Trip Planning for Backpackers

Season of Use: Chicago Basin is situated at 11,200' elevation (timberline is 11,800'), and is snow-free from late June to mid September most years. The peak period of visitation is July 4^th through Labor Day Weekend. During this period it is not unusual for 50 or more people to be dropped off at Needleton on a single day, and for 75-150 people to be camping in the Basin at any one time.

Weather: The San Juan Mountains have a summer monsoon season that generally begins in July and lasts until late August or early September. Afternoon thunderstorms are almost a daily occurrence in the mountains during this period. At times, it can rain continuously for days. Check the long-term weather forecast before you leave. The closest town is Silverton, which is at 9,300'. Chicago Basin is about 10 degrees cooler than Silverton, and more likely to receive precipitation.

Altitude: Visitors from lower elevations often underestimate the effects of altitude on their health and physical abilities. It is not uncommon for trips into Chicago Basin to be shortened due to lack of acclimatization to thinner air. One thing many people don’t understand is that physical fitness affords no protection against altitude sickness. Visitors to Chicago Basin are urged to become familiar with the symptoms of altitude sickness, as well as its prevention and treatment, prior to their visit. See the Links section for more information.

Maps and Guidebooks: For hiking to and around Chicago Basin, it is highly recommended that you obtain the 7.5-minute USGS topographic maps for the area: Mountain View Crest, Columbine Pass, and Storm King Peak. Not all trails are signed, and a topo map is very useful for general navigation and for day hiking in the area. Another map suitable for trip planning is Trails Illustrated map #140 “Weminuche Wilderness”.  Maps and guidebooks for the Chicago Basin area are available by phone or mail from the San Juan Mountains Association (SJMA)  Bookstore. In Durango, stop by the SJMA Bookstore, which is open weekdays 8 to 4:30. It is located in the San Juan Public Lands Center at 15 Burnett Court.

Hiking up the Needle Creek Trail: The Needle Creek Trailhead is a ½ mile walk south from the train stop. When you get to the trailhead, be sure to sign the register and read the information posted. The well-maintained Needle Creek Trail climbs steadily up Needle Creek to Chicago Basin. Most people arriving by train (around 11 AM when coming from Durango) hike the 6 miles to the Basin the same day, arriving in late afternoon. There are a number of streamside sites along the first 4 miles of the trail. These are not legal camps because they are not 100' from water. Legal sites along the first 4 miles are limited in number, and are on the left (north) side of the trail.  Wilderness rangers frequently patrol the trail, and will ask you to move if they find you camping in an illegal site. Hike approximately 4 miles to where the valley becomes more gentle and wider, and there are better campsites to be found on both sides of the trail.

Use this link to see a topographic view of the Needle Creek Trail and Chicago Basin area.

Camping in Chicago Basin: Because it is a heavy use area, the U.S. Forest Service has instituted special regulations to reduce user impacts. These regulations are necessary to manage the heavy visitor use (about 3000 visitors per summer) in Chicago Basin. It is imperative that you abide by these regulations. There are undeveloped campsites scattered throughout Chicago Basin. Some campsites have been closed because they are too close to water, or for other reasons. You may have to spend some time finding a vacant and legal campsite. It is important that you use an existing campsite (at least 100' from water) to minimize your impacts in this heavy-use area. It is also requested that you refrain from camping in the open meadows, so your tent does not compromise other visitors' view. Be advised that U.S. Forest Service Wilderness Rangers patrol the area, and will ask you to move if you are camped too close to water or will cite you if you have a campfire or if you camp in Twin Lakes Basin.

Wildlife Encounters:

Marmots are common in Chicago Basin, and they have a bad habit of chewing up gear to obtain salt. Hang your gear when you leave camp. Marmots can’t climb trees, so simply hanging your gear from a high branch stub or suspending it will work fine.

Another frequent wildlife encounter is with Rocky Mountain Goats that are abundant in the Chicago Basin area. The goats will come into your camp, paw the ground, and consume the vegetation and duff everywhere you have urinated to obtain salt from the urine. They are very aggressive about it, both with each other and with you. What may start out as amusement watching wildlife at close range can end up being a nuisance, and they could damage your gear or you! The solution is to urinate well away from camp, on a rock surface if possible, so the goats don’t disturb the vegetation and ground so much. You will enjoy their visit much more if they are not rampaging through your camp!

A new "pest" in Chicago Basin is the snowshoe hare. They are numerous, inquisitive, bold and destructive.

Although bears are infrequently seen in  the Basin, as a matter of principle it’s a good idea to hang your food.

At times flies are a real nuisance and having fly repellant and/or a head net along is useful.

Organized Groups: If you are planning a group trip to Chicago Basin, or anywhere in the Weminuche Wilderness, please contact the San Juan Mountains Association to obtain special information that may help you educate your group on wilderness camping and ethics before you leave home. This will make your job easier once you arrive and will help lessen your group's impacts on the Basin and other visitors.

Livestock: It is important that you follow Leave No Trace Principles for livestock (horses, llamas, goats) when camping in this heavy use area. See the Links section of this website.

Special Problem: Proper Disposal of Human Waste

In heavy use areas, such as Chicago Basin, proper disposal of human waste is a major issue.  You have probably heard about digging a 4-6" deep cathole to bury human waste. Most people are now using this method. Its the proper thing to do, rather than rolling over a rock. In Chicago Basin, it is often hard to find a rock without poop and TP under it. The key issue that we want to focus on is TOILET PAPER. It's unbelievable, but many people actually leave toilet paper laying on the ground. Others bury it in their cathole and animals dig it up and bring it to the surface. Can you imagine the impact that has on the next visitor? Ugh!! Talk about ruining someone's wilderness experience! 

The fact is, the poop soon disappears, but the TP lasts a long time, and grosses people out a long time. Experiments show that TP can last a  year or more. The wilderness ethic for a heavy use area is to Bury Your Poop and Pack out your TP.  TP is just another type of trash. 

Many people use a bag-in-bag system, storing unused squares of paper towels (for TP) in one plastic bag, and used squares in the other bag. Squares of paper towel about 4"x 4" work great as TP. They are stronger and can be folded several times, so you need less of it. When you get back, toss the bag of used TP into the trash.  Many people protest against packing out TP, but it's time to stop denying the problem and start doing the right thing.