OverviewWest Needle Mountain is tucked away at the southern end of the San Juan sub-range called the West Needle Mountains. It is rarely climbed, but offers fantastic views and superb isolation in a rugged setting. The scrambling is good, and the rock is decent.
ApproachFrom the Andrews Lake trailhead, follow the Crater Lake trail. Follow the trail to Crater Lake for about 5.5 miles. There is good camping here, but you can go further and get a closer start. From here head 0.2 mile SE to a pass at 11,740 ft, where a view of the Needle Mountains awaits you. Now descend a couple hundred feet and contour SW around the 11,500-foot level for 0.75 mile to either some trees and a flat area at about 11,500 feet, or a small, unnamed lake at 11,740 feet. There is good camping here, and you are unlikely to see anyone.Red TapeWest Needle Mountain is within the Weminuche Wilderness and the San Juan National Forest.
CampingThere is great camping at Crater Lake, and at the locations described in the Approach.
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San Juan Range
