Picket Wire Canyonlands
Picket Wire Canyonlands Trail is an 8.5-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.
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 | 37.6597° N, 103.5709° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 37.5942° N, 103.6386° 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 2 segments.
The trail
| Length | 8.5 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed; 4, highly developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 5-8 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 1871 |
| 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.
Trailheads
Withers Canyon Trailhead No season published Park in designated areas. No shooting. Use existing fire grates. | 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
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Picket Wire Canyonlands Trail?
The Forest Service records 8.5 miles under this name in Pike and San Isabel National Forests, the sum of 2 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Picket Wire Canyonlands 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 Picket Wire Canyonlands Trail start?
The line begins at 37.6597° N, 103.5709° W and ends at 37.5942° N, 103.6386° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Withers Canyon Trailhead, 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Picket Wire Canyonlands 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 Picket Wire Canyonlands Trail?
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.
How developed is the Picket Wire Canyonlands 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 Picket Wire Canyonlands Trail?
The typical grade is 5-8 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Picket Wire Canyonlands Trail?
Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Forest Service unit 0212. The trail is in Colorado.
Source
This page is built from 2 segments named Picket Wire Canyonlands 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.