Your email address will not be published. For additional information on alternative access points, visit: www.coloradotrail.org/waterton. So, in early May, I blocked off a weekend to hit the trail for the first time on Segment 1. When we arrived we noticed there were only a couple of parking spots available.  We paid the day use fee, left my car and drove on to the South Platte TH with hopes of getting a spot there and we did, the last spot. Featured Routes. Section hikers hike individual segments. Waterton Canyon will be closed March 18th until further notice due to COVID-19. We had originally planned to start in Durango (segment 28) and work our way northbound. There are 28 segments in total. The options are hiking from Roxborough State Park or Indian Creek Trailhead. Description. Plan ahead and if you are traveling from a location at a lower altitude – if headed east, take a few day rides from Durango to help acclimatise. The Colorado Trail is divided into 33 segments which includes a … Roxborough State Park is a beautiful area but it adds more miles on to the trail and because it is a State Park the entrance fee is higher. Your email address will not be published. How to thru-hike the Colorado Trail from end to end complete with a detailed and zoomable interactive map of the entire 486 mile long distance trail. Weather. 13.3mi — 1h 15m Jul 15, 2016 David Burton. Colorado Trail Segment 1 . Trail in Pike National Forest. For the first portion of this section of the Colorado Trail, you'll follow Waterton Canyon, which is the gateway to the CT. Segment one of the Colorado Trail starting at the Waterton Canyon just South is Denver, and ending at the South Platte River trailhead. Total Elevation Gain: 2,690ft Estimated Time to Complete: 6-7 Hours One Way Difficulty: Moderate Difficulty System Explained Pics of Segment 1 – From the Back of the Pack. Someone chose a wonderful area to camp with a great view. In the Lost Creek Wilderness, the trail tracks below the five highest of the Kenosha Mountains’ 12,000-foot peaks, and it’s snow-free as early as May. The shortest segment is … On day one I started off with a bang and decided to truck it the entire 16.8 miles down to segment 2, South Platte River trailhead. After that the trail flattens out for the most part, with a brief stretch of forested area that provides some shade. I hope they all have a wonderful journey.Â, Additional editing by my dad, Gordon Eaton III, “Attention. My goal is to hike all the segments SOBO but this one didn’t work out that way.Â, My hiking partner and I decided to hike on a Sunday. All mileages, average moving speed, overall average, and altitudes were determined by GPS except for Segment 1 (pre-GPS) and a portion of Segment 6 where reception was unreliable. My goal is to complete the entire CT in 5 years. Day 1 of a detailed online journal documenting a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. Me, at 7,265 ft. Close to the highpoint on this hike. Trail, USFS - Pike National Forest - South Platte Ranger District. Waterton Canyon, the traditional starting point for the CT is closed. From the start we could see Raleigh Peak and Chair Rocks off to the west. Colorado Trail - Segment 1 A call was put out last week by JT for an out & back group run on segment 1 of the Colorado Trail. We had hiked so far that the beginning of the hike and the hills around it could no longer be seen. Thru-hikers hike the entire trail from one end to the other in usually a little over one month. View 7 Day Forecast on weather.gov. We do not run, so we will walk it and so it begins. The route links eight groups of mountains, six National Forests, and six Wilderness Areas in one of the most coveted high … The first quarter of the trail is the majority of the climbing you'll do. The Colorado Trail Foundation suggested using one of two alternate starting Trails. August 2010. Below is a description for Colorado Trail Segment 1. Colorado Trail Segment 1 -Waterton Canyon Trailhead to South Platte River Trailhead. Colorado Trail Segment 1 On October 10, 2018 October 10, 2018 By ameaningfulfinale Perusing the Colorado Trail Ninth Edition, the official guidebook of the Colorado Trail Foundation (CTF, 2016), I noticed that for Segment 1, the elevation gain is 2,830’ while the elevation loss is 2,239’ feet, the highest elevation for this section is 7,517’. From this point, we were about 4.4 miles to the Indian Creek TH. Get Here. ELEVATION: average ~10,300 feet ROUTE: well maintained, popular trail, signed junctions GUIDEBOOK: Colorado Trail 9th Edition DATA BOOK: 7th Edition On day two, backtrack 3.4 miles to turn off-trail for a 1,300-foot climb of Zephyr Peak. Didn't go all the way to the top but made it just passed the dam into the Colorado trail single track entrance. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For now, I am section hiking the trail meaning I am hiking one segment at a time. However, the CT was closed near Durango due to the 416 fire.As an alternative, we decided to start at segment 8 and work our way southbound. I brought my MSR MiniWorks Ex water filter and filled up all my bottles at the crossing of Bear Creek. Learn how your comment data is processed. Colorado Trail (Segment 1) Waterton Canyon Trail The beginning of the Colorado Trail is the Waterton Canyon Trail segment adjacent to Chatfield State Park on Waterton Rd. So it is true you can start a hike uphill and finish a hike going uphill. We agreed to check that trailhead first. I thought it was on Saturday, but later found out the group was heading out on Sunday morning. Day 1 - Segment 1 - 16.80 Miles - From Waterton Canyon To South Platte River - After flying in from Boston yesterday, I checked out of Hostel Fish at 6:45 AM. This saved me at least an hour versus taking th Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Colorado Trail Segment 1 Facts. While other portions of the trail end up being remote, this section offers easy access and beautiful views of the South Platte. After climbing numerous switchbacks, we can look across part of Segment 2 at Raleigh Peak​. Day 1/Seg 1. I only had to wait three minutes for an Uber ride to Waterton Canyon, arriving at 7:25 AM. On day one, Sunday, we had originally planned to hike from the trailhead to a campsite noted in the guidebook from The Colorado Mountain Club at 11.8 miles into Segment One. A Few Comments: In 2011 I experienced Segment 1 from the Indian Creek trailhead twice. There are 28 segments in total. And each time I was reminded right away that biking the Colorado Trail is not just about ‘the bike’, it’s about ‘the hike’ too… hike-a-bike… learn to love it. Looking at the rolling hills in Pikes National Forest. From the Rock Creek trailhead, head seven miles west to a secluded camp. We had hiked 13.4 miles with over 3,100 feet of elevation gain. Another great view of Raleigh Peak, Segment 2, and Chair Rocks off in the distance. I’d decided to tackle the Colorado Trail in sections, at least for the first 100 miles, treating those sections as shakedown bonus hikes while feeling accomplished as I step toward Durango. Since that didn't work for me, I opted to go it alone on Saturday as it sounded like a fun, long run on "new to me" trails. A downed tree, probably due to the recent high winds. A good warm-up, the first 6 miles climb gradually along a dirt road, then turn onto rolling and climbing singletrack trail. Watch for bighorn sheep, elk and deer. Wildlife, Create Recommended Route or The Colorado Trail (CT) covers about 500 miles from Denver to Durango, Colorado. Jul 9, 2016 Neko1234 Fain. Section hikers hike individual segments. The trail begins at Waterton Canyon and follows a gravel road for the first seven miles. But after hiking up Waterton Canyon Road in just two hours and making Lenny's Rest through a very muggy, heavily forested area in another hour, we made it to this campsite at 11:30 AM. The trail starts at the end of CT - Segment 1 along the Platte River. More Stats for Colorado Trail (Seg 5.2) bike trail Denver, CO The Colorado Trail runs 500 miles from Denver to Durango. Total Length 16mi; Elevation Range This planning guide covers when to go, which direction, navigation, dangers, section highlights, elevation, wildlife, terrain difficulty, how long it takes and more. Trail Attributes. by Gordon | Jun 14, 2020 | Hiking | 0 comments. Required fields are marked *. Along the way, we saw several people starting on their thru-hikes and wished them well. Interactively explore all 500 miles of The Colorado Trail between Denver and Durango using topographic maps and satellite imagery. South bound is Denver to Durango and North bound is Durango to Denver. I had heard that parking at the Indian Creek TH could be crowded or full. The trail going through Pike National Forest. Through hikers & bikers would start in Waterton Canyon near Denver. This segment is popular for mountain biking, too. On our hike day the winds were very gusty which made the air feel cooler, something we would soon miss after hitting our high point and descending into the valley below.Â. Access to the upper portion of Waterton Canyon (Trail 1776, Colorado Trail) will remain open from Indian Creek Trail Head and Roxborough State Park. Colorado Trail Segment 4 is by far the most pretty of the first 4 segments while working through 16.6 miles of hiking and 3,330 feet of elevation gain. This is a moderate and very scenic route near Denver. 40,000 words and 1,500 photos. The SmartWater bottles are much lighter than the Nalgene bottles and it was a hot day so I needed a lot of water. Segment 7. The trail climbed up onto a ridge line that is at about 7000ft elevation. MAP: Trails Illustrated PERMITS: none (easy self-registration for wilderness areas) DESIGNATION: primarily 7 different National Forests BEST SEASONS: July, August, September DISTANCE: 485 miles from Denver to Durango WATER: I thru-hiked with 4 liters capacity. Like. This section of the famous trail is very popular due to its proximity to Denver and easy access to the trailhead. General Trail Information: Colorado Trail Segment 10 Virtual Trail Guide: Colorado Trail Segment 10 Colorado Trail Segment 10 Rating: ★★ (2/5 Stars) Distance: 13.1 Miles One Way Elevation Start: 10,043ft Highest Point: 11,310ft . Combine segment 7 with segment 8 for an excellent long weekend point-to-point on one of the most scenic sections of the Colorado Trail. We were tired and the trail seemed to go up forever, finally descending down to Bear Creek. We began our hike by following several switchbacks up the western slope of Russell Ridge and although we did not go to the top of the mountain, we reached a segment maximum elevation of 7,517 feet. These gentle mountains are part of the Rampart Range of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. You could get more water here if you needed, and then the trail starts to go back up. After the seven-mile road walk, the terrain became decently steep as it climbed and descended through the trees. Colorado Trail: Segment 1 is a 18 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Littleton, Colorado that features a river and is rated as difficult. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until September. Long Scraggy Peak is off to the left. I was so happy to see the car. After crossing Bear Creek again via logs we hiked up into the Indian Creek Campground and to my car. 8.9 miles from where we started. For 485 miles between Denver and Durango, the Colorado Trail (CT) winds over rocky, 13,000-foot peaks and passes, through wildflower-filled meadows, in and out of dusty mining towns, and past snow-clad vistas as it draws a line through Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Segment 1 of the Colorado Trail is easily accessible, located only 30 minutes from downtown Denver. Waterton Canyon Featured Route 12.5mi. We decided on the Indian Creek Trailhead.Â, Section hikers or thru-hikers can hike SOBO (South Bound) or NOBO (North Bound). Segments of the CT. Segment #1: Waterton Canyon to South Platte River. Length 18 miElevation gain 2795 ftRoute type Point to point. From the South Platte TH to the high point (7,517ft) is 4.2 miles.  Once we arrived at the high point, the next 4.7 miles the trail would gently loop around Russell Ridge, descending through forest until Lenny’s Rest. The Colorado Trail has an average elevation of over 10,000 feet (3,048 meters), which shouldn’t be taken lightly. Make it a Loop: Colorado Trail Segment 4 is an out and back hike. Our direction was decided for us by parking.Â, The NOBO route starts at the South Platte TH, in Pike National Forest. Copper Mountain Resort, at the segment’s end, makes a fun on-trail stop for food and beer, if that’s how you like to roll. Colorado Trail Segment Map; Virtual Tour; Location: Gateway Drive / Breckenridge, CO; Start Access: Paved roads; Trail Surface: Rocky single-track with sand and grass; Hike: Much of the first half of this segment has been devastated by pine beetles, with a result similar to the burned areas experienced earlier. Trail Summary: The Colorado Trail is a 485 mile hike that starts near Denver and ends in Durango, Colorado. There were several small water sources to refill our water bottles from and a water purification system is needed. This is the last place to fill your bottles for awhile and is 8.1 miles from where we started. Hiking the Colorado Trail: Segment 1 and 2 I am blessed to live within a 30-minute drive of the Colorado Trail. Lenny’s rest is a nice area with a bench in memory of Eagle Scout Leonard Southwell and this is where the trail splits. I imagine this is what traveling used to be like for many people. Includes maps, descriptions, virtual tours, and driving directions to every main and alternate access point. One of the country’s premier long trails, stretching from Denver (technically, Littleton) to Durango, the Colorado Trail winds its way 486-miles from central to the southwestern corner of Colorado. The last place to get water at Bear Creek. Thru-hikers hike the entire trail from one end to the other in usually a little over one month. For Segment 5 (Long Gulch Trailhead to Kenosha East Trailhead), bikes are not allowed beyond/east of the Rock Creek Road/NFSR 133 from the Rock Creek Trailhead. Lenny’s Rest. The shortest segment is 10.9 miles and the longest is 32.7 miles. The Colorado Trail (CT) covers about 500 miles from Denver to Durango, Colorado. Raleigh Peak is a prominent fixture when hiking segment 2 but this is the last time we would see it on this hike. If it were open, you could continue on to Waterton Canyon or you could go to Roxborough State Park or the Indian Creek Trailhead. This portion of the Colorado Trail is considered segment #1 of the 28 segment Colorado Trail. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. I think this is the first time I have ever looked around on a hike and didn’t see anything familiar. Speaking of bottles, on these longer hikes I carry one Nalgene and two SmartWater liter bottles. The Colorado Trail (CT) stretches 486 miles from Denver to Durango, and is divided into 28 segments. This day was honestly rather eventful. For more information visit: http://www.denverwater.org/Recreation/WatertonCanyon/”. COVID-19 closures have affected everyone and everything around us. 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