Backpacking Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Wilderness – Cotton Creek Trail to Cotton Lake

In early July of 2025 I headed out from Denver in search of a good spot for a 3-day, 2-night solo backpacking trek. I quickly settled on the rugged Sangre de Cristo Range in southern Colorado, a string of peaks that routinely top 13,000 feet with some of Colorado’s most epic 14,000 foot peaks in its midst.

A hike up to an alpine lake with good camping and the ability to hang by a campfire was the goal, per usual, and I settled on Cotton Lake. It sits tucked about 8 miles from the Cotton Creek Trailhead, with an elevation gain of over 3,000 feet from trailhead to lake.

I detailed the hiking in more specifics and text previously at Lit Wick, with photos included. This time, I’ve linked the video I put together of the hike, including why I chose to cut it a day short and hustle back to the car (to avoid the massive thunderstorms that were beginning to bubble up above those high peaks).

Have a watch, and let me know what you think!