Trail Update: 07/24/24: Trail cleared of downed trees
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Length: 3.8-miles (one-way) but see suggested 2.5-miles (one way) day hike to Geode Hill
V- Rock Trail # 578 Map(click here)
Elevation stats: Elevation Gain 641 ft ( Altitude 9,685 ft to 10,326 with 1,116 ft ascent and 483 ft descent)
Trailhead Facilities: Vault toilet
Short Trail Summary: This hike description is to junction with the Leche Creek Trail No. 576. The suggested day hike is a little shorter but offers better views.
This hike can be connected to various other trails for a point-to-point hike including the Opal Lake Trail No. 575, Leche Creek Trail No. 576 or Navajo Peaks Trail (west) or south No. 577.
Trail Description: The trail from the V Rock Trailhead is heavily used, very eroded in places and has multiple braids for the first mile or so as it climbs the ridge. The first 1.4 miles will gain just over 1,000-feet in elevation as it winds it way away from the cow grazing permit area to the South San Juan Wilderness boundary sign. Along the way there will be a number of arborglyphs on large aspen trees. These are carved names and dates of sheepherders from the 1920’s and 1930’s. Climb another 0.1 mile to the top of the ridge, with an expansive view of the mountains to the east. En route, the trees will band as various stands of spruce and aspen before cresting over the lip of V Mountain to an oversized grassy plateau. At the 2.3 miles mark , look for a large hill on your left. A faint trail going uphill should be visible. As a suggested day hike, making a detour up to Geode Hill, as it is locally named, provides superb views of the mountains and Blanco River Basin. The hill is so named because of the small geodes that can be found there and is an excellent place for lunch before returning to the trailhead. To continue further on the V Rock Trail, descend from Geode Hill and turn left. The trail then bends north onto the uppermost edge of the ridge before winding back on itself in oversized grassy meadows choked with marsh marigold, iris and harebells that can be wet in early season. The trail will wind around an unnamed knoll before descending through dying spruce/fir forest to the junction with Leche Creek Trail No. 575.
Directions: From US 160/US 84 junction, turn south onto US 84. Travel 19.7 miles and turn northeast onto Buckles Lake Road (FS 663), a gravel road. The road ends at 7.5-miles in a large parking area. The trail is straight ahead; the roadway to the left goes to Buckles Lake. Driving Directions Map (click here)
Length: 3.8-miles (one-way)
Trailhead Facilities: Vault toilet
Short Trail Summary: This hike description is to junction with the Leche Creek Trail No. 576.
This hike can be connected to various other trails for a point-to-point hike including the Opal Lake Trail No. 575, Leche Creek Trail No. 576 or Navajo Peaks Trail (west) or south No. 577.
A diverse hike beginning in the drier landscapes south of Pagosa Springs proper. The first mile and a half will gain just over 1,000-feet and elevation as it winds it way away from the cow grazing permit to the wilderness boundary. En route, the trees will band as various stands of aspen before cresting over the lip of the V Mountain to an oversized plateau than can be wet in early season.
Trail bends north onto the uppermost edge of the ridge before winding back on itself in oversized grassy meadows choked with marsh marigold, iris and harebells. The trail will wind around an unnamed knoll before descending through dying spruce/fir forest to the junction with Leche Creek Trail No. 575.
Directions: From US 160/US 84 junction, turn south onto US 84. Travel 19-miles and turn northeast onto Buckles Lake Road (FS 663), a gravel road. Road ends at 7.8-miles in a large trailhead with shared trail accesses.
We hiked up to Geode Hill and back. Lovely wildflowers and saw no other hikers. The views were stunning.
As of yesterday 14 June 2021, we have cleared the trail of all trees up to the summit and about a half mile beyond that point. Trail was mostly dry and no snow present.
Thanks for the work and update Sean!
Thanks for the correction, no problem. You might look at Trails Illustrated/National Geo maps as an alternative. Thats the source of the maps on this website and they are pretty popular. Rob Lambert
Yes Rob, the V-rock Trail actually ends where it meets the Leche Creek Trail. At that point there is just an old wooden post planted in the ground there missing its trail sign ( that was probably once there). If you go right, or South at this juncture, the Leche Creek trail continues southward to where it eventually meets the Navajo Peak trail. If you go left, or North at this same juncture,the Leche Creek trail continues northward until it reaches a fork about 1.3 miles later — the right fork is the Fish Creek Trail, and the left fork is the same Leche Creek trail continuing on northward. So the tree blowdown that we encountered on 7/8 /20 was on the Leche Creek Trail —- but south of this same Fish Creek Trail juncture by about a quarter of a mile.
Again, the V-rock Trail #578 is clear from Buckles Lake parking area until its termination at the Leche Creek trail which runs both north and south from this juncture.
At some point I will ride south from the Leche Creek Trailhead proper … past the juncture with the Fish Creek Trail… and ride until I reach this same blowdown, but this time coming from the other direction.
I do appreciate all of the valuable info listed on this site. You are doing a great job, and provide a great service..
Thanks again,
TD
July 8,2020: We started at Buckles Lake Parking Area… riding our 2 horses along the V-Rock Trail #578. Trail had been cleared of fallen trees for the most part, and we were able to ride around and the very few blocked parts of the trail. Lots of green meadows, flowers, loads of butterflies, nice views, and a timely breeze. We passed the junction of Leche Creek Trail, and merging ,we continued along that trail in good time.
However a little over a mile later we ran into several downed trees and then a full tilt blow down of many trees —- definitely looked like something very recent. I would say this area was within a quarter mile of the Fish Creek Trail junction. In any case a bit too much to navigate around with horses, so we turned around and enjoyed a pleasant ride back to Buckles. Hikers could scramble and probably find a way through, I think.
My kudos and admiration for all of the trail crews who work so hard to keep the trails open. It is tiring, unrelenting and endless work. I imagine it is so hard to keep up with all of the fallen down trees, especially all of the diseased spruce.
We will continue to ride and post our comments here and we hope they are useful.
Thanks again,
TD
Ted, thanks so much for your update… please keep them coming. It is so random where blow-downs happen… and too many miles for us to keep track unless folks report in. Thanks again.
Perhaps I was unclear in my comment of yesterday 7/8/20. The V-rock trail is clear all the way from the Buckles Lake parking area 4.0 miles to where it ends — at the junction of the Leche Creek Trail. On our ride we then continued north on the Leche Creek Trail and about a mile later we ran into the big blowdown of impassable trees. My guess is this was about 1/4 of a mile or so from where the Fish Creek Trail comes into a junction with the Leche Creek Trail.
I am using Natural Atlas as my topo/trail map, and it states that the Fish Creek Trail junction was 1.3 miles up the Leche Creek Trail, measured from from the end of the V-rock Trail. I would not want to give the impression that there is any blockage on the V-rock Trail. Maybe my comments would have been better placed under the section for Leche Creek Trail.
Thanks,
TD