Santiago Peak

We started at 8 a.m. and it was already a little warm. Thankfully, there was a lot of shade on the way up. We got to the summit by 10 a.m. and back down to the truck by noon. It was much warmer coming down and most of the shade had disappeared. During our time on the trail, we saw a jeep, utility truck, and 3 motorcycles.

As many have mentioned before, you need a high clearance vehicle to get to the trailhead (N. Main Divide Rd/Harding Truck Trail). From the Maple Springs parking lot, there’s about 5 miles of a dirt road (some paved) with lots of bumps. Be cautious as you’ll have to share the road with vehicles going in the opposite direction. It can get pretty narrow at some points.

Overall, an easy hike with a gradual incline all the way up. Highly recommend starting early on warm days like today.