The trek on this chart ends at Turkey Creek Trailhead
Click Here for Recommended Campsites, Mileage and Elevation Changes

USGS Quads in order of passage. 1. Wolf Creek Pass, 2. South River Peak, 3. Pagosa Peak, 5. Saddle Mountain

As you approach Wolf Creek Pass from Pagosa Springs there is a dirt road to the left that takes you 2-miles to a microwave station.  I have found this road blocked by snow in early July.  The trail head is behind the microwave station.

CAUTION - IF YOU LEAVE PAGOSA SPRINGS AND TRAVEL TO THIS TRAIL HEAD YOU WILL HAVE CLIMBED NEARLY 5000 FEET IN LESS THAN 1-HOUR.  STRENUOUS EXERCISE COULD RESULT IN ALTITUDE SICKNESS. MOVE SLOW.

Fortunately the hike starts downhill from 11,800-feet but I still got a severe headache on my first trek on this route hiking a fast pace. 

Rock Lake is a small but pretty lake and there is a spring that we have never found (our friends did find it).  Try down stream as we have not looked that direction.   Otherwise one must filter water from the lake.

Archuleta Lake is a popular spot for outfitters and hikers coming up from the Rio Grande forest side.  There is plenty of room but no solitude.  NEW RESTRICTION - no camping within 100 yards of the lake.  After you climb 600-feet back up to the divide you will be pretty much above tree line for the next couple of days.  Look for elk in the valleys.

What we have labeled Camp 3 has no geologic ID except that the trail has dropped below tree line and it is possible to find a small springs below the trail.  Otherwise there is no easy water between Archuleta and Peidra Pass.  This is the trouble with hiking the divide trail.

At South River Peak you reach an elevation of 12,840-feet and can drop your pack to climb to over 13,000.  We prefer to sit and enjoy the view.  The trial up the mountain from this side is a great switchback trail but down the far side is rocky.   We once saw 6 bull elk on the snow pack at the top next to the trail as we started up.

Peidra Pass has a creek diversion dam to take water from the San Juan water shed to the Rio Grande water shed.  Nothing here to write home about.

What we have labeled an outfitters camp is typical of what you find all over Weminuche.  Nice campsite next to a spring fed creek with a view of the valley with hitching rails for horses and lots of poop.  It will be the best campsite for miles! An outfitter tried to run us off once claiming he had a permit to use this spot.  THEY DON'T.  I have found one legitimate outfitters camp in the Weminuche (above Turkey Lake) marked with a US Forest Service sign.  The rest have no more right to a particular site than anyone else.  Some will trash an area out so that normal hikers like us will avoid the spot while they are ferrying the dudes back and forth on horseback.  However, this particular site was always been clean the few times we camped there.

Between the outfitters camp and Red Mountain - elevation 12,000'

Red Mountain

Puerto Blanca is one of our favorite spots in the Weminuche.   There is a pretty water cascade on the mountain and it is not a difficult climb to the top but there is no trail.  Nice day hike heavy with wild flowers. We have seen an elk herd on two out of three times camping here.  (The one time we did not see elk we came in September thinking we would hear the elk in rut.  There were about a thousand bow hunters in the area and not an elk around)  We saw gear left behind indicating an outfitter is establishing a camp there now.   Take pictures if you see any trash and send them to me for my collection.

Turkey Lake is also popular with outfitters and we have seen a little of the trash trick but not bad - no trash at all in July 1998.  (Note: Uniformed Forest Service workers informed us that they confiscated a tent and equipment left unattended overnight.  This is good news and we hope it is happening in the Bayfield district) Camping is good at either end of the lake.   This is a really beautiful spot with good fishing. 
We have had Pika come stand at our feet while we fished and chipmunks are habituated enough to eat out of your hand.   
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Turkey Creek as it flows out of Turkey Lake
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The trek on this chart ends at Four Mile Trailhead

USGS Quads in order of passage. 1. Wolf Creek Pass, 2. South River Peak, 3. Pagosa Peak

From here you can walk out of the wilderness on the Turkey Creek trail (down hill all the way) or take an alternate hike out via Four Mile Lake.  The total distance is about the same.  The hike over Cherry Cairn is unique but you must leave the main trail to see the best rock features.  There is a way down directly to Four Mile from the top of Cherry Cairn via a trail shown on some USGS quads.  Trick is the trail ain't there.  Have to follow your nose.   Leaving Turkey Lake for Four Mile stay to the right at the first trail intersection or you will wind up in the legitimate outfitters camp - wrong turn is how I found it.  The trail to the outfitters camp is used more and leads you to believe it is the main trail.  No trail markers here. 

Check with the forest service in Pagosa Springs for camping at Fourmile Lake.  A sign at the end of each trial from the trailhead restricts camping within 100 yards of the lake.  We bushwacked over Cherry Cairn this year (July 1998), did not see a sign and found a fire ring with a nice overlook about 100 feet from the lake.  There is no restriction printed on the newest Forest Service map of the Weminuche and there is such a restriction printed on the map for Archuleta Lake and West Ute Lake.  It would help if the Forest Service would destroy fire rings in "no camping" areas.  This one looked about 100 years old.

There are two trails down from Fourmile Lake and we tried the new Anderson trail that was finished a few years ago.  The old trail shown on the USGS Quads is an old stock trail of about 6-miles and has to be the worst trail in the Weminuche.  However, we will endure the old trail next time as the Anderson trail was built by a Sadist.  The trail climbs from Fourmile Lake to an elevation of 11,600 feet, drops to 11,100, climbs to 11,600 and then drops to 9,100 at the trailhead - about 8-miles total.  The entire climb out was one continuous mud hole but we can't complain - a sign at the trailhead says "RECOMMENDED FOR HORSES".  The Anderson trail is a beautiful forest walk for the most part except for about a mile of switchbacks up to the summit from the trailhead side or south side of the summit and is in excellent condition on that portion.  No beautiful view from the top or anything like that.