Coglio - Maggia
I did this hike on the 11th of Janury, 2026, chasing some snow free hiking paths in Ticino. I initially wanted to hike from Coglio and into Valle del Salto, but there was still a lot of ice on the trail in the side valley, so I had to cut the hike short and ended up doing the hike below.
Full route: Swisstopo
I took the train from Zürich to Bellinzona and from there a train to Locarno. In Locarno I changed to a bus which took me to Coglio, where I started the hike.
The weather was perfect with clear blue skies and sun, and I quickly got very nice views into Valle Maggia and the snow covered peaks in the distance.
The hiking path was some places narrow but generally well kept and only with little snow or ice. I crossed many smaller waterfalls and ponds on the way up and took my time, enjoying the views of the surrounding mountains.
Just before the hiking path turns away from the main valley and into Valle del Salto, I came across a small plateau with some houses, the mandatory cross and great views.
From the small plateau, I did not hike for a long time, before I had the first full views into the side valley. From here, it looked relatively snow free, so I continued along the hiking path.
Hiking down at the beginning of the valley, more snow started to appear on the hiking path, but as it wasn’t yet icy, I was still optimistic regarding my initial plan. There weren’t many people on the trails, but I did meet a few other hikers.
Unfortunately, as I was about to enter the hiking trail running into the valley, big patches of ice started to appear. I got past the first couple of icy areas, but as the path got more narrow from there and even more icy, I decided to change my plan and hike down towards Maggia instead. Despite changin plans, it was still a very nice hike, and I will have to come back when the weather gets warmer.
