Spring Mountain

Overview

Spring Mountain is a thirteener in the Sangre de Cristo Range. This peak sits up above the Comanche Creek drainage and the Venable Creek drainage, with great views of both drainages. The views from the top easily make the hike worth it. From the summit, you can see the fourteeners of the Crestone Group, though Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle's summits are only barely visible from the summit. Views to the north are also very good as well. This peak can be approached from every direction, with the main access coming from the Comanche trail on its east side. The elevation gain and mileage from the Comanche Trailhead is around 3500 feet for elevation gain, and around 10-11 miles roundtrip.

Getting There

The main access to Spring Mountain is from the Comanche/ Venable Trailhead outside of Westcliffe. From the town of Westcliffe, drive south out of the town on State highway 69 and look for county Road 140 on the right. Turn right ( west) onto Cr 140 and follow the signs toward the Alvarado Campground and the Comanche/ Venable Trailhead as they are almost right next to each other. Do not go into the Alvarado Campground but stay right into the trailhead, at the trailhead, there is a bathroom and room for around 15 cars to park. The trail starts on the west side of the parking lot. For info on the trail itself, look on the routes fo Spring Mountain.

Red Tape

There is no private property along the trail as it is all San Isabel National Forest or Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. However, there is a lot of private property along the road to the trailhead, so try and stay off of it when heading to the trailhead.

Camping

I do not know if you need a permit to backpack in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. There are plenty of spots. Also, the Alvarado campground at the base of the Comanche/ Venable trailhead is a great place to camp to get a nice head start on the trail.

Images

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