Anderson Trail No. 579

Trail Update as of 07/05/23: Trail is cleared 100% 

Anderson Trail Map

Length:       Total trail to Four Mile Lake: 7.5-miles (one-way).

Recommended hike: 10.0 miles (turn around at saddle at mile 5,  return to trailhead).

Elevation Stats:  Total trail: Elevation gain 1,750′ (9050′ to 10,800′ with 2,186′ ascent and 436′ descent) .

Recommended hike:  2,186 ft altitude gain.

Trailhead Facilities: Vault Toilet and Horse Trailer Parking Lot

Short Trail Summary: This hike description is to the junction with Fourmile Trail No. 569. A loop can by returning down the Fourmile trail for a total distance of 13.4 Miles.

The Anderson Trail begins on your left 10′ before the sign for the Fourmile Falls Trail.  From the Trailhead, Anderson Trail climbs up out of the Fourmile Creek drainage and travels near the base of the impressive east southeast face of Pagosa Peak before turning north. Here, the trail is above tree line and exposed with rocky under footing. The trail switchbacks steeply up the east shoulder of the mountain before dropping down into the upper Falls Creek drainage and continuing to Fourmile Lake and further to the junction with Fourmile Trail.

Directions:  From US 160 in downtown Pagosa Springs, turn north onto Lewis Street and take an immediate left onto 5th Street. Stay right on Fourmile Road (CR 400) which will then turn into FS 645. Drive north 8.4-miles before turning right at a signed junction. Continue 4.6-miles to a shared trailhead with the Anderson Trail.  The first parking lot you encounter is for horses, continue on up the road a short distance for the main lot for hikers

Interactive Map to Trailhead

 

12 thoughts on “Anderson Trail No. 579

  1. Enjoyed the trail on 7/3-7/4. CCC was coming from 4 Mile clearing. Trail is 100% free of downed trees and snow as far as The Shoulder (~5 miles). Impressive vista at 1 mile mark and breathtaking Aspen groves.

  2. Hiked up to the 5 Mi. shoulder (11.5K) on 6/16. After the cleared 2.0 Mi. point there are about 30 trees across the trail and many snowdrifts to negotiate. Still, all are passible. Once in the cirque and above it’s a pretty clear path up to the shoulder. Lots of steep show past the shoulder. It may be weeks before it’s passible (except to those that like lots of posthole hiking.)

  3. Hiked the trail to the Four Mile Lake and slightly beyond. Trail connecting to Four Mile Falls hike was not visible. Turned around at mile 7.5 and returned home. Trees were cleared but rainfall has allowed some parts of the trail to be overgrown.

  4. I backpacked from the trailhead to Upper 4 Mile Lake, 9 miles. The trail is clear until just below Lower 4 Mile lake, there are 18 downed trees between this point and Upper 4 Mile. 7.8.21

  5. On June 12th, a San Juan Back Country Horsemen trail clearing crew opened this trail from the trailhead uphill to about mile point 2.5, cutting out 27 trees. A report a few days later said that approximately 20 more trees are down across the trail from mile point 2 uphill another 1.5 miles to the creek crossing. Southwester Conservation Corp Crew 409 is planned to start clearing work on Anderson Trail the week of June 21st, clearing up to Four Mile Lake, the Continental Divide, and then likely down Turkey Creek.

  6. Tons of switchbacks! But the trail was in great shape. Only three down trees between trailhead and the saddle east of Pagosa peak. Saw a family of four marmots in a large meadow.

  7. On Sunday, May 24, a San Juan Back Country Horsemen crew cleared the trail from the trailhead to about mile point 3, where we started to run into patches of snow. Several groups of hikers coming down from about mile point 5 report snow banks up higher and only a few more trees (~5 ) from there to the top of the switchbacks at about mile point 5.

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