Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak 14er Hike Information & Review

Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak 14er Trail Guide

June 16, 2020 The Virtual Sherpa Comments 0 Comment

Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak are a pair of 14ers located in central Colorado. The two 14,000ft mountains are a great option for hikers looking to step their 14er hiking game up a bit as they are not an easy hike but not technically difficult either. While the hike is only 11 miles, the elevation gain is north of 5,500ft making this a very taxing day. Typically hiked together, this is a long but beautiful day up in the high alpine of Colorado.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nopLFc5oAE0&t

Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak Quick Facts

Virtual Trail Guide: Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak

Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak Hike Rating: ★★★ (⅗ Stars)

Distance: 11 Miles RT (9 Miles RT for Mt Shavano Only)

Elevation Start: 9,750ft

Highest Point: Mt Shavano:14,231ft Tabeguache Peak: 14,155ft

Total Elevation Gain: 5,600ft (4,700ft if just hiking Shavano)

Estimated Time to Complete: 6-8 Hours RT

Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult Difficulty System Explained

Class: Class 2 What does this mean?

Season: Late May – Late November – Expect snow outside of this period

Weather: Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak

Trailhead: Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak

Getting Here: Tabeguache Peak is accessed via US 285 near the town of Poncha Springs. Find your way to county road 140 which is about 21 miles south of Buena Vista. Once on CR 140, drive about 1.7 miles and turn right onto County Road 250. This road starts off paved but quickly turns into a well maintained (2WD) dirt road. Stay on CR 250 for 4 miles until you reach a Y in the road. Bear left here to turn onto CR 252 and continue another 2.9 miles where you will cross a cattle guard. Around this point there may be a few “tougher sections” of the road but most cars should be able to access the trailhead no problem. Continue for another .2 miles where you will reach the trailhead parking lot. You can enter “Mt Shavano+Tabeguache trailhead” into your favorite navigational app.

Fees: There is no fee to hike either mountain as of 2020.

Parking: Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak has a small main parking lot with a non-plumbing bathroom. The parking lot can only fit about 15-20 or so cars but does have an overflow lot a short distance down the road. Parking can fill up on busy weekends especially since this trailhead accesses the Colorado Trail as well.

Summary

Camping: These two 14ers have one of the best camping situations for any 14er in my opinion. While you can’t camp at the trailhead, you are able to hike a short distance from the parking lot to find a number of camping spots. If car camping is more your style, the road to the TH is chalk full of options on spots to camp.

Dogs: Both of these mountains are dog friendly but I would only recommend this hike for dogs who have experience in the mountains and/or on other 14ers.

Make it a Loop: This is an out and back hike.

Trail X Factors: Lack of Defined Trail on Both Peaks

While hiking this pair of 14ers, the trail is evident about 90% of the time. However, when hiking up to Mt Shavano, there are a number of social trails which makes the “true” trail nearly impossible to follow unless you have been up the peak before. Once on top of Shavano, it’s a bit of a choose your own adventure to find your way over to Tab. Neither bit of route finding is terribly hard and really should not affect your hike in any way besides maybe adding a bit of extra mileage.

Hike Tip(s): If you plan on hiking Tabeguache Peak from Mt Shavano, be sure to check the weather so that you can plan your start time accordingly. Once you reach the saddle before the top of Shavano, there is no shelter or cover from any incoming weather (learned the hard way). I did have luck with cell phone reception (on Verizon) at the summit of Mt Shavano, so it might not be a bad idea to check the radar and weather forecast before continuing on towards Tabeguache Peak.

Best Views: While hiking Shavano & Tab the views start once you leave treeline around 12,200ft. From here you will have great views south and east. Once you hike a bit higher to the southern saddle of Shavano, the views to the west really do not quit. In my opinion the photo opportunities from both mountains are very similar in that the best views are north and west. On a clear day, you can easily see down south to the San Juans and west to the Elks including the Maroon Bells.

Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak Hike Route

Gear Needed

14er Day Hike Packing List

Men’s Trail Runners
Women’s Trail Runners
La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)

La Sportiva Trango Hiking Booths (Women’s)
Backpack
Food & Water

Optional: Garmin inReach
Optional: Hiking Poles
Optional: Headlamp

Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
Optional: Camera and Lens
Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod

*Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.

My Trip to Mt Shavano & Tabeguache Peak: May 2020

After completing all of the Colorado 14ers in 2019, 2020 was the year to re-hike a number of peaks I had missed filming the first time around. Fresh on furlough, Juno and I hit the trail in late May and were surprised to find almost summer conditions. The hike up started extremely windy but turned into a beautiful outing on the pair of 14ers. After getting in a thunderstorm on top of Mt Shavano the first time around, this hike was much more enjoyable.