Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek Trail is a 24.8-mile trail in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2 to 4, moderately developed to highly developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, snowmobile, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It enters Indian Peaks Wilderness and Comanche Peak Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests 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 | 40.5793° N, 105.6181° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 39.9363° N, 105.9746° 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 13 segments.
The trail
| Length | 24.8 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed; 4, highly developed |
| Type | snow trail, land trail |
| Surface | native material, snow |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent, 5-8 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches, over 120 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Open to at least one motorized use |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 911, 942, SNO-133 |
| Forest | Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests (unit 0210) |
| 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 06/01 to 10/31 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
| Snowmobile | Allowed 11/16 to 05/31 (month/day) |
| Snowshoeing | Allowed 11/16 to 05/31 (month/day) |
| Cross-country skiing | Allowed 11/16 to 05/31 (month/day) |
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
- Indian Peaks WildernessFS · about 22% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Comanche Peak WildernessFS · about 16% 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
Beaver Creek Trailhead No season published Prohibited: Pack animals (horses/llamas); recreational shooting (except for legal hunting) and being on trails posted as closed. Brainard Lake Recreation Area Summer Season (May 1 - Nov 14): Dogs must be on a hand-held leash at all times; when open, developed camping is only allowed at Pawnee Campground (no camping in closed campgrounds); dispersed camping is only allowed north of the South St Vrain Creek. Brainard Lake Recreation Area Winter Season (Nov 15 - Apr 30): Motorized vehicles are prohibited; dogs allowed only on the Brainard Lake and Lefthand Park Reservoir Roads; camping is prohibited within 1/4 mile of developed recreation sites except Red Rock Lake; skis only on Little Raven and CMC Ski Trail. Practice Leave No Trace principles. Fishing and Hunting: Permitted in accordance with regulations established by Colorado Parks & Wildlife. | under 0.1 mi |
Coney Flats Trailhead No season published Indian Peaks Wilderness restrictions apply: Motorized equipment and mechanized transportation are prohibited. Pets must be on a hand-held leash at all times. Campfires are prohibited year round. Campsites must be at least 100 feet away from water and trail. Group size is limited to 12 (people and stock combined). Processed weed-free feed is required for stock. Practice Leave No Trace principles. Fishing and hunting: permitted in accordance with regulations established by Colorado Parks & Wildlife. | under 0.1 mi |
Mitchell Lake Trailhead No season published · Due to its high elevation, the Brainard area is not generally snow-free until July. The seasonally-open Brainard Lake Road is typically open in late June and closes mid-October. Prohibited: Pack animals (horses/llamas); recreational shooting (except for legal hunting) and being on trails posted as closed. Brainard Lake Recreation Area Summer Season (May 1 - Nov 14): Dogs must be on a hand-held leash at all times; when open, developed camping is only allowed at Pawnee Campground (no camping in closed campgrounds); dispersed camping is only allowed north of the South St Vrain Creek. Brainard Lake Recreation Area Winter Season (Nov 15 - Apr 30): Motorized vehicles are prohibited; dogs allowed only on the Brainard Lake and Lefthand Park Reservoir Roads; camping is prohibited within 1/4 mile of developed recreation sites except Red Rock Lake; skis only on Little Raven and CMC Ski Trail. Practice Leave No Trace principles. Fishing and Hunting: Permitted in accordance with regulations established by Colorado Parks & Wildlife. | 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
- PrescribedFront Country Broadcast Rx
35 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedHarris Park Broadcast Rx
43 mi from the trail midpoint · 390 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Park units nearby
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for Indian Peaks Wilderness and Colorado
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- A Fly Fishing Guide to Colorado's Indian Peaks Wilderness AreaSteven B. Schweitzer and Michael Kruise, 2024Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Beaver Creek Trail?
The Forest Service records 24.8 miles under this name in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, the sum of 13 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Beaver Creek Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, snowmobile, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing 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 Beaver Creek Trail start?
The line begins at 40.5793° N, 105.6181° W and ends at 39.9363° N, 105.9746° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Beaver Creek Trailhead, 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 Beaver Creek Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Indian Peaks Wilderness and Comanche Peak Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Indian Peaks Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Beaver Creek Trail?
Pawnee (0.3 mi), Pawnee Campground (0.8 mi) and Tom Bennett Campground (1.9 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 5 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Beaver Creek Trail?
Trail class 2 to 4, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed to highly 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 Beaver Creek Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent on most segments and 5-8 percent on others. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Beaver Creek Trail?
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Forest Service unit 0210. The trail is in Colorado.
Source: Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests official page
Is there a fire near the Beaver Creek Trail?
The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Front Country Broadcast Rx at 35 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 13 segments named Beaver Creek in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0210. 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.