Quartz Ridge
Quartz Ridge Trail is a 15.7-mile trail in San Juan National Forest, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters South San Juan Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The San Juan 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 | 37.4190° N, 106.7906° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 37.3870° N, 106.8468° 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 7 segments.
The trail
| Length | 15.7 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | 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 | 570 |
| Forest | San Juan National Forest (unit 0213) |
| 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.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed 06/01 to 09/30 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed 06/01 to 09/30 (month/day) |
| 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
- South San Juan WildernessFS · about 56% 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
Sand Creek 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
- PrescribedWolf Creek Piles Rx
9 mi from the trail midpoint · 2 acres
- PrescribedEast Bench Piles Rx
33 mi from the trail midpoint · 5 acres
- PrescribedMogote Campground Piles Rx
36 mi from the trail midpoint · 72 acres
- PrescribedRito Hondo Piles Rx
39 mi from the trail midpoint · 60 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Guidebooks for South San Juan Wilderness and Colorado
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Hiking Colorado's Weminuche and South San Juan Wilderness AreasDonna Ikenberry, 2014Find 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 Quartz Ridge Trail?
The Forest Service records 15.7 miles under this name in San Juan National Forest, the sum of 7 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Quartz Ridge Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Quartz Ridge Trail start?
The line begins at 37.4190° N, 106.7906° W and ends at 37.3870° N, 106.8468° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Sand Creek 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 Quartz Ridge Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters South San Juan Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: South San Juan Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Quartz Ridge Trail?
East Fork Campground (2.4 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 Quartz 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 Quartz Ridge Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Quartz Ridge Trail?
San Juan National Forest, Forest Service unit 0213. The trail is in Colorado.
Is there a fire near the Quartz Ridge Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Wolf Creek Piles Rx at 9 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 7 segments named Quartz Ridge in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0213. 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.