Carbonate Creek/Buckskin
Carbonate Creek/Buckskin Trail is a 6.7-mile trail in White River National Forest, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The White River 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 | 39.0727° N, 107.1843° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 39.0948° N, 107.1337° 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 | 6.7 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 1971 |
| Forest | White River National Forest (unit 0215) |
| 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 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
- Maroon Bells-Snowmass WildernessFS · about 73% 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
Carbonate Creek TH #1971 No season published Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness regulations protect this special place: Overnight permit required for overnight stays within the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit Zones. Food, trash and any scented items must be stored in an IGBC approved bear resistant container. Human food habituated bears are a threat to human safety. Visitors without approved bear resistant containers will be ticketed and required to leave. You must have a plan for human waste. Human waste bags (WAG) bags are highly recommended and are available free of charge at the Conundrum Creek and Snowmass Lake trailheads. WAG bags must be packed out. Learn more about how to use a WAG bag. If a WAG bag is not used, visitors are required to deposit solid human waste in holes dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet (70 paces) from water, camp and trails. Group size is limited to 10 with no more than 15 stock animals in one group. Large groups multiply impacts to the wilderness and disrupt the solitude of others. Dogs are prohibited in the Conundrum Creek Valley from Silver Dollar Pond to Triangle Pass, including the hot springs. Everywhere else, dogs must be leashed. Campfires are prohibited at all designated sites at Conundrum Hot Springs, Capitol Lake, Crater Lake and above 10,800 feet including Snowmass Lake. Campfires consume wood, accumulate trash, kill fragile alpine vegetation, sterilize the soil and scar the land. Lightweight camp stoves are recommended. Campers must camp in designated sites at Conundrum Hot Springs, Copper Lake, Crater Lake, Geneva Lake, Capitol Lake and Thomas Lakes. Everywhere else campers should set up more than 100 feet from lakes, streams and trails and use previously impacted campsites. Camp out of sight of others and away from fragile areas. | under 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
- PrescribedMain Mesa Piles Rx
38 mi from the trail midpoint · 366 acres
- WildfireWillow
40 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,359 acres · 92% contained
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 Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and 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 Carbonate Creek/Buckskin Trail?
The Forest Service records 6.7 miles under this name in White River National Forest, the sum of 5 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Carbonate Creek/Buckskin Trail?
Hiking and horse and pack stock are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Carbonate Creek/Buckskin Trail start?
The line begins at 39.0727° N, 107.1843° W and ends at 39.0948° N, 107.1337° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Carbonate Creek TH #1971, 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 Carbonate Creek/Buckskin Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Carbonate Creek/Buckskin Trail?
Bogan Flats Campground And Group (4 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 Carbonate Creek/Buckskin 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 Carbonate Creek/Buckskin Trail?
The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Carbonate Creek/Buckskin Trail?
White River National Forest, Forest Service unit 0215. The trail is in Colorado.
Is there a fire near the Carbonate Creek/Buckskin Trail?
The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Main Mesa Piles Rx at 38 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 5 segments named Carbonate Creek/Buckskin in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0215. 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.