Dolores Peak + Middle Peak (San Miguel Mountains, CO)¶

At a glance — recommended day

6.4 mi · 3,921 ft gain · Class 2 · 2 peaks · ~7.5 h drive

Researched: 2026-05-13

NOAA weather link: Dolores Peak + Middle Peak (San Miguel Mountains, CO) Weather

CalTopo research map: https://caltopo.com/m/R1KSN0U

CalTopo research map (with all GPX layered): https://caltopo.com/m/R1KSN0U

Status in your sheet: Both 0 ascents (unclimbed). Same drainage divide as Mt. Wilson group, but a separate cluster.

Overview map

Note: the recommended route was distilled from 7 recorded GPS tracks of real trips (14ers.com · ListsofJohn · peakbagger) — all layered on the interactive CalTopo research map.

Other climbers: Emily Sharpe — not yet · Shawn D Keil — ✓ all

Peaks covered¶

The standard pair — Dolores + Middle from the Fish Creek TH — is the recommended day: both ranked 13ers, Class 2, the ranked-peak optimum from this TH. Up from TH, into upper basin to Middle/Dolores saddle, hit Dolores first (right/SE from saddle), back to saddle, then Middle (left/NW from saddle). Return same route. ~6 hr moving. (Adding Boskoff for a 3-ranked-13er day, linking the Wilson group, or tacking on Dunn are all analyzed in Other considerations.)

	Dolores Peak	Middle Peak	Dunn Peak (bonus)
Elevation (LiDAR)	13,289'	13,305'	12,612'
Prominence	730'	1,960'	unranked
Lat / Lon	37.84056, −108.09621	37.85368, −108.10804	37.84639, −108.12561
Weather (Dolores Pk)	NOAA forecast — same target on all 3 sites; one link covers the whole cluster
Class (standard)	2	2 (with exposure, false summit)	2
Range	San Miguel Mountains	San Miguel Mountains	San Miguel Mountains
Wilderness	Lizard Head	Lizard Head	Lizard Head
County	Dolores / San Miguel	Dolores / San Miguel	Dolores / San Miguel
LoJ name in your sheet	`Dolores Pk`	`Middle Pk` (also `"Middle Point"`)	not on your list

Coordinates above are LiDAR-authoritative from the public CalTopo map "Fish Creek - Dolores & Middle Peaks" (CVV0). Wikipedia lists Dolores at 13,296 ft; the LiDAR value 13,289 is more current. Note Middle is ~16 ft higher and far more prominent (1,960' vs 730').

Route options (ranked)¶

A. Standard out-and-back from Fish Creek TH — Dolores + Middle (best default)¶

8.49 mi RT, 3,896' gain, Class 2, ~6 hr. Source: Wild Wanderer, 9/19/2023.

Sequence: 1. From dispersed camping/parking, head north across Fish Creek. Cairn marks the crossing. Stay right of the creek on the faint game trail (1.3 mi to the climb start). 2. Ascend ridge NE to treeline, avoid waterfall/gorge. 3. Upper basin: stay LOW on grass instead of going high on talus. The high talus route is Class 2+ and "would not recommend." 4. Wind NE through rocky basin (stay left of creek) to the Middle/Dolores saddle. 5. Dolores first: from saddle, turn right (SE) up the ridge. Game trails through rock, Class 2. 6. Return to saddle, continue NW to Middle. Class 2 on talus/scree, expect crumbly rock with exposure, and a false summit — true summit is further northwest. 7. Descend by retracing — follow drainage down (right of waterfall), cross Fish Creek at the cairn, back to TH.

B. Counterclockwise loop variant (more interesting terrain, optional Dunn add-on)¶

~8.7 mi, 4,500' gain. Class 2 baseline; Middle Peak's west ridge is Class 3+ if you take it. Source: Earthline, 10/1/2015.

Same first half as A. After Middle, take the west ridge for more scrambling, descending toward the Dunn area and looping back to Fish Creek. Dunn Peak (12,612', unranked) is right there — bag it if you want the extra elevation, skip it if you'd rather conserve energy.

Class 3+ section on Middle's west ridge (if you take it for the scrambling): - Narrow ridge "razor sharp, only one foot wide in places" - Serrations descend straight down center - Upper descent section is "very steep and rubbly, perhaps ten feet wide" - One spot has "a fin with a 20 foot drop" (possible Class 4 bypass)

If you don't want this exposure, descend Middle to the south side of the Middle/Dunn saddle on talus instead — Class 2.

C. West-side talus from Dolores County Road 52 hairpin (cautionary)¶

9.54 mi RT, 4,690' gain. Source: 14ers.com TR 19949 (Nov 2019). Author explicitly disabled GPX as a warning. They went up Dolores's SW slopes and call it "incredibly dangerous" — 40-45° loose scree, ice axe + microspikes terrain. Don't go this way. They recommend the talus field WEST of Fish Creek instead (which is essentially route A but via a different entry).

Consider this a "what to avoid" data point.

D. Telluride Mountain Club's loop variant¶

TMC describes a Middle Peak loop from the same parking spot with Class 4 scrambling on the ridge to Middle Peak. Off-trail, route-finding required. Lower stat detail. Probably the "go up the west ridge spine direct" version of route B. Worth a look if you want maximum scrambling.

Getting there — Fish Creek TH¶

Location: 37.82419, −108.11985
Drive from Boulder: 7h 30m via Google Maps (359 mi, origin: 1162 Peakview Circle)
Elevation: ~10,250'
Vehicle: 2WD dirt road, 5 miles from Dunton, CO. Your high-clearance vehicle is overkill — anything will make it. (TR notes "4WD option to park 50 yards further" but unnecessary.)
Parking: Dispersed camping area. Plenty of room. No fees.
Restrooms / water: None at TH. Fish Creek runs through the area but treat.
Approach driving: From Dunton, follow the dirt road north 5 mi. The CVV0 map has a "Dunton Road Turnoff" waypoint at 37.77197, −108.99 if you need a routing reference (note: well south of the TH — that's an early junction, not the parking).
Camping: Dispersed camping at the TH itself. Dunton has paid options if you want a hot springs night.

Permits / access:

Lizard Head Wilderness, San Juan National Forest — no permits required, no fees.
Standard wilderness regs: pack out everything, no motorized, group size ≤ 15, camp ≥ 100' from water.
Road status: Verify Dunton Rd / Forest Road conditions in spring/late fall via San Juan NF road conditions.

Gear & season¶

Best window: July through early October (per most sources). Snow lingers in upper basin into June.
Dunton dirt road: Closes in winter once snow stays. Verify before any shoulder-season trip.
Water: Fish Creek + tributaries on the way up. Treat. None high above the basin.
Snow: Northern and east aspects can hold snow patches into July. Earthline noted snow at the saddles even in June.
Cold mornings: Wild Wanderer report (mid-Sept) mentions ground frost.
Hazards: Exposed ridge on Middle Peak with crumbly rock; Class 3+/4 sections on Middle's west ridge; cliffs and waterfalls in eastern Fish Creek drainage (don't drift east on descent).

Other considerations¶

Realistic combinations from the Fish Creek TH (37.82419, −108.11985). Only ranked 13ers count as link-ups for you; sub-13ers and unranked summits are noted but not recommended.

Dolores + Middle + Boskoff Peak (the only 3-ranked-13er option in this cluster)¶

Boskoff Peak: 13,134' LiDAR, 37.855305, −108.031375 — sits ~7 km east of Middle on the long ridge running from Wilson Peak westward. PeakVisor lists Mt. Wilson as parent, so it's not a "next door" peak to Middle/Dolores; it's a real ridge run away.

Option A — Single push (long day, novel traverse). A 3,312-pt track in Kyle's School Bus map (imported, source unknown) shows it's been done as a ~19.9-mi loop bagging all 4 cluster peaks from a north-side TH at 37.8867, −108.0547. Skipping Dunn shaves ~0.2 mi + 600' off that. - ~19 mi, ~5,000–5,500' gain (one valley-floor ascent; rest is ridge undulations) - Class 2 baseline + Middle's W-ridge Class 3+ if taken; Middle→Boskoff connector ridge is the unknown — climb13ers.com says about the 3-peak cluster: "it is possible to climb all three in one day but the effort is arduous and the ridge has sustained exposure." Plan for Class 3+ exposure. - North TH access road not yet confirmed — likely FSR 611 from Beaver Park / Lone Cone area (per Robert Ormes' Dunn Peak description), but verify before driving out.

Option B — Two days, two trailheads (clean, recommended). - Day 1: Fish Creek TH → Dolores + Middle (8.49 mi, 3,896' gain, Class 2, ~6 hr) - Drive: Fish Creek → CO 145 → Fall Creek Rd / FSR 618 → Woods Lake. ~1.5–2 hr. - Day 2: Woods Lake TH → Boskoff (9.4 mi, 3,800' gain, Class 2+, 6–8 hr) — up Woods Lake Trail to Elk Creek Trail jct (3.3 mi), then SW ridge of Boskoff. One Class 2+ crux at 12,360' on loose rock. - Total: 17.89 mi, 7,696' gain. Standard routes both days, no novel traverse beta needed.

	Option A (single push)	Option B (two day)
Distance	~19 mi	~17.9 mi
Gain	~5–5.5K'	7.7K'
Days	1	2
Trailheads	1 (north TH, unconfirmed road)	2 (Fish Creek + Woods Lake)
Exposure	Middle W-ridge + Middle→Boskoff connector	Standard routes only
Best start	Counter-clockwise: Boskoff first (easy walk-up), Middle ridge in the middle with energy, easy descent off Dolores	Day 1 at Fish Creek for D+M; Boskoff Day 2 (mostly tundra walk) on tired legs

Recommendation: Option B unless you specifically want the single-push challenge. Negligible mileage difference, no novel traverse beta required, and the gain spreads across two days.

Open questions if pursuing Option A: (1) exact road accessing 37.8867, −108.0547, (2) class rating on the Middle→Boskoff connector ridge.

Linking with Wilson Group¶

Not realistic in the same trip — Mt. Wilson / El Diente / Wilson Peak / Gladstone are on the OTHER side of Lizard Head Wilderness (Kilpacker TH or Rock of Ages). Your existing CalTopo data shows Wilson group markers and tracks (verify against sheet — likely already climbed).

Bonus elevation only (not ranked, won't count for you)¶

Dunn Peak (12,612', unranked). Sits right next to Middle/Dolores and adds maybe 0.2 mi + 600' gain to a Fish Creek day. The Earthline 2015 loop bagged it as a casual add-on. Skip unless you want the workout — doesn't move the needle on any list.

Recent trip reports¶

Date	Source	Stats	Notes
9/19/2023	Wild Wanderer	8.49 mi, 3896' gain, 6 hr	Best beta. Dolores → Middle. "Stay LOW in upper basin."
9/16/2023	14ers.com TR 22348	8.49 mi, 3896', Class 2	Same trip pattern as Wild Wanderer. Frost AM. False summit on Middle.
11/3/2019	14ers.com TR 19949	9.54 mi, 4690'	WARNING route. SW slopes of Dolores = "incredibly dangerous." GPX disabled.
10/1/2015	Earthline (van Winegarden)	8.7 mi, 4500'	Trifecta loop adding Dunn. Class 3+ Middle west ridge described.
	Telluride Mountain Club	not stated	Loop variant with Class 4 scrambling option.
10/12/2020	14ers.com TR 20798	not yet read	Worth scanning.

GPX & sources (all 3 swept + deduped)¶

The CalTopo research map now layers real recorded GPX from all three sources (the old hand-drawn CalTopo lines were replaced):

14ers.com — recorded ascent tracks (Dolores peakid 10470 / Middle 10460); the cleanest is a 6.4-mi Dolores + Middle out-and-back from Fish Creek TH (green).
listsofjohn.com — 4 member trip-report tracks (peak 508 + 489) (red).
peakbagger.com — 2 ascent GPS tracks (Dolores pid 5818 / Middle pid 14675) (blue).

All 7 swept tracks summit both peaks and start within ~0.6 mi of the Fish Creek TH — the bold magenta recommended route (~5.8 mi, composed off these tracks; trip reports run 6.4–8.5 mi) is DEM-measured. Avoid the Dolores SW slopes (14ers TR 19949 author disabled the GPX as a warning — "incredibly dangerous").

Sources checked: 14ers.com ✓ (logged in) · listsofjohn.com ✓ · peakbagger.com ✓ — all 3 swept for GPX (replacing the old hand-drawn CalTopo lines).