
Let expert guides show you the way to an incredible experience by unlocking the quiet beauty and trademark tranquility during an adventure hike in the hidden tourism gem of
Lake City, CO, and surrounding Hinsdale County.
For the first time during the summer of 2022, the
Wild Bunch Desert Guides are bringing their five-star rated adventure tours and homespun hospitality to this wilderness wonderland.
Wild Bunch owner
Laurel Darren and her Phoenix/Scottsdale adventure tours boyfriend
Brett Talcott have become fixtures in the quaint Colorado community as “sunbirds” escaping the withering heat of their Sonoran Desert home base the last several summers.
Now, their break from the rat race has become a working vacation to allow Laurel to share her passion for people, guiding adventure tours and hiking the rugged natural beauty of
Lake City, CO.
“I have found hiking is the absolute best way to explore the incredible area surrounding Lake City,” Laurel said in announcing the new service.
“And now I hope to share all I have learned – as well as introduce guests to several of the local guides who showed me the way – so others can enjoy this summer tourist treat as much as I do!”
NOTE: The Lake City CO hikes
DO NOT affect the usual Wild Bunch offerings in Arizona. Those
Phoenix/Scottsdale adventure tours still operate under special summertime hours dictated by the desert’s extreme summer heat. For more information about those
Phoenix/Scottsdale adventure tours or to book online, visit the
Wild Bunch home page.
ALSO: Online booking is unavailable for the special
Lake City, CO summer hikes. To book any of the Lake City CO options, please call or text
309-230-2484 or email Laurel through our
contact form.
Take a Hike on the Wild Side
The Wild Bunch’s “satellite office” in Colorado is offering hikes four days per week, with the chance of expanding to more days if necessary.
The
Lake City, CO, 2 hour hikes are $100 per person and are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Sorry, no kids discounts.
Tuesday Hike - Cataract Gulch
Wednesday Hike - Devils Creek
Friday Hike - Water Dog
Sunday - Cataract Gulch

All of the 2 hour hikes
start at 7 a.m., with guests meeting their guide in front of
Cabin Fever Mercantile in Lake City CO. Located at 306 Silver St, Lake City, CO 81235.
Click here for a new tab with a map. Hikers will follow their guide to the trailhead.
Handies Peak --14er is Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Meet your guide at Cabin Fever Mercantile at 5:30 AM.
Private Hikes are optional, add $150 per group.
Owned by Wild Bunch gal pal
Tracy Lanktree, the five-star rated store is a destination for both tourists and hikers visiting Lake City, CO, so they can “shop the mountain life,” as
Cabin Fever Mercantile likes to say. The specialty shop offers all sorts of Lake City apparel and souvenirs, as well as homemade gifts native to the mountains.
NOTE: Cabin Fever Mercantile is not a contact for the Wild Bunch hikes; the store simply offers a centralized meeting point to begin your adventure!
After meeting, guests follow their guide in a separate vehicle to the desired trailhead. The Wild Bunch staff
DOES NOT provide transportation.
All guides are local except Wild Bunch owner Laurel Darren, now a long-time summer transplant in Lake City CO.
All guides are first-aid trained and CPR-certified. All guides carry spot trackers and other assorted safety equipment on each adventure.
The Wild Bunch provides water, snacks, and other items necessary for a successful adventure, including backpacks for guests to borrow to carry any additional items they would like to bring.
Colorado Hiking goes Wild
All of the
Lake City, CO summer hikes are insured and permitted through the Bureau of Land Management.
These are the trail options guests can choose from:
Except for
Handies Peak and
Alpine Gulch, guests may choose on the day of their adventure from the other three trails offered during their pre-hike meeting with their guide.
Advance notice of 48 hours is needed for both Handies Peak and Alpine Gulch.
The guide fee for the
Handies Peak 14er:
- $320 plus tax per person for two or more hikers
- $640 plus tax for a solo hiker
- No children’s discount. Minimum recommended age for children is 8 years old
The guide fee for the other four
Lake City CO summer hikes:
- $160 plus tax per person for two or more hikers
- $320 plus tax for a solo hiker
- $15 discount for children ages 10-and-under
Quick, 2 hour hikes plus one hour of driving time (Excludes Handies Peak 14er):
- $115 plus tax per person for two or more hikers
- $230 plus tax for a solo hiker
- $15 discount for children ages 10-and-under
NOTE: Gratuity not included in the price of any adventure. A 20-percent gratuity is suggested as a starting point for good service -- same as an excellent waitperson at a restaurant.
To book any of the
Lake City CO summer hikes, please call or text
309-230-2484 or contact Laurel via email by using our
Contact Form. Online booking is not available. Cash, Credit Card or Venmo accepted and required to reserve a date.
Go Wild in Lake City CO
What you should know about every Lake City CO summer hike from the Wild Bunch Desert Guides:
Wild Bunch hikes: A Peak Experience
Those last three words in the headline are the slogan for Lake City CO tourism.
The
Wild Bunch Desert Guides plan to live up to our five-star reputation – as well as our host city’s lofty expectations -- by listening to our guests on this maiden voyage we are undertaking with you during the summer of 2022.
For instance: If you have a child that is under 8 years old – but might be raised in a mountainous region or is an avid hiker ready for the challenge of Handies Peak?
Let’s talk about it!
Accompanied by your dog on vacation and want to take your loyal companion on the hike, too?
Let’s discuss the possibilities!
A hike between Tuesday and Friday will not work for your weekend getaway?
Let’s explore the options!
Everything has a right time and correct situation, so the details are negotiable, and we want to leave room to learn, adjust and grow.
The bottom line? The Wild Bunch plans to remain flexible during this first summer to see what works best for all concerned.
So, your feedback is both necessary and appreciated at
309-230-2484 or email Laurel through our
contact form.