Watson Mountain

Jackson County has 114 mountain summits that are officially designated as “ranked” peaks. Watson Mountain is one of them, and its elevation (8,704 feet) places it as the fourth lowest of these 114 summits. To reach Watson’s high point and the cache vicinity requires a moderate effort that involves a round trip hike of about 1.6 miles and an elevation gain of about 650 feet. If you make the hike in the heat of the summer, take plenty of water; a snack at the summit will make your outing more enjoyable–especially considering the incredible views afforded from this mountain’s high point: the peaks of the Zirkel Wilderness and the Park Range rise to the west; the mountains of the Rabbit Ears Range form the southern border of Jackson County and are nicely visible from Watson; the great summits of the Rawah Wilderness rise to the east; and, especially beautiful, admire the northern portion of North Park where the North Platte River flows directly toward you before shifting to the immediate west side of Watson Mountain! Take time to appreciate these spectacular views from Watson.

The cache is approximately pint-sized and is wrapped in black tape. It contains a log sheet. You need to bring your own writing tool. It’s hidden about 125 feet west of the true summit in a rock outcropping and is concealed by several small sticks. Please replace the sticks on the cache container after you have signed the cache log.

Watson Mountain is on Bureau of Land Management property; this moderately large BLM parcel runs continuously down to Colorado Highway 125; the entire approach to the cache can be made on public land. Make certain that you study an appropriate map in advance so you directly access this public land from an appropriate location along the highway without trespassing on adjacent private ranch land. Enjoy your hike and your cache-finding on Watson Mountain!