Classic Fall Hikes: Sneffels Highline Trail
by Erik Dalton
The Telluride valley is surrounded by some great hikes, but none can compete with the few that take you up into the high country of our surrounding San Juan Mountains. The Sneffels Highline Trail is one of these classics that can be completed as a loop right from town, and leads the hiker up through the pines and aspens into incredible high alpine basins and to some of the best views around.
The Sneffels Highline Trail is a 13 mile hiking loop that starts and ends in the town of Telluride, and can be accessed via the Jud Wiebe Trail at the top of Aspen Street. The trail first loops through National Forest land on the north side of town as it climbs its way up towards Pack Basin, eventually topping out just below Mount Emma at 12,200 ft. in the Sneffels Wilderness Area. Although the climb up from town is steep, the trail is in great condition and the effort is well rewarded along the way with incredible views down into Mill Creek Basin and back towards the ski area. The hiker gets the sense of traveling back through time as old mining cabins and the remnants of mines and equipment can be seen scattered along the landscape.






