Colorado
Colorado Trail is a 58.4-mile trail in White River 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 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 | 39.5407° N, 106.0206° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 39.3624° N, 106.3119° 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 18 segments.
The trail
| Length | 58.4 miles |
| Trail class | 3, 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 | 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 |
| 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.
Trailheads
Tennessee Pass Trailhead No season published | under 0.1 mi |
Wheeler National Recreation TH #39 No season published Closed to motor vehicles. Open to Hike, Horse and Mountain Bike. | under 0.1 mi |
Miners Creek TH #38 No season published | under 0.1 mi |
Gold Hill TH #79 No season published Closed to motor vehicles. | 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
- WildfireWillow
22 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,359 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedHarris Park Broadcast Rx
37 mi from the trail midpoint · 390 acres
- PrescribedNorth Trout Creek Rx
44 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
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 58.4 miles under this name in White River National Forest, the sum of 18 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 39.5407° N, 106.0206° W and ends at 39.3624° N, 106.3119° 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?
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 Colorado Trail?
Camp Hale East Fork Group (0.1 mi), Camp Hale Memorial (0.4 mi) and Jefferson Creek (3 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, 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 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?
White River National Forest, Forest Service unit 0215. The trail is in Colorado.
Is there a fire near the Colorado Trail?
The interagency feed shows 3 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Willow at 22 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 18 segments named Colorado 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.