Dillon Pinnacles

Nearly two days in to my Colorado Rockies vacation and I had yet to complete a respectable hike. That changed with my trip down the Dillon Pinnacles trail in Curecanti National Recreation Area. At four miles and without much elevation gain, it was a relatively easy hike.

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The trail started from a small parking area just before US-50 crossed a long bridge to the south shore of the Blue Mesa Reservoir. At the beginning, it followed the gentle contours of the lake before entering a small gulch where it gained most of it's elevation. The last part of the trail was a small loop directly in front of the namesake Dillon Pinnacles, which looked quite amazing in the early evening sun.

About halfway, the trail dipped into this gulch and proceeded to climb a couple hundred feet up the hillside until it was right under the Pinnacles.



I took this picture from the near the very end of the trail, where the trail came closest to the the pinnacles.



Heading out, the trail pointed toward the namesake pinnacles. On the way back, it treated me to sun-bathed views of Blue Mesa Reservoir and the surrounding landscape. The start of the Lake City Cut-Off, my route from the park, climbs on the opposite shore of the lake.



The part of the trail closest to the parking area hugged the edge of reservoir, which is Colorado's largest lake.


All that hiking and it turns out the best views came along side the main highway. The end of Pinnacles trail is on the prominent hill between the Pinnacles and the reservoir in the in middle of the picture.


Trip Statistics
Length: 3.9 miles
Time: 1 hours 31 minutes
Elevation Change: 356 feet
Max. Elevation: 7,870 feet