Colorado · Trail 821

Lost Trail

Lost Trail is a 6.5-mile trail in Rio Grande National Forest, 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 Rio Grande 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 end37.7716° N, 107.3573° W · Directions ↗
Other end37.8480° N, 107.3684° 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

Length6.5 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade8-10 percent
Typical tread width36-48 inches
Motor vehiclesOpen to at least one motorized use
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers821
ForestRio Grande National Forest (unit 0209)
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 Lost Trail10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.22 inches of precipitation, 19.3 inches of snowFebruary: 1.36 inches of precipitation, 18.8 inches of snowMarch: 1.37 inches of precipitation, 15.3 inches of snowApril: 1.33 inches of precipitation, 14.5 inches of snowMay: 1.12 inches of precipitation, 3.7 inches of snowJune: 0.84 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.21 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.93 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowSeptember: 2.49 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowOctober: 2.20 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowNovember: 1.38 inches of precipitation, 15.1 inches of snowDecember: 1.15 inches of precipitation, 12.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 15.2°F averageFebruary: 17.3°F averageMarch: 25.8°F averageApril: 34.8°F averageMay: 44.7°F averageJune: 53.4°F averageJuly: 59.0°F averageAugust: 57.0°F averageSeptember: 51.3°F averageOctober: 41.5°F averageNovember: 27.9°F averageDecember: 15.4°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Rio Grande Rsvr, 7 miles from the trail midpoint at 9,492 feet, station USC00057050 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 108 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round
MotorcycleAllowed year-round
ATVAllowed 05/01 to 12/01 (month/day)
E-bikesAllowed 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

Lost Trailhead #821
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

  • Wildfire
    Elk

    22 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,257 acres · 90% contained

  • Prescribed
    East Bench Piles Rx

    24 mi from the trail midpoint · 5 acres

  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

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

  • Prescribed
    Upd Baldy Mountain Piles Rx

    28 mi from the trail midpoint · 120 acres

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 Lost Trail?

The Forest Service records 6.5 miles under this name in Rio Grande National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Lost 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 Lost Trail start?

The line begins at 37.7716° N, 107.3573° W and ends at 37.8480° N, 107.3684° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Lost Trailhead #821, 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 Lost 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 Lost Trail?

Mill Creek Campground (4.3 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 Lost 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 Lost Trail?

The typical grade is 8-10 percent. The typical tread is 36-48 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Lost Trail?

Rio Grande National Forest, Forest Service unit 0209. The trail is in Colorado.

Source: Rio Grande National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Lost Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Elk at 22 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Lost Trail in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0209. 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.