Cross Mountain, 12,703', San Miguel Mountains

Essence: Cross Mountain is at the apex of a curving ridgeline running from Wilson Peak, over Gladstone Peak, Lizard Head, and terminating at Sunshine Mountain. It is the lowest and least remarkable of the radical and even notorious lineup. With a rise of 188 feet, it falls well shy of the 300 foot standard for ranked summits. But it feels like you are climbing a legitimate mountain. The approach is on a Class 1 trail but the off-trail segment deserves respect. The pitch is steep, holds are sparse and undependable, and the rock is loose. The peak is rated Class 2+ but should be tackled by experienced Class 3 scramblers. The east ridge is narrow but footing is good and the sensation of voluminous space is glorious. The staredown from fourteeners so close at hand is incomprehensible. Cross Mountain is in the 41,496-acre Lizard Head Wilderness. Land to the north of the ridge is administered by the Uncompahgre National Forest and land to south is within the San Juan National Forest. LiDAR has increased the peak's elevation by seven feet to 12,710 feet. 
Travel: The trailhead for the Cross Mountain Trail is located on the west side of CO 145, two miles south of Lizard Head Pass at mile marker 57.4. Watch for a brown US Forest Service sign directing into a large parking lot. No facilities, no water. 

Distance and Elevation Gain: 9.4 miles; 2,800 feet
Total Time: 5:00 to 7:00
Difficulty: Trail, off-trail; navigation moderate; Class 2+ with moderate exposure.
Map: Mount Wilson Colorado 7.5' USGS Quad 

Date Hiked: June 12, 2026
Haiku: 

In the company

of greatness, a small red hill

deserves some respect. 

Debra Van Winegarden

 

The San Miguel range includes a cluster of eminences so stately and imposing they could be considered the Guardians of Colorado. Cross Mountain is embraced by El Diente Peak (barely visible at skyline-left), South Wilson, Mount Wilson, Gladstone Peak, and Wilson Peak.  

Route: Hike north-northwest on the Cross Mountain Trail for 3.4 miles to its end at the junction with the Lizard Head Trail. Bear northwest to the saddle between Cross Mountain and Lizard Head. Leave the trail and ascend the east ridge of Cross. At 12,200 feet, bypass cliffs on the south and return to the ridge. Ascend on the divide to the summit. 

Cross Mountain Trail #637 (CMT) begins at the confluence of Lizard Head Creek and Snow Spur Creek, a north tributary of the Dolores River, elevation 10,040 feet. Sign the trail register and cross Snow Spur Creek on a sturdy bridge. (Thomas Holt Ward, photo) 

There are a number of truly outstanding hikes originating from this trailhead, including a sensational 11.7 mile loop over Black Face, 12,147'. If you are apprehensive about the exposure on Cross Mountain, hike this popular alternative. (THW, photo) 

 

Cross Lizard Head Creek at 0.2 mile in an open meadow. The sun was pleasantly warm, the air windless. There was nary a hint of the turbulence to trouble us in the alpine.

Great patches of corn husk lily yet to bloom thrived in large and lush intermittent meadows. We could hear Lizard Head Creek gushing north of the trail and the echoing drumming of a woodpecker. (THW, photo)  

The Groundhog Stock Trail ("Highline Stock Driveway" on the topo) branches west at 0.5 mile. Stay the course. From there, the CMT is open to equestrians and hikers only. The grade of the packed earth and weathered stone path varies from mellow to rather steep with restful flat interludes. 

The shade of the healthy spruce and Douglas fir forest was welcome. The timber provided a serene lead-up to the visual pandemonium to come. The predominant ground cover was myrtle blueberry with tiny pink bell blossoms. A joyful patch of shiny buttercups brightened the forest floor. (THW, photo)  

 

Geyer's onion looks good enough to eat, and indeed, the bulbs, stems, and flowers are all edible. The drought in the American West has been persistent for many years. It's taking a toll on wildflowers. I recorded 51 species on this hike, a decent number, but often I saw only a few of each variety. My flower list is at the end of this post. (THW, photo)  

  

Enter the Lizard Head Wilderness at 1.9 miles, 11,200 feet. The wilderness area protects the San Miguel Mountains from Dunn Peak (west) to San Bernardo Mountain (east). 

The vista opens to Lizard Head which most certainly deserves to have a trail named in its honor. The unranked, but very appealing mountain on the right is Point 12,038'. We ran into a woman in this meadow who is a fifth generation Trout Lake resident. She had a deep appreciation and keen knowledge of her backyard. We asked if she'd like to climb Cross Mountain with us. She declined, begging off because of her "fear of heights." (THW, photo)  

 

At 11,600 feet, grainy gray Mancos shale is exposed on surrounding slopes. It was first described in 1899 and named for exposures near the town of Mancos, Colorado. It was accumulated in marine environments of the Cretaceous North American Inland Sea. On average, it is about 2,000 feet thick. While Mancos shale underlies Cross Mountain, the peak itself (and the Wilson Group), is composed of intrusive igneous rock stocks from volcanism in the San Juans. As the mountains eroded, these hard rock bodies became the high points in the range. They fracture easily, creating troublesome loose scree slopes on the flanks of the mountains. The geology is complicated in this region so don't be surprised to see a smattering of distinctive Telluride Conglomerate boulders.

 

Yellow-orange rocks and chips are scattered on the surface of the Mancos shale.

  

The timber thinned noticeably right on cue at 11,500 feet and soon after, we were in the alpine. The wide-open expanse splayed out in the foreground, brilliant swatches of color, and radical shapes of the sky-cleaving peaks--it was unfathomable, almost too much to take in.  

The north trending trail takes aim on Lizard Head, 13,113', Cross Mountain's closest neighbor. The 400-foot vertical pillar of exfoliating rotten rock is widely considered Colorado's most difficult and dangerous thirteener--the easiest route is Class 5.8. Albert Ellingwood and Brandon Hoag made the first ascent in 1920.  

The CMT ends at a signed junction with Lizard Head Trail #505 at 3.4 miles, elevation 11,940 feet. The majority of hikers turn east-southeast there and follow the trail over Black Face. For those climbing Cross Mountain, the Lizard Head Trail over-climbs a tad but it's still the most efficient way to the saddle. For the curious, the trail continues north through Bilk Creek Basin, threads between Wilson Peak and Sunshine Mountain, and terminates at the Wilson Mesa Trail. 

The off-trail portion of this hike begins at the pass, 3.8 miles, 11,979 feet (topo). If your energy and the weather hold after climbing Cross Mountain, I highly recommend pitching up the climber's trail to the mystical platform at the base of Lizard Head. 

  

To climb Cross Mountain, ascend the broad east ridge. We ran into the local resident once again and she'd seen an elk herd split on both sides of the pass. The air grew restless, a Venturi effect, perhaps? But no, it was a wide-spread, high-velocity buffeting wind that sharply increased our challenge. 

As we've seen elsewhere in Colorado, peaks in the shadow of fourteeners are much neglected. A use trail existed only in the most concentrated terrain. So free-range until the grass melds into stone at 4.2 miles, 12,200 feet. The escarpment on the ridgeline roll-off is composed of rotten, friable rock and must be bypassed.  

The bypass is depicted in the image below. At the top of the grass a cairn directs onto a sidehill use trail. The trail ends before reaching the rocky outcrop, pictured. Make your own route through the exposed, Class 2+ dicey material to the top of the knob and a second cairn (0.1 mile from the start of the bypass). Pitch up the subtle southeast ridge to the east ridge of Cross. We contacted the divide between the patch of lighter material and the pale slide. (THW, photo)  

The off-trail bypass is described in detail as follows. At the large cairn head southwest on a social trail. (THW, photo)  

 

The narrow track is quite thin, one boot wide. The surface is soft and chippy and held my footsteps as I tiptoed across this classic sidehill. Below, I am deliberately digging in my downhill trekking pole. (THW, photo)   

 

As you close in on the rocky knob the social trail disappears into a mix of bedrock, chips, and loose larger stones at the angle of repose. Your objective is to top the gray outcrop. This is the most hazardous part of the entire hike. It is rated Class 2+ but the exposure is grave. If footing is lost, self arrest would be difficult. Holds are skimpy and friable. Test them all. I got spooked at the point where I'm standing in 2018 but I'm braver (and more determined) now.  We chose to ascend in the shallow crack. (THW, photo)  

This is a closeup of the crack shot in 2018 behind my partner.  

A large cairn marks the contact point with the gray outcrop. To reach the divide, climb the subtle southeast ridge for 180 feet. Difficulty eases and braided use trails assist. I have a friend who relishes the bypass. "The route, not to be mistaken for a trail, is just beautiful the way it snakes and curves as you climb steeply up on loose rock." 

A third cairn marks arrival on the divide at 4.4 miles, 12,460 feet. It's an important marker for your descent. The ridge is most unusual for its complete lack of obstacles. A boot-worn trail runs along the six-foot-wide spine. Footing is good. Erratic wind gusts provided extra excitement. 

The final stretch is nothing short of glorious. Behemoths in the background slide through the visual field. Walking the ridge well below the surrounding high peaks gives you unique spacial clues so you can feel the eternity of space. Look way down into basins on either side, out to lofty neighbors, or far far away to distant ranges. (THW, photo)  

My partner was so enthralled walking into the clouds, he was surprised by the false summit.

The ridge narrows just a bit toward the finish. What are we seeing in this image? Starting to the right of Lizard Head: Lookout and South Lookout peaks; Ulysses S. Grant and V4; Pilot Knob, Golden Horn, and Vermilion Peak; San Miguel, and Grizzly peaks. From great distances, Lizard Head, by virtue of its monolithic tower and position, is an undeniable pivot point in the greater landscape in Southern Colorado. (THW, photo)  

Give a little pat and say a few encouraging words to this solitary krummholz spruce anchored into the rocky ridgecrest.

Arrive on the summit of Cross Mountain at 4.7 miles. The grandeur is truly ungraspable. It's a little hard to distinguish in this image but there is a ridge running north-northwest from Cross to Gladstone. The saddle is a mere 188 feet below the summit. South Wilson and Mount Wilson are to the left of Gladstone and Wilson Peak is to its right. We found a peak register tucked into the summit cairn (thanks, Mike G). (THW, photo)  

For a twelver, the view from Cross is comprehensive. Looking south, the Dolores River splits the Rico Mountains into two blocks. The La Plata Mountains are in the distance above the east block and Sleeping Ute Mountain is to the right of the west block.  

I mentioned Cross Mountain's position at the apex of a swing of ridges. On the divide running northeast of Lizard Head, first is Peak 12, 634'. The ridge ends abruptly at Sunshine Mountain, 12,930'. Mount Sneffels resides in its own wilderness, image-left.

 

Descending on the thrilling ridge, you get a better sense of how skinny this important divide is. Notice the predominance of Mancos shale in the surrounding countryside. 

 

Don't miss the cairn signaling your safest exit from the ridge. We turned southeast in front of the white slide. We retraced our steps carefully on the bypass.

Aim for the gray rocky outcrop. As you come to the top of the knob there is a large cairn (circled) where you make the  90 degree turn to the northeast. Foot holds felt more generous on the descent. True to my friend's word, I actually had fun scooting down through the exposed testy rock to the lateral trail guiding back to the east ridge.

As we neared the trailhead, green flowed silently across the meadowlands, through the woods, and up onto the slopes of Sheep Mountain, 13,188'. 

 

List of Flowers: stemless evening primrose, mountain parsley, Solomon's seal, Jacob's ladder, strawberry, potentilla, dandelion, Geyer's onion, white peavine, buttercup, candytuft, Parry's primrose, globe flower, draba, heart leaf arnica, marsh marigold, purple violet, geranium, bluebell, myrtle blueberry, fairy candelabra, Indian paintbrush, orange sneezeweed, wallflower, alpine clover, western valerian, columbine, purple fringe, magenta paintbrush, old man of the mountain, alpine avens, smelowskia, Wyoming paintbrush, snow buttercup, moss campion, townsendia, alpine daisy, mountain sorrel, native honeysuckle, king's crown, gooseberry, Fendler's sandwort, elegant death camas, osha, Coulter's erigeron, whiplash daisy, elderberry, veronica, elephant head, edible valerian, and kittentail, displaying every possible shade of vibrant green. (THW, photo)