Music Pass Trail

Visit a picturesque lake in the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve.

Plan Around Music Pass Trail

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Music Pass Trail Details

The Music Pass Trail takes hikers up through an expansive, high alpine valley to a picturesque lake. Note that, to get up Music Pass, you'll have to have a 4WD vehicle in order to make it up to the Music Pass trailhead. To get to the trailhead, head out of the park to Westcliffe, which is a funky little Colorado town. Drive south on Highway 69 and turn right onto County Road 119. You'll continue to drive due south on the county road for around 5 or 6 miles. At the junction, turn left onto the gravel road to continue following County Road 119 for another five miles or so. You'll enter the National Forest here and the begin the 1.5-mile, four-wheel drive portion of the road. The trailhead for Music Pass is located at the end of the road. Anglers, bring your fly rod for fishing in the stream and at the lakes at the beginning and end of the trail. There are plenty of trout that call this area home. Climb through the woods for about a half mile before emerging into a more exposed area before the summit.

Difficulty

Moderate

Distance

5.6 miles

Estimated time

3 hours

Region

N/A

Nearby Parks Around Music Pass Trail

Compare nearby parks around Music Pass Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.

13.3 mi away

Great Sand Dunes

National Park · CO

127.0 mi away

Black Canyon

National Park · CO

164.9 mi away

Mesa Verde

National Park · CO

168.7 mi away

Rocky Mountain

National Park · CO

229.2 mi away

Arches

National Park · UT

238.2 mi away

Canyonlands

National Park · UT

Nearby Points of Interest Around Music Pass Trail

Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Music Pass Trail while the map context is still fresh.

0.0 mi away

Lower Sand Creek Lake Trail

A trail to a high alpine lake beneath the summit of Tijeras Peak.

0.0 mi away

Music Pass Trailhead

The trailhead for Music Pass is a 2.5-hour drive from the park visitor center.

0.0 mi away

Upper Sand Creek Lake Trail

A .7 mile hike from Lower Sand Creek Lake.

1.1 mi away

Music Pass

A high alpine valley with incredible views of the surrounding mountains.

3.8 mi away

Milwaukee Peak

A non-technical but strenuous hike can take you to the summit of Milwaukee Peak, a short distance away from the Sand Creek Lakes.