TBT: Hiking Dillon Pinnacles Trail
(Last Updated On: August 10, 2017)
This post is part of a Throwback Thursday series featuring trip reports that we haven’t had a chance to write about until now! Look for them at least every other Thursday!
The Dillon Pinnacles are an obvious and beautiful feature that you pass by when you travel along the Blue Mesa Reservoir on Highway 50. I’ve been awestruck by their sheer beauty for years, and have wanted to hike the trail that leads up to them for quite some time. But, I never actually got around to it until last May.
There is an obvious trailhead that starts on the north shore of the Blue Mesa Reservoir, near the bridge that crosses over to the south side. From there, it’s easy to find the trail as it follows along the reservoir to the north.
With the blue reservoir, the green spring foliage, and the sheer pinnacles behind, the hike was beautiful.
Plenty of paintbrush along the way too.
The trail goes up to a mesa below the Dillon Pinnacles, and then follows alongside them for quite some time, with magnificent views of the Blue Mesa Reservoir below.
The trail offers some closer views of the Dillon Pinnacles as well.
The trail ends at a small loop on the mesa.
The Dillon Pinnacles trail is a fairly easy hike that offers great views of the Blue Mesa Reservoir and the beautiful geological formation that bears its name. I’d highly recommend this trail to anyone!
What to know before you go
Dillon Pinnacles Trail is done as an out-and-back and is about 4 miles round trip. The elevation gain is small and relatively gradual, at 650 vertical feet. The best time to hike this trail is in May or September or October. But, Dillon Pinnacles can also easily be accessed in the summer – just hike early or on a cooler day to avoid hot desert temperatures.
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