This hike is a fun one. Especially when you do it in the fall since you go through several aspen groves. I went about a week or so after peak foliage. But it was still just amazing to walk on these paths of gold.
To get to V Rock, head south on Hwy 84. You’ll go about 19 miles and then turn left onto Forest Service Road 663. This is a gravel road that pretty much any vehicle will have no problems with. The road ends at a parking area around 7.8 miles in and there’s two trailheads, one for Buckles Lake. And one for V-Rock. Plus, there is a vault toilet for those bathroom needs.
This hike goes all the way to the Leche Creek Trail. But most folks keep it shorter than that. Hiking to the ridge line that has incredible views of the valley to the west and mountains to the north and east.
The trail starts off passing through numerous aspen groves. It’s not long till you start the climb up. At about 500 feet of elevation gain, you get glimpses of Squaretop Mountain to the North. And after 1.4 miles in, you gain over 1,000 feet in elevation before you enter into the South San Juan Wilderness and crest over the lip of V Mountain to a grassy plateau. After about 2 miles in, you start to see some faint trails that lead to the edge of this ridge line. Most folks make this the end of their hike. Because of the incredible views in every direction. Below you can see Buckles Lake. And off in the distance, the Blanco River Basin.
But for those that want to continue, it’s another 1.7 miles to the trailhead junction with Leche Creek Trail. You’ll pass along grassy meadows that can get a little wet during early season and big rains. From here, you’ll descend through more spruce and fir forests with huge views as you come out of them where you’ll eventually run into Leche Creek.
What’s great about this trail is that it gives you so many options if you want to go even further. You could turn it into a point to point hike, connecting to Opal Lake or several others. It’s up to you on how long you want to make this one. And exactly what you want to see and to experience!
Overall, this was a fun one. It’s an out and back at 8.2 miles with an elevation gain around 1,500 feet. It takes about an average of four hours to complete. Depending of course on how long you want to stare at the amazing views.
The shorter option to only the ridge line is about 4.6 miles out and back. With an elevation gain of a little over 1,000 feet.
We sincerely hope you found this guide to be helpful. We have plenty of other trails to check out on our website along with other fun activities to do here in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Till next time, cheers!
