Sweetwater #1854

Facility · Colorado ·

Managed by the USDA Forest Service

White River National Forest (NF) · Open Access

8,007 ft
Elevation

The Sweetwater trail begins at the Hilltop Trailhead near Sweetwater Lake and ends at Coffee Pot Road #600. This fairly level, easy-to-follow trail follows the north rim of Sweetwater Canyon, beginning as a slight uphill grade through scrub oak and sagebrush and entering aspen interspersed with grassy meadows at about 2 miles, followed by aspen and fir forest. This trail offers beautiful views of the snow-capped peaks of the Sawach Range, Sweetwater Lake and Canyon, and the high cliffs of the Flat Tops.

* There is a printable Recreation Quicksheet for this trail which is complete with directions, a map, details, and other information about this trail. Or to see quicksheets for other recreation areas across the Forest, click on the "Recreation Quicksheets" link in the right column and select the appropriate Ranger District.

Getting there

Travel west on I-70 from Eagle for 13 miles to the Dotsero exit and follow the signs for Sweetwater/ Burns by turning north onto Colorado River Rd.Travel for 7 miles and turn left onto Sweetwater Creek Rd. and travel for another 11.5 miles until you reach the cabins for the Sweetwater Wilderness Ranch where parking is available.The trailhead is another 1/4 mile up a 4-wheel drive only road that leads to Hilltop Ranch, where there is also another small parking area. This is the Hilltop Trailhead several trails begin and then branch off.

39.81531, -107.18401 · 39°48'55.1"N 107°11'2.4"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Typical weather

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F————————————
Low °F————————————
Precip in4.84.54.24.73.31.61.82.12.73.33.94.7

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 10.1 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

Map

Member photos

Common questions about Sweetwater #1854

Can you reserve a site at Sweetwater #1854?
No. Sweetwater #1854 is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Camping near Sweetwater #1854

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Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.

Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.