Colorado · Trail 19

Keyser Ridge

Keyser Ridge Trail is a 12.5-mile trail in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, snowmobile, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It enters Byers Peak Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Arapaho and Roosevelt 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 end39.8960° N, 106.0831° W · Directions ↗
Other end39.8819° N, 106.0379° 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 4 segments.

The trail

Length12.5 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed
Typesnow trail, land trail
Surfacenative material, snow
Typical grade5-8 percent, 12-20 percent
Typical tread width48-60 inches, 18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesOpen to at least one motorized use
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers19, SNO-140
ForestArapaho and Roosevelt National Forests (unit 0210)
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 Keyser Ridge Trail10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.94 inches of precipitation, 24.7 inches of snowFebruary: 1.43 inches of precipitation, 24.7 inches of snowMarch: 1.79 inches of precipitation, 19.4 inches of snowApril: 2.04 inches of precipitation, 18.6 inches of snowMay: 1.27 inches of precipitation, 3.0 inches of snowJune: 1.18 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowJuly: 1.90 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.73 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.63 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowOctober: 1.62 inches of precipitation, 9.5 inches of snowNovember: 1.37 inches of precipitation, 16.2 inches of snowDecember: 1.68 inches of precipitation, 25.5 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 14.9°F averageFebruary: 18.2°F averageMarch: 26.7°F averageApril: 35.4°F averageMay: 44.5°F averageJune: 52.5°F averageJuly: 57.4°F averageAugust: 55.6°F averageSeptember: 48.6°F averageOctober: 38.3°F averageNovember: 25.3°F averageDecember: 15.0°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Fraser, 12 miles from the trail midpoint at 8,560 feet, station USC00053116 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 143 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 06/01 to 11/15 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 06/01 to 11/15 (month/day)
SnowmobileAllowed 11/16 to 05/31 (month/day)
SnowshoeingAllowed 11/16 to 05/31 (month/day)
Cross-country skiingAllowed 11/16 to 05/31 (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.

Wilderness

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

Keyser Ridge Trailhead
No season published
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

  • Prescribed
    Harris Park Broadcast Rx

    39 mi from the trail midpoint · 390 acres

  • Prescribed
    Front Country Broadcast Rx

    41 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Wildfire
    Willow

    50 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

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 Keyser Ridge Trail?

The Forest Service records 12.5 miles under this name in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, the sum of 4 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Keyser Ridge Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock, snowmobile, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing 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 Keyser Ridge Trail start?

The line begins at 39.8960° N, 106.0831° W and ends at 39.8819° N, 106.0379° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Keyser Ridge 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 Keyser Ridge Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Byers Peak Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Byers Peak Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Keyser Ridge Trail?

Horseshoe Campground (0.5 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 Keyser Ridge Trail?

Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately 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 Keyser Ridge Trail?

The typical grade is 5-8 percent on most segments and 12-20 percent on others. The typical tread is 48-60 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Keyser Ridge Trail?

Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Forest Service unit 0210. The trail is in Colorado.

Source: Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests official page

Is there a fire near the Keyser Ridge Trail?

The interagency feed shows 3 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Harris Park Broadcast Rx at 39 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 4 segments named Keyser Ridge in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0210. 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.