Gulch Road but I found it to be pretty rough and will not drive it in anything less than an SUV.
Drive the pot hole ridden Lincoln Gulch Road east. After 3.3 miles, you will reach the junction of New York Creek Road. Continue straight (left). 0.75 miles later you will reach the Tabor Creek Trailhead.
After the Tabor Creek Trailhead, the road seems to become much smoother. It continues east for another 2.5 miles to reach the Grizzly Reservoir. Here the road turns south and becomes rough again. 4WD is recommended. Drive the road another 3.5 miles to reach the signed junction of the trail to Anderson & Petroleum Lakes (11200 ft)
Red Tape
No fees or permits needed for day hikes.
For other regulations, see the website for
White River National Forest.
Weather
Click to see the
forecast for the nearby town of Aspen.
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Point 13105 ft |
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External Links
Petroleum and Anderson Lake Trail.