San Luis Peak via the CT: Summiting Colorado's Most Remote 14er

San Luis Peak may be rated Class 1, but don’t let the lack of technical difficulty fool you. The biggest challenge here is getting to the mountain. As the most remote of Colorado’s 14ers, this one takes some planning. But if you happen to be thru-hiking the Colorado Trail, it's only a 3-mile detour off the main path. And if you're a peak bagger at heart, that's an opportunity too good to pass up.

Trail Info

Trailhead Name	Colorado Trail (CT) / Continental Divide Trail (CDT)
Distance	*CT/CDT:* 3 miles / 4.8 km (out and back) *Stewart Creek TH:* 19 miles / 30.6 km (out and back)
Estimated time	*CT/CDT:* 2-3 hours *Stewart Creek TH:* 8+ hours
Elevation gain	*CT/CDT:* 1,400 ft / 420 m *Stewart Creek TH:* 3,600 ft / 1,100 m
Highest point	14,022 ft / 4,274 m (San Luis Peak)
Permits / fees	None
Parking	Dirt lot
Toilets?	Stewart Creek Trailhead
Dog friendly?	Yes

AllTrails link (CT Segment 20 – doesn't include summit spur)
Trailhead parking lot

Know before you go

This is not a standard day hike route. While you could approach San Luis from this direction as a long out-and-back (from Stewart Creek), it’s not recommended unless you're already on the Colorado Trail. The South Ridge and Northeast Ridge are more practical for day hikers.
It’s still a 14er—plan accordingly. That means early starts, weather awareness, and making sure you're back below treeline before noon. Pack smart and take it seriously, even if you're 300+ miles into the CT.

Standard route links

The Trail

While my journey began back in Denver as part of my CT thru-hike, this post picks up near the Stewart Creek Trailhead, the closest place you could park if you really wanted to do this as a long day hike (again: I don’t recommend it).

The trail gradually climbs, alternating between wide-open fields…

…and lightly forested sections. One thing that stood out was the number of dead trees, likely victims of bark beetle infestation.

Also: cows 🐄. Plenty of them along the trail. Fortunately, they were downstream from where I planned to collect water.

Around CT mile 338, I set up camp in an open field just under 4 miles from the summit. It was a bit more exposed than ideal, but flat, near a water source, and away from the dead trees (never good to camp near those). Not a bad spot for the night.

The next morning, I was up early for a sunrise summit. The path to San Luis is easy to follow once you catch the junction. Just keep an eye out for that subtle signpost and head right. (Left continues along the CT).

The trail starts mellow…

…but steepens quickly as you ascend. The route is straightforward—just follow the cairns and well-worn zig-zags up the slope.

Despite being a relatively short detour, this peak has a lot of false summits. Even with 300+ miles of trail legs, those always hit the morale a bit.

But with an early start, you’re rewarded with golden-hour views as you climb. Hard to beat a 14er sunrise.

I spotted my trail buddies “Five Pairs” and “Navigator” making their final push.

Summit success! Starting the day at 14,000 feet never gets old.

Of course, the day was far from over. From there, I got hailed on, sprinted away from a storm, and still managed to make it to Lake City for a hot meal and warm bed. Classic CT chaos.

SS Reflections

Much like when I summited Mount Massive, this was one of those “right place, right time” 14er opportunities. A quick 3-mile detour vs. the massive logistics of driving from Denver? No contest. As I continue to knock off these peaks, ranking them gets harder. However, each one brings its own flavor of satisfaction. And San Luis, with its quiet remoteness, really delivered.

🎥 Final Approach & Summit POV

Check out this short on the final approach and summit to San Luis Peak!

Other helpful resources

The Trek's writeup about how to bag San Luis and every other 14er along the CT