Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 37.88990°N / 107.7561°W
Additional Information County: San Juan & San Miguel
Activities Activities: Scrambling
Seasons Season: Summer
Additional Information Elevation: 13481 ft / 4109 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

    
    Three Needles from La Junta Peak

     At 13,481', Three Needles is the 266th highest peak in the state of Colorado. It is among thirteen other 13ers in the quad, the most notorious being Dallas Peak. Visits to any of these summits are rare in comparison to the traffic seen on nearby Mount Sneffels. This is a special area, however, to those who know it, and Three Needles is one of its finest. Three Needles was a favorite of the San Juan Mountaineers (ca. 1920s) for its rock route possibilities. There are several relatively simple routes to the top as well, but the peak has an imposing appearance that makes a reasonable ascent seem unlikely.

With convenient access from highway 550, it is surprising the peak gets as little attention as it does. The most convenient ascent follows the East Face up to the south ridge just shy of the summit and finishes with a fun but brief scrambling section. The peak combines well with other 13er objectives to the north, making for a semi-loop hike by dropping off the ridge to the east to return to a parked vehicle whenever desired.

Scenery/Setting



Three Needles reflecting on the surface of Porphyry Lake



"T 11" seen to the southwest of Three Needles



View to the west with sun hitting the Needles



Early morning reflection on the very still Porphyry Lake

Access and Camping

Ouray or Silverton make excellent access points for Ophir Pass, less than 20 miles from either town. My preference is the KOA just north of Ouray, but many options exist for primitive camping without fees in the area.

Ouray info: ouraycolorado.com

Telluride info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telluride,_Colorado

Ridgway info: ridgwaycolorado.com

Parks and Camping:
Ouray Area Parks and Camping

Telluride Area Parks and Camping

Weather and Conditions:
Current Conditions and Forecast

The San Juan Range in general and particularly the Ouray/Silverton area melts out late.
Current Snowpack


Sunrise over Prophyry Basin

External Links

Three Needles Statistical information: listsofjohn.com - Three Needles

Children

Children

Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.