Chicago Basin
Encyclopedia
Chicago Basin comprises the upper portion of the Needle Creek watershed in the Needle Mountains (Colorado)
, a subrange of the San Juan Mountains
in the US State of Colorado
. It lies within the Weminuche Wilderness
, part of the San Juan National Forest
. Needle Creek is an east-side tributary of the Animas River
. The basin is a popular destination in summer for climbers and backpackers. The upper portion of the basin is surrounded by three fourteeners: Mount Eolus
, Windom Peak
, and Sunlight Peak
.
Columbine Pass lies to the east of the lower basin.
The standard route of access to Chicago Basin is somewhat unusual. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
, driven by a historical steam locomotive
, runs through the canyon of the Animas River. It makes a stop (when requested) at Needleton, a location near the confluence of Needle Creek and the Animas. Visitors to Chicago Basin typically ride the train from Durango or Silverton, get off at Needleton, and hike about 6 miles up Needle Creek to the basin itself. Many backpackers continue over Columbine Pass to the watershed of Vallecito Creek.
Needle Mountains (Colorado)
The Needle Mountains are a subrange of the San Juan Mountains of the Rocky Mountains located in the southwestern part of the U.S. State of Colorado. Much of the range is protected in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. The range is notable for having some of the most rugged...
, a subrange of the San Juan Mountains
San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and...
in the US State of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. It lies within the Weminuche Wilderness
Weminuche Wilderness
The Weminuche Wilderness is a wilderness area in southwest Colorado managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the San Juan National Forest on the west side of the Continental Divide and the Rio Grande National Forest on the east side of the divide. It is about 5 miles south east of...
, part of the San Juan National Forest
San Juan National Forest
The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres in Archuleta, Conjeos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Rio Grande, San Miguel and San Juan Counties in western Colorado. It borders the Uncompahgre National Forest to the north and the Rio Grande...
. Needle Creek is an east-side tributary of the Animas River
Animas River
Animas River is a river in the western United States, a tributary of the San Juan River, part of the Colorado River System. The Spanish named the river "Rio de las Animas Perdidas", "River of the Lost Souls". It is also the last free-flowing river in Colorado. The river's free-flowing status...
. The basin is a popular destination in summer for climbers and backpackers. The upper portion of the basin is surrounded by three fourteeners: Mount Eolus
Mount Eolus
Mount Eolus is a fourteener in the U.S. state of Colorado, the highest of the Needle Mountains . It is located in the Weminuche Wilderness in La Plata County approximately south of Silverton.Mount Eolus is one of three fourteeners in the Needle Mountains; the others are Sunlight Peak and Windom...
, Windom Peak
Windom Peak
Windom Peak is a fourteener in the Needle Mountains, a subrange of the San Juan Mountains in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Weminuche Wilderness in La Plata County approximately south of Silverton....
, and Sunlight Peak
Sunlight Peak
Sunlight Peak is a fourteener in the Needle Mountains, a subrange of the San Juan Mountains in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Weminuche Wilderness in La Plata County approximately 13 miles south of Silverton.Sunlight Peak is one of three fourteeners in the Needle Mountains; the...
.
Columbine Pass lies to the east of the lower basin.
The standard route of access to Chicago Basin is somewhat unusual. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railroad that operates of track between Durango and Silverton, in the US state of Colorado...
, driven by a historical steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, runs through the canyon of the Animas River. It makes a stop (when requested) at Needleton, a location near the confluence of Needle Creek and the Animas. Visitors to Chicago Basin typically ride the train from Durango or Silverton, get off at Needleton, and hike about 6 miles up Needle Creek to the basin itself. Many backpackers continue over Columbine Pass to the watershed of Vallecito Creek.