Colorado · Trail 6149

Buck

Buck Trail is a 9.7-mile trail in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, ATV and e-bikes.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison 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 end38.3302° N, 108.1201° W · Directions ↗
Other end38.3105° N, 108.1339° 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 6 segments.

The trail

Length9.7 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesOpen to at least one motorized use
AccessibilityEvaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers6149
ForestGrand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (unit 0204)
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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Buck Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.41 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.42 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.62 inches of precipitationApril: 0.78 inches of precipitationMay: 0.82 inches of precipitationJune: 0.36 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.80 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.90 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.17 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.98 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.56 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.46 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 27.2°F averageFebruary: 33.7°F averageMarch: 42.1°F averageApril: 49.2°F averageMay: 58.6°F averageJune: 68.7°F averageJuly: 74.0°F averageAugust: 71.4°F averageSeptember: 63.2°F averageOctober: 50.7°F averageNovember: 38.1°F averageDecember: 27.3°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Montrose Rgnl AP, 17 miles from the trail midpoint at 5,759 feet, station USW00093013 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 8 inches a year. The station sits about 3,200 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round
MotorcycleAllowed 07/01 to 09/02 (month/day)
ATVAllowed 07/01 to 09/02 (month/day)
E-bikesAllowed 07/01 to 09/02 (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.

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.

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

  • Prescribed
    Upd Baldy Mountain Piles Rx

    30 mi from the trail midpoint · 120 acres

  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

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

  • Prescribed
    Groundhog Piles Rx

    35 mi from the trail midpoint · 30 acres

  • Prescribed
    Dawson Rx

    45 mi from the trail midpoint

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

Explore

Guidebooks for Colorado

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Hiking Colorado's Western Slope
    Bill Haggerty, 2025
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Dog Hikes Colorado
    Emma Walker, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes Colorado Springs
    Stewart M. Green, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best wildflower hikes Colorado
    Chris Kassar, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best hikes Colorado's Indian Peaks Wilderness
    Kent Dannen, 2017
    Find 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 Buck Trail?

The Forest Service records 9.7 miles under this name in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, the sum of 6 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Buck 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 Buck Trail start?

The line begins at 38.3302° N, 108.1201° W and ends at 38.3105° N, 108.1339° W. 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 Buck 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 Buck Trail?

Iron Springs Campground (1.2 mi) is within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists it with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Buck 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 Buck Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Buck Trail accessible?

No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Buck Trail?

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, Forest Service unit 0204. The trail is in Colorado.

Source: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests official page

Is there a fire near the Buck Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Upd Baldy Mountain Piles Rx at 30 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 6 segments named Buck in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0204. 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.