Colorado · Trail 49

Vail - Frisco Rec Path

Vail - Frisco Rec Path is a 14.2-mile trail in White River National Forest, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 5, fully developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The White River 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 end39.6266° N, 106.2750° W · Directions ↗
Other end39.5074° N, 106.2011° 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 6 segments.

The trail

Length14.2 miles
Trail class5, fully developed
Typeland trail
Surfaceasphalt
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers49
ForestWhite River National Forest (unit 0215)
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 Vail - Frisco Rec Path10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.98 inches of precipitation, 35.3 inches of snowFebruary: 2.01 inches of precipitation, 35.7 inches of snowMarch: 1.76 inches of precipitation, 28.2 inches of snowApril: 2.41 inches of precipitation, 21.2 inches of snowMay: 2.00 inches of precipitation, 4.8 inches of snowJune: 1.24 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJuly: 1.77 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.75 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.96 inches of precipitation, 0.9 inches of snowOctober: 1.83 inches of precipitation, 8.6 inches of snowNovember: 2.00 inches of precipitation, 25.9 inches of snowDecember: 1.73 inches of precipitation, 28.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 17.5°F averageFebruary: 21.1°F averageMarch: 29.2°F averageApril: 36.6°F averageMay: 45.7°F averageJune: 53.5°F averageJuly: 59.2°F averageAugust: 57.4°F averageSeptember: 50.3°F averageOctober: 39.7°F averageNovember: 26.4°F averageDecember: 17.6°F average0 in10 in20 in30 in40 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Vail, 8 miles from the trail midpoint at 8,304 feet, station USC00058575 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 22 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 189 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 1,800 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed 05/21 to 11/22 (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

Wilder Gulch TH #75
No season published
Summer: Closed to motor vehicles and mountain bikes Open to hiking and horseback riding Winter: See Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area for details.
under 0.1 mi
Corral Creek #41
No season published
Closed to motor vehicles. Open to Hike, Horse and Mountain Bike.
0.1 mi
Wheeler Lakes -Gore Range TH #60
No season published
Open to hiking and horseback riding Trail enters the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area.
0.1 mi
Gore Range TH #60
No season published
Trail enters the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area; hikers and equestrians only.
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
    Willow

    26 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,359 acres · 92% contained

  • Prescribed
    Harris Park Broadcast Rx

    40 mi from the trail midpoint · 390 acres

  • Prescribed
    North Trout Creek Rx

    50 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

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 Vail - Frisco Rec Path?

The Forest Service records 14.2 miles under this name in White River National Forest, the sum of 6 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Vail - Frisco Rec Path?

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 Vail - Frisco Rec Path start?

The line begins at 39.6266° N, 106.2750° W and ends at 39.5074° N, 106.2011° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Wilder Gulch TH #75, 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 Vail - Frisco Rec Path 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 Vail - Frisco Rec Path?

Gore Creek Campground (0.1 mi), Peak One (4.5 mi) and Pine Cove Campground (4.6 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 Vail - Frisco Rec Path?

Trail class 5, which the Forest Service describes as fully 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 Vail - Frisco Rec Path?

The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Vail - Frisco Rec Path?

White River National Forest, Forest Service unit 0215. The trail is in Colorado.

Source: White River National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Vail - Frisco Rec Path?

The interagency feed shows 3 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Willow at 26 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 6 segments named Vail - Frisco Rec Path in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0215. 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.