Wilson Peak Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Views · Wildlife

Due to steep grades, loose rock, and lots of scrambling, this is a terrible trail for running.

This peak can be accessed from several different trailheads. Do some research to determine which route best reaches your goals. This route to the summit may be short, but it takes a good bit of time due to the navigation and scrambling.

From the Rock of Ages Saddle (junction of this trail with Silver Pick Trail and Navajo Lake Trail at around 13,200 ft), head east up a Martian-looking rocky trail. The lower reaches of Wilson Peak are in front of you and to the left, but the summit isn't yet visible. If you approached from Rock of Ages, you probably had an excellent view of the entire peak.

After around 150 yards and a little gain up the trail, reach the saddle with 13er Gladstone Peak, to your right. Angle to the left around the bottom of the ridge created by the peak. You'll be on slanted rocks here, so be careful. As soon as you come around this corner, most of the route is visible. Hike along on vague trails with the occasional cairn. This is steep and loose, but consistent is fairly easy to follow, all the way to the false summit at 13,900 ft. You may opt to reach the ridge at around 13,600 ft and scramble up, or simply stay on the trail down low.

Once at the false summit, it's a short class 3 scramble to the top. Descend a mere 50 ft down the other side of the false summit, and begin the scrambling. Cross some fairly stable but exposed gray rock left of the ridge, and scramble back up to ridge proper. This section is a bit loose and very shaded, it will hold snow longer than the rest of the sunny path so keep that in mind. From here the terrain is a rocky class 2 to a flat and rocky summit at 14,023ft.

From the Wilson wolverine down in the basin to pika and marmots up high, there are some interesting critters up here.