Eccles Pass - 10.25 Miles Round-Trip

Eccles Pass is located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness north of Frisco, CO. Eccles Pass straddles a divisive ridge between the Meadow Creek drainage (south), and South Willow Creek basin (north).

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This high vantage provides commanding views across each, and distant peaks of the Gore and Ten Mile ranges. After a steady climb through dense forest, the landscape opens across stunning alpine meadows leading up to Eccles Pass:

The Meadow Creek Trail winds through an aspen-pine forest to the Lily Pad Lake Trail split and bends northeast (.57 miles : 9,560'). It widens on a variously soft and rocky path through columns of lodgepole to Meadow Creek (1.35 miles : 10,036'), resuming a methodical climb once across.

At 2.5 miles (10,764') the trail narrows in a transitional forest where lodgepole give way to spruce and fir in the high subalpine. The forest briefly opens with a glimpse of the upper valley (2.65 miles : 10,835'), and presses steeply to a crest over the first of three large meadows (2.95 miles : 10,988').

The trail drops and undulates ruggedly up the wooded south edge of the first and smallest meadow, crossing Meadow Creek once on a makeshift bridge. Large side pools in the vicinity are particularly good for angling.

The thinning forest breaks on the edge of a second, much larger meadow with a revealing look at the entire upper valley (3.6 miles : 11,128'). Chief Mountain (11,377') stands prominently to the south, and Eccles Pass can now be seen to the northwest.

This terrain is ideal for camping, though fire regulations near treeline now apply (see guidelines below). The trail levels into the third and largest meadow (3.95 miles : 11,235'), which leads back over Meadow Creek (4.15 miles : 11,305').

The path is intermittently faint but intuitively followed to the Meadow Creek - Gore Range Trail junction (4.45 miles : 11,422'), with Eccles Pass clearly visible in the northwest corner of the valley.

The Gore Range Trail bears right and winds steeply up to Eccles Pass (5.12 miles : 11,918') with exceptional views down Meadow Creek valley, and north across Red Peak (13,189'), Buffalo Mountain (12,777') and South Willow Creek basin.

The Gore Range Trail drops from Eccles Pass and continues north to Red Buffalo Pass (11,742'), a major east-west route between Silverthorne and Vail.

Those with time should consider this relatively short excursion (about 3 miles roundtrip), which runs across gorgeous alpine benches and by several small lakes to the pass. An informal trail extends east from Eccles Pass along a thin spine to Buffalo Mountain.