Colorado
Colorado Trail is a 193.8-mile trail in Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3 to 4, developed to highly developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, Lost Creek Wilderness and Mount Massive Wilderness and 2 other wilderness areas.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Pike and San Isabel 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 | 39.4724° N, 105.1334° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 38.3503° N, 106.2489° 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 72 segments.
The trail
| Length | 193.8 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed; 4, highly developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | imported compacted material, native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 1776 |
| Forest | Pike and San Isabel National Forests (unit 0212) |
| 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 |
| Mountain biking | 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
- Collegiate Peaks WildernessFS · about 8% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Lost Creek WildernessFS · about 7% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Mount Massive WildernessFS · about 4% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Holy Cross WildernessFS · about 3% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Mount Massive WildernessFWS · about 1% 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
Tennessee Pass Trailhead No season published | under 0.1 mi |
Rock Creek Trailhead No season published · This area is open year round; however, access will be difficult during the winter months. Wilderness restrictions apply in Lost Creek Wilderness. | under 0.1 mi |
Long Gulch Trailhead No season published · The trailhead is open year round, over access to it is difficult in the winter months because of snow. Mountain biking may only occur on the segments of the Colorado and Brookside/McCurdy trails that are outside of the wilderness area between the Long Gulch and Lost Park trailheads. | 0.1 mi |
North Fork Trailhead No season published Mountain biking may only occur on the segments of the Colorado and Brookside/McCurdy trails that are outside of the wilderness area between the Long Gulch and Lost Park trailheads. | 0.1 mi |
Buffalo Trailhead Open Open year-round · This trail is open year round; however, weather may make access difficult especially in the winter and spring months. | 0.1 mi |
Shinglemill Trailhead Open Open year-round Dogs must be leashed at all times. Pack it in; pack it out. Practice Leave No Trace principles. Stay on designated trail. Do not cut switchbacks. | 0.1 mi |
Little Scraggy Trailhead Open year-round | 0.1 mi |
Bear Lake Trailhead No season published Wilderness regulations apply | 0.2 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
- PrescribedHarris Park Broadcast Rx
15 mi from the trail midpoint · 390 acres
- PrescribedO'Brien 2 Broadcast Rx
24 mi from the trail midpoint · 267 acres
- PrescribedRoad Gulch 2 Rx
29 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedRainbow Gulch Rx
37 mi from the trail midpoint · 912 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 Colorado Trail?
The Forest Service records 193.8 miles under this name in Pike and San Isabel National Forests, the sum of 72 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Colorado Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Colorado Trail start?
The line begins at 39.4724° N, 105.1334° W and ends at 38.3503° N, 106.2489° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Tennessee Pass 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 Colorado Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, Lost Creek Wilderness and Mount Massive Wilderness and 2 other wilderness areas. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Colorado Trail?
Angel Of Shavano (under 0.1 mi), Kenosha Pass Campground (under 0.1 mi) and Meadows Group Campground (under 0.1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 8 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Colorado Trail?
Trail class 3 to 4, which the Forest Service describes as 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 Colorado Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Colorado Trail?
Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Forest Service unit 0212. The trail is in Colorado.
Is there a fire near the Colorado Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Harris Park Broadcast Rx at 15 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 72 segments named Colorado in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0212. 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.