Junction West Vallecito Resort

About

Junction West Vallecito Resort serves as a base for hiking the Vallecito Creek Trail in the San Juan National Forest, near Bayfield, Colorado. The resort is a full-service campground with RV sites, cabins, and amenities. The primary hiking route, Vallecito Creek Trail, begins at the campground and traverses north through the Weminuche Wilderness toward Hunchback Pass on the Continental Divide Trail. The trail starts flat and easy, meandering along the creek for the first 0.6 miles. It then climbs through a canyon of ponderosa pine, aspen, and conifers. Hikers cross Taylor Creek, Vallecito Creek (via a bridge around 3 miles in), and Second Creek (via a bridge around 5.5 miles in). A third bridge over Vallecito Creek, located around 7 miles in, was destroyed by an avalanche in 2004-2005 and has not been replaced, requiring a ford of the creek. The ford can be challenging and is dangerous during spring runoff from mid-May through mid-June. The trail continues for approximately 19.5 miles one-way to Hunchback Pass at 12,490 feet. The starting elevation is 7,900 feet. Parking is available at the campground. The area is pet-friendly.