Rio Grande National Forest · Colorado · Trail 900

Bristol Head Overlook

Bristol Head Overlook Trail is a 0.2 miles trail in Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

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 end37.8485, -107.1498 · Directions ↗
Other end37.8480, -107.1485 · 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

Length0.2 miles, of which 0.2 miles evaluated accessible
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade0-5 percent
Typical tread width24-36 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityAt least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers900
ForestRio Grande National Forest (unit 0209)
StatesColorado
Detail publishedmanagement 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.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 05/01 to 10/31 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed 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.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

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. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

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

  • Wildfire
    Elk

    22 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,257 acres · 73% contained

  • Prescribed
    Wolf Creek Rx

    32 mi from the trail midpoint · 1 acres

  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

    32 mi from the trail midpoint · 39,747 acres · 92% contained

  • Wildfire
    Swiss Roll

    38 mi from the trail midpoint · 775 acres · 0% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Bristol Head Overlook Trail?

0.2 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Rio Grande National Forest. 0.2 miles of that are evaluated as accessible.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Bristol Head Overlook Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Bristol Head Overlook Trail start?

The line begins at 37.8485, -107.1498 and ends at 37.8480, -107.1485. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Bristol Head Overlook Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Bristol Head Overlook Trail?

North Clear Creek Campground (1.1 mi), Silver Thread Campground (1.4 mi) and Bristol Head Campground (2 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Bristol Head Overlook Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as 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 Bristol Head Overlook Trail?

The typical grade is 0-5 percent. The typical tread is 24-36 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Bristol Head Overlook Trail accessible?

The Forest Service has evaluated 0.2 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is native material.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Bristol Head Overlook Trail?

Rio Grande National Forest, Forest Service unit 0209. The trail is in Colorado.

Source: Rio Grande National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Bristol Head Overlook Trail?

4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Elk at 22 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named BRISTOL HEAD OVERLOOK 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 September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.