Only made it up 2.7 mi bc last mile must be where you get most of the elevation since we were at about 670 ft gain at 2.7 mi. Nature: Singletrack Status: Phase One complete, Phase Two under construction It is lightly wooded with spruce and some ponderosa pines. I would bring a hiking pole to navigate some of the scree jags. Fishing: Elk Creek is rated good for rainbow and brook trout in the lower section of the creek. First meadow is 3 miles from the trailhead. This trail is considered most difficult. It is verdant throughout, hiking along the creek the whole time. Rate Quality . Access from Molas Trail: Travel north for 42 miles on US Highway 550 towards Silverton.Turn east (right) at Molas Lake. I looooove this trail. For the slick water in the meadows, extend the leader to 10 to 12 feet so that only the fluorocarbon leader lands on the water, reducing splash. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. COTREX is a project by the Colorado DNR and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The short feature was filmed and produced by Fly Fisherman on the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, with Josh Burnham and Fly Fisherman editor/publisher Ross Purnell. 2023 - Visit Glenwood Springs. From the trail head to the South San Juan Wilderness boundary only. Share sensitive information only The Great to explore though. Elk Creek Trail #503 is part of the Colorado Trail, traversing the mountains from Denver to Durango. The tread is packed earth and loose rock. My wife and I completed this hike in September of 2016 and loved it. Elk Creek Colorado Trail Located in a neighboring New Castle, hike just a portion of the trail or leave early and go for the long haul on this 18-mile round trip hike. Biking. Good primitive camp site at the far end of the meadow in the trees and near the creek for water to filter. Many . These and others within the wilderness area are fed by runoff from the high peaks, and provide great fishing for brook trout in clear, icy water. Elk Creek Trail 731, Duck Lake 732 and Posos Trail 732 can be accessed from here. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. Not much elevation gain but lots of up and down. We had a couple of long days and some short days with lots of time to relax. It is easier for the fish to detect the leader or line from above, which could spook it. Please note that FR-654 is rough and narrow and there is only room for 2-3 vehicles at the end of the road. But if a storm blows in, bringing hours of heavy rain, the water rises quickly. This trail is considered most difficult. Larimer County. United States government. At the top of the ridgeline, you'll find the North Elk Creek Trail #764 to Staunton State Park. This should slow your pace and help you present the fly without spooking the fish. You follow along Elk Creek the entire way and theres beautiful waterfalls. The trail extends 18 miles to the Flattops. Seasonal weather conditions and natural events may render designated roads, trails, and areas impassable for extended periods. Want to report conditions for this trail? Consider a day trip on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad (steam) which offers a 64-mile journey through abandoned mining towns. The trail follows the creek and is really nice. Designation of a road, trail, or area should not be interpreted as an invitation to all types of travel or as an implication that the road, trail, or area is passable, actively maintained, or safe for travel. About 1.2 miles from Castle Valley Boulevards intersection with the Buford Road, take the right branch of the Y onto East Elk Road (CR 241). Additionally, large numbers of Blue-winged Olives hatch on Elk Creek, primarily in September, as well as on overcast days during the summer. Pennsylvania smallmouth and trout guide Jake Villwock shows you how to tie one of his signature flies, The Roamer. We were exhausted by the time we reached the shack and decided to camp there for the night. We got to the train stop at noon and the train picked us up at 3pm. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. While it did have some beautiful parts, Particularly at the top of the Continental Divide and Columbine Pass, I was disappointed by the avalanche debris in the first 6 miles and the lack of trail maintenance on the section below hunchback pass to the Vallecito Bridge. Great sounds! Most people are accustomed to fishing streamers in big rivers, and don't think of using them in smaller streams. I'm fortunate enough to enjoy this trail weekly. Map Information. Snowmobiling. Uncompahgre Valley, and Bostwick Park. Subscriber Services. Great trail with beautiful views! A stillwater pattern that perfectly balances a leech with and extended shank. A short continuation will lead to the Elk Falls Trail, which will lead you on a steep descent to North Elk Creek. On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). on official, secure websites. But any days in the woods are better than most days doing anything else. We made it to Chicago Basin and I made it to the "saddle" of Sunlight peak before talking myself out of going up the rest of the way (regretting it to this day). At 1.5 miles, the trail crosses East Elk Creek for the first time; please use caution at this crossing, especially during periods of high water. Nice hike overall. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Rainroad Elk Park train stop. This trail is great, cant wait to go back and takes lots of family pics along the way! Camping is not allowed within 100 feet of any water source. Rio Grande National Forest, 1803 W. Highway 160 The Forest Service will start a large-scale trail-clearing . Elk Creek Trail #503 is part of the Colorado Trail, traversing the mountains from Denver to Durango. Durango, CO 81301 No obstacles. I liked it better than the Grizzly Creek hike in Glenwood Canyon. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Rainroad Elk Park train stop. Staunton Ranch Trail to Bugling Elk Featured Route 5.9mi Staunton SP. East Elk Creek Trail is open to foot and horse travel. We definitely underestimated the length and altitude. Molas Lake to Animas River via Molas Trail, Vestal Basin via Colorado and Elk Creek Trail, Stony Pass, ATV Trail 821, and Cinnamon Pass OHV Route. One of the biggest drawing points of the Elk Creektrail is the unique opportunity to combine a Wilderness trip with a ride on a steam locomotive. This was my first hike of more than five miles. These features, along with access to the Continental Divide Trail, make Elk Creek one of the most heavily used trails in the Weminuche Wilderness. The trail starts by crossing a wooden bridge across East Elk Creek. Continental Divide National Scenic Trail #813, South Fork Conejos, Rincon, and Roaring Gulch Loop, Continental Divide Trail: Lagunitas Section, Lilly Pond and Kerr Lake via Forest Road 257. 15 Burnett Court It can be a reset button for your life. Share sensitive information only Map showing recreational areas. The best fishing is in the meadows along the trail, where the meandering creek averages 6 to 10 feet wide, with some pools as deep as 8 feet. There are a lot of trees down throughout the Johnson Creek and Needle Creek drainages - another hiker counted 155 trees across the trail on the way down from Chicago Basin to Needleton, but it looks like the FS is working their way up, clearing from the bottom up. The drive to reach this trailhead is long and somewhat rough (moderate to rough in difficulty) requiring over 25 miles on 4x4 roads. 16.2 miles - Continue straight on "Chainsaw" single track for .7 . This was our third trek on this trail. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Camping is not allowed within 100 feet of any water source. Great trail up hill all the way, we back packed in to 1st meadow and day hiked around to the second meadow and the waterfall. Completed this loop early July 2021. We'll be adding 2.7 miles this year, thanks to a grant from Colorado Parks and Wildlife with matching funds from Team Evergreen Cycling. On Brazil's Xingu River, Kayapo warriors use the enormous fangs from vampire fish to cut and scar their arms. At Elk Falls Pond, a third trail, the Lion's Back Trail, leads another 1 mile up to the Elk Falls Overlook. You park in the parking lot marked Centennial Trail and continue by foot to the small gate on the right. | No description for Elk Creek Trail trail has been added yet! Just after entering Elk Creek CG cross the bridge and take the trail leading south along the bank of Elk Creek. Mostly empty of other hikers - only saw one group of horseback riders. Official websites use .gov A .gov The meadows are full of wildflowers and the Forrest is lush and green. Elk Creek Trail #503 is part of the Colorado Trail, traversing the mountains from Denver to Durango. The trail is well traveled by fishermen, hikers and horse packers and is easy to follow. Erosion taking over on a couple sketchy drops. We went in late January, so it was covered in snow, but there was a bit of the path packed down, so it was easier to hike. We ended up turning back. Tons of butterflies, flowers, and lizards. website belongs to an official government organization in the Hearing Impaired: 719-852-6271, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/riogrande/recarea/?recid=29522, Rio Grande NF Motorized Travel & Game Retrival. By tying the connecting knot at the bend of the hook and not the hook eye, you will help prevent tangles while false casting. As the trail gradually climbs, the creek begins to narrow just before you reach Third Meadowsapproximately another mile up the trail. Elk Creek provides excellent opportunities for trout fishing along its entire length. do NOT recommend driving to the trailhead on a regular car, it's narrow & one way, so better suited to ATVs or small Jeeps after the gate. Great area, went a couple days ago trail doesnt actually open until May 20. After at least an hour of hiking, you'll reach First Meadows. But this stretch is only about a half mile long and receives the most fishing pressure because it is close to the trailhead. Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. A really incredible trip with unbeatable views! Highlights were kite lake, columbine pass, and Chicago basin. Could hear the creek which is nice, but you dont see it much. This multi-use trail can be used both directions. My dog and I loved it! Experience this 8.3-mile out-and-back trail near Antonito, Colorado. 1 July. There was another group who did this, and the train staff didn't seem to have any problem with it (we had paid for a RT ticket anyway). Achieve this by selecting the proper length for your leader. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. Map Information, White River Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 I got injured jumping off the bridge there, so we couldn't complete the hike north over hunchback pass, and down Elk creekwe were kinda bummed. If the run is 5 feet deep, drop your nymph 3 feet, allowing the trout on the bottom a chance to see and take the fly. Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). Join Rodrigo Salles and Ross Purnell in their quest to catch these magnificent jungle fish, and become the first outsiders to participate in this ancient ritual. (970)945-2521, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recreation/hunting/recarea/?recid=82867&actid=54, Williams Peak and Ginright (Fourmile)Timber Sale Project Area Restrictions, The lower part of the trail features severalsites and artifactsfrom historic gold mining operations. Lots of flowers, waterfalls, and views. Elk Creek is home to native cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbows, cuttbows, and brown trout from 12 to 22 inches. All other sites are side-by-side pull-throughwith no tables and seven grills. Great trail. In the winter it's too cold for good fishing at these high elevations, and spring melt creates raging water flows. This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. This is an awesome hike through some extremely beautiful woodland. United States government. The meadow at 3 miles in is beautiful and great spot to fish. If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. There are two ways to approach this presentation problem. Most visitors choose to not go the whole distance. . The Elk Creek trail is 15.0 miles long. Colorado Mountain . No conditions reported in the past 7 days. The varied terrain between the meadows creates cover and safety for the fish. Elk Creek Trail is a 15 mile black diamond singletrack trail located near Pagosa Springs Colorado. Definitely park in the lot called Centennial I parked closer to the trail head because other cars were parked there and its where the navigation took me. *In the spring of 2019, four massive avalanches barreled across the Elk Creek Trail covering the trail with debris in four separates areas. Even crossed paths with three different types of baby snakes! View the Map for the East Elk Creek and Spring Creek Trails (.pdf document), From New Castle, CO travel northwest on County Road 245. LockA locked padlock Some gentle ups and downs. Overnight backpacking was fun at First Meadow. Trail, USFS-Pike and San Isabel National Forest - Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. Landon Mayer photo. There was a new amazing view after every turn. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 1 h 7 min to complete. Then, when you are ready to deliver the fly, "fire it in there" as John Barr would say, above the trout. Have to beat the storms up here! When selecting flies for Elk Creek, choose the patterns that most effectively imitate the life cycles of the foods the fish key on. Elk Creek - Colorado Trail Avalanches $55,810 maintenance grant The Columbine Ranger District will use this grant to address the historic avalanche cycle of 2019, which left four large debris fields along the Elk Creek section of the Colorado Trail in the Weminuche Wilderness. Get Here. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! Uses: Hiking On day three, we made our way up and over the Continental Divide and into the beautiful meadow just below Hunchback Pass.
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