UPDATE: Unless any new challenges occur, we will be able to provide sleeping bags for the 2022 season!
The North Pole Hut accommodates eight people via padded bunk-style beds and Crazy Creek Chairs. The hut includes a propane stove, propane lamp, wood stove, cookware, and utensils.
There is a stream and beaver pond nearby and five-gallon jugs at the hut to haul it in. Hut users are responsible for treating water with Iodine, Pump/Filter, or UV Scanner.
Located on the edge of a meadow, west of beaver ponds and below the North Face of Hayden Peak (12,987′). Great views of North Pole (12,208′), Hayden (12,987′), and S-9/Dark Horse (13,134′).
Route | Miles | Ascent | Descent |
---|---|---|---|
Summer Trailhead to North Pole Hut | 3.1 | 970' | 260' |
Last Dollar Pass to North Pole Hut | 8.6 | 1,548' | 2,271' |
North Pole Hut to Blue Lakes Hut | 7.3 | 1,166' | 1,697' |
The North Pole hut is available for summer use from May 1st through November 30th. It is only available through the 4 night/5 day Sneffels Traverse June 1-September 30. The Sneffels Traverse is $230 per person and includes your shuttle to the start. View hiking availability calendar. Please call us to make a reservation.
The information provided on this page is intended to give our guests ideas on potential activities at The North Pole Hut, but the possibilities are endless. We provide more detailed route descriptions only for the trails accessing the hut and between huts upon booking. Please note, the times given here are estimates of the total time needed for the outing.
This is a 2-4 hours intermediate hike. Park at Box Factory Park (4x4 vehicle recommended) about 12 miles from Ridgway on West Dallas Creek/ CR 9 Hike west on the Dallas Trail for 3.1 miles to the North Pole Hut. This is an Intermediate hike with the north faces of the Sneffels Range directly above, all towering over 13,000 feet.
Intermediate hiking into the basin below the north face of Dark Horse/S-9 and Hayden peaks is a great day’s hike.
A beautiful 8.2-mile traverse through aspen and spruce with many small streams, parks, and meadows through the Sneffels Wilderness Area.
A spectacular 7.3 mile walk with phenomenal parks, meadows, and aspen groves.
Ascend the North Ridge of Hayden Peak to the summit of and views of the Island Ranges of Utah including the La Sals, The Abajos, and the Henrys (190 miles line of sight).
Traverse from the summit of Hayden (12,987′) to the summit of Dark Horse/S-9 (13,134′) with descent down “The Ramp” into the headwaters basin of West Dallas Creek underneath the towering north face of Mears Peak (13,496′).
San Jan Huts is based in Ridgway, Colorado. Contact us for planning your next mountain bike trip, ski tour or hiking adventure. Let's talk maps, trails, food, terrain and huts. The San Juan Hut Systems extends from the high mountains around Ouray, Telluride & Durango, descending hundreds of miles toward Moab, Utah. We are passionate about supporting you in all Rocky Mountain outdoor sports & adventures; backcountry skiing, nordic trails, alpine climbing and snowshoeing, backcountry mountain biking trails with vast single track, trail running, backcountry camping & alpine hiking. Durango to Moab and Telluride to Moab are classic mountain bike trails in Colorado & Moab.
The San Juan Huts are located in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison, San Juan, and Manti La Sal National Forests and maintains licenses under Special Use Permits from the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management as well as permit agreements with several private ranch owners.