Archuleta
Archuleta Trail is a 19.7-mile trail in Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2 to 3, moderately developed to developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, ATV and e-bikes. It enters Weminuche Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Rio Grande National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 37.0331° N, 106.5536° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 37.1113° N, 106.6058° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 5 segments.
The trail
| Length | 19.7 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed; 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 8-10 percent, 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches, 36-48 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Open to at least one motorized use |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 741, 839 |
| Forest | Rio Grande National Forest (unit 0209) |
| States | Colorado |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed 05/01 to 10/31 (month/day) |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
| Motorcycle | Allowed year-round |
| ATV | Allowed 05/01 to 11/15 (month/day) |
| E-bikes | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Weminuche WildernessFS · about 29% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
Archuleta Trailhead - Trails # 741 & # 740 No season published | under 0.1 mi |
Big Meadows/Archuleta Trailhead # 839 Open June No Overnight Camping at the trailhead. No motorized uses within the Weminuche Wilderness Area. No camping, horse holding, or campfire building within 200 feet of the shoreline at Archuleta Lake. | under 0.1 mi |
Chama River Trailhead - Trail # 738 No season published | 0.1 mi |
Chama Basin Trailhead - Trail # 738 No season published | 0.1 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedMogote Campground Piles Rx
19 mi from the trail midpoint · 72 acres
- PrescribedRito Hondo Piles Rx
20 mi from the trail midpoint · 60 acres
- PrescribedWolf Creek Piles Rx
31 mi from the trail midpoint · 2 acres
- PrescribedWillow Irtc Piles Fall Rx
34 mi from the trail midpoint · 411 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for Colorado
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Archuleta Trail?
The Forest Service records 19.7 miles under this name in Rio Grande National Forest, the sum of 5 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Archuleta Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, ATV and e-bikes are allowed. The trail is open to at least one motorized use. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Archuleta Trail start?
The line begins at 37.0331° N, 106.5536° W and ends at 37.1113° N, 106.6058° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Archuleta Trailhead - Trails # 741 & # 740, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Archuleta Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Weminuche Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Weminuche Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Archuleta Trail?
Big Meadows Reservoir Campground (South Central Co) (0.4 mi), Big Meadows Campground and Picnic Area (0.4 mi) and Tucker Ponds Campground (3.7 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 3 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Archuleta Trail?
Trail class 2 to 3, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed to developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Archuleta Trail?
The typical grade is 8-10 percent on most segments and 12-20 percent on others. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Archuleta Trail?
Rio Grande National Forest, Forest Service unit 0209. The trail is in Colorado.
Is there a fire near the Archuleta Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Mogote Campground Piles Rx at 19 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 5 segments named Archuleta in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0209. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.