The Lizard Head Peak Vista is a scenic overlook on the summit of 10,222-foot Lizard Head Pass in southwestern Colorado. The paved overlook on the north side of Colorado Highway 145 offers spectacular views of the San Juan Mountains and the San Miguel Range. Trout Lake nestles in a glaciated valley to the east with a row of jagged mountains, including 13,894-foot Vermilion Peak and 13,738-foot Pilot Knob, towering above, while rugged Sheep Mountain looms south of the pass. Lizard Head, a sharp 13,113-foot peak, rises above a ridge to the northwest. Lizard Head, Colorado’s 556th highest mountain, is a volcanic neck that rises 350 feet above the ridge and is reputedly Colorado’s most difficult summit to reach. The overlook, on a spur open-loop road, has plentiful parking, interpretative signs detailing the surrounding peaks and history, and accessible vault toilets. It’s also the trailhead for Lizard Head Trail.
Pro Tips
Colorado Highway 145 runs ten miles up the east side of Lizard Head Pass from Telluride. The highway is part of the 236-mile-long San Juan Scenic Skyway, a huge loop drive through the San Juan Mountains that is considered one of America’s best scenic drives. The highway section from Telluride yields great views of the Mount Sneffels massif as well as 14,017-foot Wilson Peak. Telluride Ski Area is accessed from the highway, as well as the historic mining town of Ophir and a 4×4 road over Ophir Pass.Trout Lake, surrounded by 13,000-foot peaks, is one of Colorado’s prettiest lakes. The lake, south of Colorado 145, is a natural lake that was enlarged to produce electricity for the Ophir mining area in the 1890s. While most of the lakeshore property is privately owned, the lake is open for fishing for rainbow, cutthroat, and brown trout. Wakeless boating is allowed. A 50,000-gallon water ank used by the Rio Grande Southern Railroad is by the lake’s southeast corner.Lots of fine hiking adventures begin near Lizard Head Pass. The Lizard Head Trail (#505), beginning at the overlook, is a popular 7.7-mile hike into Lizard Head Wilderness Area. Hope Lake Trail, starting south of Trout Lake, climbs 3.3 miles to a gorgeous alpine lake tucked in a cirque below 13,752-foot San Miguel Peak.If you’re a skilled mountaineer, you’ll want to climb Lizard Head. It was probably America’s hardest rock climb after its 1920 first ascent by Albert Ellingwood and Barton Hoag. Besides boasting a long and colorful history, the 5.7 route pioneered by Ellingwood has seen plenty of epics, leader falls, rock fall, bad protection, and jammed rappel ropes.Recommended season(s): Year-round.
—Stewart M. Green
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