Mt. Sopris Summit Trail

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The high mountains of Colorado’s Elk Range are among the finest peaks in the Rockies. With Wilderness designation, these protected mountains are rugged, steep and aesthetically pleasing. Crystal clear streams, pristine alpine lakes and lush, green vegetation are common sights, allowing for many magical photo opportunities.
Mount Sopris is the striking northern sentinel of the Elk Mountains. It towers above the town of Carbondale and the Roaring Fork River Valley in a very dramatic fashion. Indeed the surrounding river drainages of the Roaring Fork and the Crystal River give Mount Sopris a vertical prominence few mountains in Colorado can match, rising over 6,000 feet in a few miles. This is impressive for a mountain that rises to the rather modest height of 12,953 feet. The sight of a sparkling white Mount Sopris raking the sky above the lush farm fields around Carbondale may be one of the more romantic images to be had in Colorado.

Mount Sopris has two summits. East Mount Sopris and West Mount Sopris are of equal height and are easily climbed together. The East summit is attained by the Mount Sopris Trail and is the more popular of the two. This configuration gives Mount Sopris a distinctive profile that is easily recognized from surrounding peaks.

Situated on the north end of the Elk Mountains Mount Sopris guards the more rugged heartland and serves as a beacon, being the first Elk Mountain summit to be seen when approaching the Elks from the north on Highway 82. It is included in the spectacular Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. This 180,962 acre preserve offers some protection for this area from the rampant development that has plagued Pitkin and Eagle counties in recent years.



Mount Sopris' Geology: Mount Sopris' enchanting beauty is largely derived from the rich geologic history that shaped the Elk Mountains. The Elks are a composite of the stratified, red sediments of the 300 million year old Maroon Formation and the much more recent, white, Oligocene aged intrusives that pierced the sediments around 34 million years ago. This period of time saw widespread volcanism in Colorado with major eruptive events occurring in the San Juans and West Elk Mountains. The magma that fueled these eruptions also created large bodies (laccoliths, stocks, and dikes) of igneous rock where this magma invaded cavities underground and then slowly cooled. Erosion eventually exposed these intrusions and today these bodies of white rock form such luminescent mountains as Capitol Peak and Snowmass Mountain. Mount Sopris falls into this category being an eroded stock comprised of quartz monzonite. While this plumbing system may have fed an active volcano it is impossible to know for certain as erosion has stripped away the evidence.

Whatever the case the white rock that makes up Sopris is beautiful to behold. It stands in stark contrast to the lush greens of Elk Mountain vegetation and the reds, purples, and yellows of the surrounding sedimentary rocks. While the quartz monzonite on Sopris is certainly fractured and loose in places it is not as shattered as it is near Snowmass Lake. Still Sopris sports some mighty rock glaciers formed from all the rock the mountain has shed. By Elk Mountain standards Sopris is an easy mountain to climb but the rock can be dangerous. Especially if the wrong route is pursued.

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Mount Sopris History: Mount Sopris is named in honor of Captain Richard Sopris who in July of 1860 led a prospecting expedition up the Roaring Fork Valley. He was the first man of European descent to soak in the hot spings in Glenwood Canyon. He later went on to gain prominence as Denver's Mayor (1878-1881), even commisioning the creation of Denver's City Park.

Hiking Mt. Sopris from the Dinkle Lake parking area is the most popular route for locals

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