wildernet

Sopris Ranger District

Quick Facts

Raspberry Creek Loop Trail

Beginning Elevation:	8,200 Feet (2556.1 Meters)
Difficulty:	Difficult
Elevation Gain:	3,100 Feet (966.3 Meters) at highest
Ending Elevation:	8,200 Feet (2556.1 Meters) 11,300 ft. at highest
Length:	9.0 Miles (15.0 Kilometers) 14.4 km
Other Maps:	Trails Illustrated 128 Maroon Bells, Redstone, Marble
Pets:	Yes - Leashed
Trail Number:	1968
Usage:	Light
USGS Maps:	Marble

		Satellite and Topo Map

General Description

This lightly used trail offers beautiful scenery as well as solitude. The loop over Anthracite Pass is arduous, but scenic. This trail is very difficult to find in spots, so bring a topo map and compass.

Directions from Carbondale: Travel south on Hwy. 133 25 miles past Carbondale. Turn left on County road 3 and continue 7 miles to Marble. Parking is available at the old Marble Mill. Hike up the Marble Quarry road 1/2 mile to the trailhead. Upon reaching the trailhead, hike south approximately 1 mile to the fork in the trail. Take the right fork to Raspberry Creek Trail and return from Anthracite Pass on the other trail.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible: June through September (NOTE: Snow at high elevations may prevent access to this trail in Late Early June and Late September.) .

		Current Conditions & Trip Reports
		Add your own trip Report! Newly re-released feature. One of the most popular features on Wildernet, trip reports allow you to share your experiences with others. This is an invaluable resource for determining what to expect on your outdoor adventure, so please participate! To prevent spamming, you must be a registered user of Wildernet in order to submit a trip report Time of Day: Morning/Afternoon Length of Time: 6 Hours Difficulty: Hard Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: This was a very tough and strenuous hike. In the Raspberry Creek drainage the trail disappears in the meadows and is hard to find. Bring a map. The trail is very steep getting to the ridge but the views are fantastic. There was lots of snow left near the top and there was no trail on the downside because of the snow cover. Just headed down the drainage for 1,000 feet until I luckily picked up the trail again. Conditions: Lots of snow above 10,000 feet. Many fallen trees across the trail. Saw no other people and no other tracks left in the snow from other people. Water Availability: Plenty of steams and runoff all along the way Recommended Clothing: I went in shorts and t-shirt and sweated most of the way up. Suggested Accessories: Bring a map and know how to use it. The avalances erode the trail and it disappears completely in the meadows. Time of Day: over three dyas Length of Time: three days, two nights Difficulty: Hard Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: This hike is beautiful, and very isolated. However, it is HARD. I backpack fairly frequently, and run on a regular basis... however, my legs still hurt enought that I struggle going down a staircase and it's been 2 days! Also, after the ascent, the trail was VERY hard to find (we had a GPS and a topo map). We ended up on a dangerously steep downhill slope to get to some lakes in the valley... Conditions: little rain Water Availability: difficult the way we did it. Raspberry creek was covered by this year's avalanche until up farther than we expected and the only flat spot for camping was quite hard to access. The next night we camped at beautiful lakes in the valley, but risked our lives (exaggeration...) to get to them. Recommended Clothing: The usual for colorado. Rain gear, layers. Suggested Accessories: TREKKING POLES Difficulty: Hard Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Neutral Report: I ran into snow in the Raspberry Creek Drainage at approximately 11,000 feet on 6/25. That made the hike more difficult. I didn't complete the loop. Instead I took an unmaintained trail from the Marble Peak ridge to Anthracite pass. Bring a map and enjoy the views!

Recreation Opportunities

Activity		Remarks	On Site
	Backpacking	Raspberry Creek Loop Trail	Yes
	Hiking & Walking	Raspberry Creek Loop Trail	Yes
	Horseback Riding	Raspberry Creek Loop Trail	Yes