Colorado Trail 9th Edition

by Colorado Trail Foundation

Overview

• The official Colorado Trail guide for thru-hikers, day hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians
• Detailed information for the entire Colorado Trail, including five new chapters for the 80-mile Collegiate West trail addition
• Updated color maps with trail and milepoint overlays

The Colorado Trail is considered by many to be the most beautiful “long trail” in the world. Spanning 486 miles from the Denver suburbs to Durango, the trail passes through six national forests and six wilderness areas, traverses five major river systems, and crosses eight mountain ranges.

The ninth edition of The Colorado Trail has all the information a day hiker, thru-hiker, mountain biker, or equestrian needs to plan and complete a trip on the trail. New to this edition are five chapters on the 80-mile Collegiate West trail addition. Maps and written descriptions for all twenty-eight segments of the Colorado Trail have also been updated throughout the guide.

Each chapter provides essential logistical information for Colorado Trail hikers: trailhead directions; road access points; detailed trail descriptions including distance and elevation gain; color maps and elevation profiles; and information on water sources, campsite locations, and resupply towns. Additional town maps and mountain bike detour maps (around Wilderness Areas) have been included throughout the book.

An extensive introduction includes information on planning, supplying, safety, equipment, navigation, mountain biking, horseback riding, regulations, and backcountry ethics—plus chapters on the heritage of The Colorado Trail, natural history, and geology. At the back of the book you will find useful contact information and an index.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937052331
Publisher:	Colorado Mountain Club
Publication date:	06/06/2016
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	393,075
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

The Colorado Trail Foundation, based in Golden, Colorado, is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to the maintenance of Colorado trails. You can find them online at, coloradotrail.org

Table of Contents

The Colorado Trail Map 8

Foreword Gudy Gaskill 11

The Colorado Trail Foundation 12

How to Use This Guide 16

Planning for The Colorado Trail 20

The Heritage of The Colorado Trail 43

The Natural History of The Colorado Trail 50

Geology Along The Colorado Trail 59

For ease of navigation, sections of this guidebook are organized by color

Waterloo Canyon Trailhead to Kenosha Pass (Segments 1-5)

Segment 1 Waterton Canyon Trailhead to South Platte River Trailhead 66

Segment 2 South Platte River Trailhead to Little Scraggy Trailhead 74

Segment 3 Little Scraggy Trailhead to Rolling Creek Trailhead 80

Segment 4 Rolling Creek Trailhead to Long Gulch 86

Segment 5 Long Gulch to Kenosha Pass 94

Kenosha Pass to Mount Massive Trailhead (Segments 6-10)

Segment 6 Kenosha Pass to Gold Hill Trailhead 100

Segment 7 Gold Hill Trailhead to Copper Mountain 110

Segment 8 Copper Mountain to Tennessee Pass 118

Segment 9 Tennessee Pass to Timberline Lake Trailhead 128

Segment 10 Timberline Lake Trailhead to Mount Massive Trailhead 136

Mount Massive Trailhead to Marshall Pass (Segments 11-15)

Segment 11 Mount Massive Trailhead to Clear Creek Road 146

Segment 12 Clear Creek Road to Silver Creek Trailhead 154

Segment 13 Silver Creek Trailhead to Chalk Creek Trailhead 160

Segment 14 Chalk Creek Trailhead to US Hwy 50 170

Segment 15 US Hwy 50 to Marshall Pass Trailhead 178

Marshall Pass to San Luis Pass (Segments 16-20)

Segment 16 Marshall Pass Trailhead to Sargents Mesa 184

Segment 17 Sargents Mesa to CO Hwy 114 190

Segment 18 CO Hwy 114 to Saguache Park Road 196

Segment 19 Saguache Park Road to Eddiesville Trailhead 204

Segment 20 Eddiesville Trailhead to San Luis Pass 210

San Luis Pass to Junction Creek Trailhead (Segments 21-28)

Segment 21 San Luis Pass to Spring Creek Pass Trailhead 216

Segment 22 Spring Creek Pass Trailhead to Carson Saddle 224

Segment 23 Carson Saddle to Stony Pass Trailhead 230

Segment 24 Stony Pass Trailhead to Molas Pass 238

Segment 25 Molas Pass to Bolam Pass Road 248

Segment 26 Bolam Pass Road to Hotel Draw Road 256

Segment 27 Hotel Draw Road to Kennebec Trailhead 264

Segment 28 Kennebec Trailhead to Junction Creek Trailhead 272

Collegiate West, Twin Lakes to S. Fooses Ridge (Segments CW01-CW05)

Segment CW01 Twin Lakes to Sheep Gulch 282

Segment CW02 Sheep Gulch to Cottonwood Pass Trailhead 290

Segment CW03 Cottonwood Pass Trailhead to Tincup Pass Road 298

Segment CW04 Tincup Pass Road to Boss Lake Trailhead 306

Segment CW05 Boss Lake Trailhead to Ridge Above South Fooses Creek 314

Appendices

Forest Service Ranger Districts 322

Leave No Trace 323

Index 326