Colorado · Trail 17

St. Louis Divide

St. Louis Divide Trail is a 12.1-mile trail in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. 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 end39.8811° N, 105.9463° W · Directions ↗
Other end39.8096° N, 105.9042° 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

Length12.1 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
National designationNational Scenic or Historic Trail
Trail numbers17
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 St. Louis Divide 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, 11 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. The station sits about 3,500 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 06/01 to 11/15 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 06/01 to 11/15 (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

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

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

    32 mi from the trail midpoint · 390 acres

  • Prescribed
    Front Country Broadcast Rx

    43 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Wildfire
    Willow

    48 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 St. Louis Divide Trail?

The Forest Service records 12.1 miles under this name in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, the sum of 2 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the St. Louis Divide Trail?

Hiking and horse and pack stock 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 St. Louis Divide Trail start?

The line begins at 39.8811° N, 105.9463° W and ends at 39.8096° N, 105.9042° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the St. Louis Divide 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 St. Louis Divide Trail?

Sugarloaf Campground (3.3 mi), South Fork Campgound (3.5 mi) and South Fork Group Site (3.6 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 3 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the St. Louis Divide 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 St. Louis Divide Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the St. Louis Divide Trail a national trail?

Yes. The record marks it as a National Scenic or Historic Trail.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the St. Louis Divide 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 St. Louis Divide 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 32 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 2 segments named St. Louis Divide 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.