Sangre de Cristo Wilderness boundary looking into Sand Creek Valley from Music Pass..
Sand Creek If you are looking for both solitude and great fishing for native greenbacks, Sand Creek is a place you should visit. Located in a valley nestled above the Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Sand Creek provides excellent fishing and backpacking opportunities from her headwaters at Upper Sand Creek Lake to the Sand Dunes. With a low number of visitors you can backpack along this creek and not see another person for days, making it a great destination for those that truly enjoy solitude. Several lakes run along the drainage and make for excellent day trips from Sand Creek. This creek is located almost entirely in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Area so please follow all wilderness area rules and regulations. Recommended flies for Sand Creek: stimulators, ants, beetles, Adams, Griffiths gnats, mosquitoes, black midges, prince nymphs, pheasant tail nymphs. To get to Sand Creek from Westcliffe take State Highway 69 south for 4.5 miles to County Road 119 and turn west (right). Follow CR 119 past the Grape Creek trailhead to the Music Pass trailhead. The final 2.5 miles of this road can be very rough and require a 4WD vehicle. Though there have been several instances where I have seen a van or car at the trailhead but have always wondered how they did it. We recommend a 4WD with high clearance. From the trailhead you follow trail 1337 (Music Pass Trail) approximately 2 miles to Music Pass and another 1 mile to the valley floor. We recommend the use of topographic maps when backpacking in Colorado's backcountry (USGS Crestone Peak Quad).
Texas Creek Though public access is limited on this small mountain creek, the fishing that is available can be absolutely outstanding. With excellent fishing opportunities for both brook and cutthroat, this is a can't miss when backpacking in the San Isabel National Forest. This small stream runs fast and clear making your typical high mountain stream bushwhacking approach being the best way to get into some of these wild trout. Texas Creek is a great side trip when visiting nearby Lakes of the Clouds or Banjo Lake. Recommended flies for Texas Creek: Caddis tan/black/green, Adams, Griffiths gnats, mosquitoes, ants, beetles, prince nymphs, stimulators, humpies, Royal Wulffs, basically anything that looks buggy can take trout in this high mountain stream.
To get to Texas Creek from Westcliffe, turn west on Road 160 (Hermit Lake Road) and drive 5.9 miles to intersect with CR172. Turn left (west) and drive another 1.5 miles to forest boundary. Cross a yellow cattle guard and continue 0.02 mile on a rough, rutted road to Gibson Creek trailhead parking. Wilderness trails are closed to bicycles, motorcycles and ATVs, but since the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness straddles only the upper half of the slopes, expect to share the lower parts of the trail and the parking area with them. From the trail head follow trail 1336 approximately 4.5 miles to Texas Creek. We recommend the use of a topographic map when in the Colorado backcountry (USGS Electric Peak Quad and Beckwith Mountain Quad).
