Devils Thumb Pass–Needle Eye Bypass Trail, 3 sights is a 13.1-mile out-and-back in Indian Peaks Wilderness near East Portal, CO. The route reaches Devils Thumb Pass at the turnaround, 6.6 miles in. It climbs 2,002 ft, with sections as steep as 24% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 93/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi11,041 – 12,097 ft · steepest grade: 24%13.6 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Rollins Pass Road 39.92374, -105.66853
Nearest town East Portal, CO
Directions
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Devils Thumb Pass–Needle Eye Bypass Trail, 3 sights
13.1 mi · ▲ 2,002 ft · 5 hr 22 min
Elevation 11,042–12,097 ft
Out & Back · Indian Peaks Wilderness
Trailhead: Rollins Pass Road · 39.92374, -105.66853
Weather Sep 4: Rain, high 63°F / low 42° · precip 28% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:31 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Rollins Pass Road, heading N.
- 1.6 miContinue straight onto Needle Eye Bypass Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Rollins Pass Road, heading N.
- 1.5 miContinue straight onto Rollins Pass Trailhead Road, heading W.
- 100 ftBear left onto High Lonesome Trail, heading W.
- 0.8 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 1.2 miBear left, heading N.
- 1.3 miReach Devils Thumb Pass, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.3 miBear left, heading SW.
- 2 miBear right onto Rollins Pass Trailhead Road, heading SE.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Rollins Pass Road, heading S.
- 1.5 miContinue straight onto Needle Eye Bypass Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Rollins Pass Road, heading S.
- 1.5 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
81% dirt1% boardwalk18% unspecified
Weather
RainTemperature 63°F42°
Precip28%Wind8 mphUV8Humidity53%
Rained 0.1″ 2 days ago (0.2″ over the last week)
Hourly temperatureRain chance
65°40°
Sunrise 6:34 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:31 PM
Sat
61°44°
17%
Sun
71°47°
55%
Mon
61°44°
42%
Tue
67°41°
32%
Wed
68°43°
40%
Thu
66°44°
44%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.2 mi in (~97 min). Leave by 5:35 PM for the 7:31 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:04 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Rollins Pass Road Trailhead
- Rollins Pass Road 3 mi · ▲ 276 ft
- Rollins Pass Road 3.1 mi · ▲ 305 ft
- Forest Lakes (Lower) & Forest Lakes Trail 3.9 mi · ▲ 1,012 ft
- Guinn Mountain–Jenny Lake Loop, 6 sights 4.8 mi · ▲ 809 ft
- Rollins Pass & Needle Eye Bypass Trail via Rollins Pass Trail 6.7 mi · ▲ 856 ft
- Beacon Peak & Needle Eye Bypass Trail via Rollins Pass Trail 8.7 mi · ▲ 1,164 ft
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Hikes near East Portal, Colorado