Essence: Approach singular Courthouse Mountain from the West Fork of the Cimarron River. The short but spectacular hike works well with a travel day to or from the Cimarron Mountains. The footpath winds steeply up through a deep conifer forest graced with sunny glades. It saddles next to the vertical escarpment on the east side of the mountain. Reach out and touch volcanism. Scramble up through stone leading into a fellfield, a mix of tundra and gigantic boulders. A rock-free grass slope culminates at the aerie crest, a linear stack of stone blocks. With a rise of 1,189 feet, the views are incomparable. Look southeast to neighboring summits thrusting abruptly from the West Fork. Only Courthouse is accessible by trail. To the southwest Mount Sneffels towers to 14,155 feet within its namesake wilderness. Northwest, the earth drops away toward the Colorado River, the lowest common denominator in the American West. The peak is within the Uncompahgre Wilderness managed by the Uncompahgre National Forest. LiDAR has increased the elevation of Courthouse to 12,165 feet.
Travel: From the signal in Ridgway at the junction of US 550 and CO 62, drive
north on US 550 for 1.8 miles. Turn right on CR 10 and measure from
there. A blue sign with an arrow pointing east, a sign for Owl Creek
Pass, and a turn lane for drivers going north precedes the turn. The
gravel road is wide and graded but prone to washboard. At 3.9 miles CR 8
comes in on the left (a shortcut from US 550 for drivers coming from
the north). CR 10 transitions onto CR 8. Cross Cow Creek at 4.9 miles.
Enter the Uncompahgre National Forest at 7.7 miles and the road becomes
FSR 858. At the 8.9 mile split, stay straight. Dodge potholes. Cross a
cattle guard at Owl Creek Pass, 15.2 miles, elevation 10,114 feet. The
road from Silver Jack Reservoir comes in on the left at 15.5 miles. Turn
right at the sign for West Fork, FSR 860. Courthouse Trailhead (on the
right) and parking (on the left) is at 17.0 miles. 2WD vehicles should be sufficient to reach the trailhead. There is plenty of
dispersed camping near the trailhead.
Distance and Elevation Gain: 3.8 miles; 1,850 feet
Total Time: 3:00 to 4:00
Difficulty: Trail; navigation easy; Class 2+ with mild exposure
Map: Courthouse Mountain, Colorado 7.5' USGS Quad
Latest Date Hiked: September 1, 2025
Poem:
i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
e.e.cummings
You must step away, far away, to appreciate the magnificence of Courthouse Mountain with its cylindrical vertical walls and symmetrical conical cap topped with a stone cupola. Below, the vertical yearning of spruce clinging to the steep west slope of Fortress Peak mimics the columnar nature of the mountain, Chimney Rock, and the ridge between them. (Thomas Holt Ward, photo)
Route: From
the Courthouse Trailhead hike southwest to the divide with Cow Creek. Turn northwest on the Courthouse Mountain spur trail. The footpath turns due west and ascends the east ridge of the mountain. Return as you came.
The Courthouse Trailhead on the West Fork, elevation 10,340 feet, marks the east end of Courthouse Trail #218 which begins at Cow Creek Road, FSR 857. The Courthouse Mountain spur trail begins on the divide, 0.8 mile west of the trailhead.
The
Ouray Trail Group maintains the footpath. Founded in 1986, they are a non-profit corporation of volunteers dedicated to the
preservation and safe public use of Ouray area hiking trails. When the original footbridge was destroyed, the group replaced it with a shaved-off sturdy log. The hike begins with a balancing act.
You could climb the mountain from the west end of the Courthouse Trail but it's going to cost you an extra 5.3 miles and 2,180 feet of vertical.
The boot-worn path is old, smooth, and pounded. The Ouray Trail Group is providing maintenance on the popular track with reroutes and blocked braids. With the exception of a hooting owl the woods were silent and the Engelmann spruce and Douglas fir emitted a strong presence. The trail gets right on up there. It's not obnoxiously steep but you'll be huffing and puffing right out of the box.
Appropriately, pearly everlasting were still blooming but most wildflowers had gone to seed. This seed head was produced by cow parsnip. The plant can grow to eight feet tall with flower clusters eight inches across. The leaves function as platters the size of dinner plates that catch rain and snow. (THW, photo)
Cross a stream at 0.2 mile and the trail makes a shift to the southwest. The grade eases temporarily. Having hiked off-trail in these mountains the last couple of days, the treadway was a welcomed luxury. Morning sun filtered through trees onto the forest floor. The lush flora was thinking about turning gold. The moss on large, weathered, lichen-painted boulders was sparkling bright green after two nights of steady rain. (THW, photo)
Arrive on the West Fork--Cow Creek divide at 0.8 mile, 11,020 feet. The land to the west of the divide, including Courthouse Mountain, is within the 102,721-acre Uncompahgre Wilderness designated in 1980. Points just outside the block of wilderness are Ouray (west), Silver Jack Reservoir (north), Lake City (east), and the Alpine Loop/Engineer Pass (south).
Turn north on the Courthouse Mountain Trail. The peak is one mile from this junction.
The trail rises ever so gently for the next half mile on the east side of the ridge before engaging the ridgetop. Courthouse is glimpsed occasionally through heavy timber. Voilà! At 1.2 miles the perfectly vertical barrier cliffs are revealed on the south side of the striking summit structure. Morning sun enhances the blades, fins, and wings. It's so unusual to have such a grand view framed, but not obscured, by trees. (THW, photo)
The image below is a closeup of the same wall taken a few minutes up the trail. It is an excellent example of volcanic breccia. In this case some mighty big boulders were included in the source material. Breccia is composed of broken rock fragments
cemented together by a fine-grained matrix. In this case, the igneous
clastic formation is associated with volcanic eruptions. The mountain is part of the San Juan Volcanic Field and is composed of layers of ash, tuff, and breccia.
The soft, volcanic rock is highly susceptible to erosion which explains why the mountain is a sculpted wonder. (THW, photo)
A free-standing outlier tower is located on the east ridge. The trail passes right next to it momentarily.
But first, the path switchbacks up through a large, sunny meadow. Spent flower stalks were as tall as my head. Fireweed was just beginning to turn crimson, the signature autumn color for which it was named.
Tall black-tipped senecio, a late summer flower, was still in bloom. Study the image below and it's obvious how this ragwort earned its name. (THW, photo)
Zigzag alongside the east face of the mountain.
The trail pivots at the base of the outlier tower and begins the westward climb up the east ridge. (THW, photo)
At 11,500 feet, the east ridge affords an excellent view of Chimney Rock. For those experienced technical climbers, or simply the curious, please see
Liba Kopeckova's SummitPost page for comments on climbing this "lonely tower." It was first climbed by Melvin Griffiths and Robert Ormes in 1934. Climbers debate whether Lizard Head or Chimney Rock is the most difficult peak to mount in Colorado. The climb up the South Face Crack is rated 5.6. Hazards include extreme rockfall, poor rock quality, and unprotected pitches. Further, the approach to the base of the "bastion of stone" is chossy, unprotected Class 4 and 5.
(THW, photo)
The trail grazes the globular flank of the mountain. (THW, photo)
In the final strip of trees, the trail braids as hikers have struggled to stay on their feet on the sharp, dirt pitch. Do your best to stay on the winding, designated track.
Break out of the woods at last at 11,800 feet where all the fun is concentrated. From here, the trail can be a little disguised on the stone slope so let cairns guide you. Get a bead on the first cairn and scamper straight up the initial short wall, a Class 2+ scramble, shown. Check to see that the breccia nodules you are using for hand and foot holds are well cemented.
The terrain eases a bit after the first pitch.
This image looks down on the same patch of rock. Climbing up low-angle breccia is actually incredibly amusing.
(THW, photo)
The trail becomes obvious as it winds up through large, sharp-edged boulders resting on tundra. This is a fine example of a fellfield. As a mountain breaks down, the boulders fracture and disintegrate into talus and gravel. Over a long period of time the gravels stabilize and form soil. When stone fields are less than half covered with plants, they are called fellfields.
Hop across a felsenmeer, "sea of rock," or blockfield.
This fellfield is both exquisitely beautiful and a total blast to hike through with its varying personality of boulders.
The fact I'm bracing off stone implies the slope is a high-angle pitch. (THW, photo)
The trail is trenched through the tundra on the conical cap. Stay on the trail when you can. If you do use the dirt stairsteps, get your feet lined up! (THW, photo)
Do a Class 2+ scramble up the boulder blocks
to the apex at 1.9 miles. For those concerned about exposure there's room to play around on the blocks without getting too close to the precipitous edge. There are plenty of sitting rocks for taking in the stellar views from this sub-range on the north end of the San Juan Mountains.
Experienced scramblers may cross the low Class 3 gap to the north block. The holds are good but watch the exposure. (THW, photo)
This image was shot from the north block looking at the breach.
The South Face Crack on imposing Chimney Rock is obscured by morning shade. Owl Creek Pass is tucked under the standing rock. Flowing northward from there is Cimarron Ridge.
This image looks back on the high point and the dreamlike collection of ranked summits above the West Fork of the Cimarron River:
Precipice Peak, Fortress Peak, Redcliff, Coxcomb Peak, and U4. They are all exceedingly steep climbs through a pathless wilderness.
I've been euphoric on the top of mountains my entire life. Yes! I hope that standing on this block summit makes you burst out with intoxicating laughter. This image was snapped on our first visit to Courthouse in 2012. (THW, photo)
Looking southward,
Mount Sneffels is featured most prominently on the northern front of the San Juan Mountains. We are so fortunate to have two non-technical routes up the tallest mountain in the region. Potosi Peak, image-left, is a technical summit climbed from Yankee Boy Basin. (THW, photo)
When descending, be absolutely sure you are on the standard (upcoming) route. We redirected a hiker who was mistakenly starting down an irretrievable chute. When you get back to the trailhead, consider taking a few steps north on FSR 860. From the wide meadow there is an unimpeded view of three breathtaking peaks. Dunsinane Mountain is thought to be named for Dunsinane Hill referenced in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. Dunsinane Hill was
the site of a 1054 battle in which the Earl of Northumbria defeated
Macbeth of Scotland. The much earlier Iron Age hill fort has long been known as Macbeth's
Castle, though there is no archaeological evidence a castle existed during that time.
(THW, photo)
Directly north of Dunsinane is
Turret Ridge. The highest point on the ridge crammed with "impossible looking spires" is Peak 12,260' (LiDAR 12,264'), image-right. The alternate name for this tempestuous peak is appropriately, "Shrew." It is considered Colorado's hardest twelver with a 5.9 rating.
An unscalable escarpment armors Precipice Peak. From this vantage point it looks as if fingers of stone are holding the mountain in place. Navigation is challenging and the climb is ultra steep but the south ridge provides an unforgettable passageway to the summit.
Viewed from FSR 858, this scene is at once tranquil and Wild America. The eye drifts from a moist meadow hosting a three-log corral to aspen just a couple of weeks away from donning the hues of autumn. The deep green conifer remain steadfast on the slopes below Courthouse Mountain and the Chimney Rock monolith born from primordial heat manifest in volcanism.
