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Lime Mesa to Ruby Lake, Emerald Lake and Needle Creek Trail Junction and route map
Difficulty: ExpertOut and Back
Colorado

Lime Mesa to Ruby Lake, Emerald Lake and Needle Creek Trail Junction and

Durango, Colorado

16.4 mi

Distance

4,997 ft

Elev. Gain

7h 58m

Est. Time

Out & Back

Route Type

Expert

Difficulty

About This Trail

Lime Mesa to Ruby Lake, Emerald Lake and Needle Creek Trail Junction and is an out-and-back trail in La Plata County, Colorado. It is 16 miles long and gains 4,997 feet. The nearest town is Durango, Colorado, about 19 miles away in a straight line.

From the trail data on this page.

Trail Conditions

Trail Conditions

Unknown

We have no current condition data for this trail. Check with the operator before you go, and submit a report below if you've been recently.

No recent condition reports. Be the first to share what you see on the trail.

Elevation Profile

Min:2,811 ft
Max:3,822 ft
Gain:1,695 ft
Loss:1,695 ft
Elevation profileA line rising and falling between 2,811 ft and 3,822 ft across 16.4 mi along the route, drawn from start to end.2,811 ft3,148 ft3,485 ft3,822 ft0.0 mi4.1 mi8.2 mi12.3 mi16.4 mi

Elevation at the labelled points along this route
PointDistance from startElevation
Start0.0 mi3,505 ft
High point3.5 mi3,822 ft
End16.4 mi3,505 ft

Trail Details

Route Type
Out & Back

Official sources & verification

Verify before you go

Where it is

Nearest town:
Durango, CO · about 19 mi away
County:
La Plata County, CO

Nearest town and county from U.S. Census Bureau place records and county boundaries.

We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this trail using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: May 23, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

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Legacy import — verify before navigating

Path geometry came from our pre-launch legacy database. Routes have not yet been re-verified against the operator and may differ from the actual trail.

Nearby Trails

More trails near Lime Mesa to Ruby Lake, Emerald Lake and Needle Creek Trail Junction and
Lime Mesa to Needle Creek Overlook

Lime Mesa to Needle Creek Overlook

7.5 mi
TrailDifficulty: Difficult

City Reservoir Trail

7.0 mi
TrailDifficulty: Difficult

Burnt Timber

1.6 mi
TrailDifficulty: Easy

Burnt Timber

1.1 mi
TrailDifficulty: Easy

Lime Mesa Trail

5.5 mi
TrailDifficulty: Moderate

Old Endlich Mesa Trail

0.7 mi
TrailDifficulty: Easy

Stay nearby

Campgrounds near this trail

More campgrounds

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