South Park
South Park Trail is a 15.3-mile trail in Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
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 | 39.5972° N, 105.7130° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 39.5092° N, 105.7940° 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 13 segments.
The trail
| Length | 15.3 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | snow trail, land trail |
| Surface | native material, snow |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 600, SNO-600 |
| 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 06/16 to 03/31 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed 06/16 to 03/31 (month/day) |
| Mountain biking | Allowed 06/16 to 03/31 (month/day) |
| Snowshoeing | Allowed 12/01 to 05/31 (month/day) |
| Cross-country skiing | Allowed 12/01 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.
Trailheads
Shelf Lake Trailhead No season published · High clearance 4WD recommended. | under 0.1 mi |
Guanella Pass Trailhead No season published Wilderness regulations apply in Mount Evans Wilderness: Dogs must be on a hand held leash. No motorized equipment or mechanized transportation. Camps, campfires and stock, where allowed, at least 100 feet from water and trails. Group size limited to 15 people and/or 10 pack/stock animals per party. Processed weed-free feed is required for stock. Guanella Pass road is a county road and parking along the road is prohibited. Plan to arrive early to the trailhead. | 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
- PrescribedHarris Park Broadcast Rx
15 mi from the trail midpoint · 390 acres
- WildfireWillow
41 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,359 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedO'Brien 2 Broadcast Rx
44 mi from the trail midpoint · 267 acres
- PrescribedNorth Trout Creek Rx
49 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 South Park Trail?
The Forest Service records 15.3 miles under this name in Pike and San Isabel National Forests, the sum of 13 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the South Park Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing 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 South Park Trail start?
The line begins at 39.5972° N, 105.7130° W and ends at 39.5092° N, 105.7940° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Shelf Lake 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 South Park 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 South Park Trail?
Guanella Pass (1.1 mi), Handcart (1.9 mi) and Hall Valley (1.9 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 6 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the South Park 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 South Park Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the South Park Trail accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the South Park Trail?
Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Forest Service unit 0212. The trail is in Colorado.
Is there a fire near the South Park Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Harris Park Broadcast Rx at 15 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 13 segments named South Park 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.