Siegal Mountain in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado sits at an elevation of 13,281 ft. It’s not a popular hike but should be on your hiking bucket list. It’s a very short hike to a high-altitude peak but what makes this truly worthwhile is the vibrant turquoise lake no one knows is there.
HIKE TO: Siegal Mountain and unknown lake
TRAILHEAD: across from Denver Lake off Engineer Pass Road
MILES: 3.22 miles
TIME: 2.5-3 hrs
DATE I WENT: 9/4/22
DIFFICULTY: moderate
ELEVATION GAIN: 1,318 ft
ELEVATION: 13,281 ft
HIKE PERMIT: no
PARKING: free
LOCATION: San Juan Mountains, Colorado
The San Juan Mountains of Western Colorado Rockies are known to be one of the most colorful mountain ranges in the US. The rugged mountains are full of red and orange minerals and there are no shortages of vibrant, turquoise blue lakes.
Siegal Mountain may be one of the most underrated hikes near Silverton/ Animas Forks Colorado.
Everyone visiting the San Juans knows of Ice Lake, Island Lake, Blue Lakes, and now Columbine Lake. But I bet you haven’t heard of this one. This unnamed blue lake sits at the mouth of Horseshoe Creek just below Siegal Mountain and Denver Pass.
The challenge, however, is accessing the trailhead. You need a high clearance 4wd to make it here. We had a regular-clearance AWD SUV and honestly, it was a very sketchy drive but we somehow made it to the trailhead. Whether or not you want to chance it… I’ll leave that up to you.
Hiking Siegal Mountain
The hike starts from a trailhead near Lucky Jack Mine and Denver Lake at 12,057 ft. It’s along the same road as Engineer Pass Road but you will need a high clearance 4wd to access Engineer Pass beyond this trailhead. There is a marker but no official trailhead signs.
The trail is fully exposed to the sun and follows a faint dirt path up. While it’s not always totally obvious, it’s obvious enough.
The hike is only 1.53 miles to reach the summit of Siegal Mountain with 1,318 ft elevation gain. You will hike up to Denver Pass (12,908 ft) first before you head left towards the summit. You do not pass the alpine lake on the way up to the peak but you will see it in the near distance for the hike down.
From the summit of this Colorado 13er, you see views of Wildhorse Peak and many others in the Uncompahgre Wilderness.
From here, instead of hiking straight back down Denver Pass, continue straight all the way down to the lake.
Enjoy some time at the lake and don’t forget a quick-drying towel if you plan to go for a swim! Once you are ready to head back, you will find a trail near the outlet of the lake that wraps around the mountain so you don’t need to head back up. This trail connects to the hike in, before the switchbacks.
We didn’t see any one else on this hike and the lake on our early September trip. September is my favorite time to visit the San Juan Mountains because day time temps are warm, the crowds are less, and the weather is more stable with less chances of rain and bugs.
You can also hike here from Engineer Pass-Siegal Mountain trailhead.
Click here to download GPX track.
San Juan Mountain Hikes
Things to do nearby
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