San Juan National Forest · Colorado · Trail 529

Vallecito

Vallecito Trail is a 19.5 miles trail in San Juan National Forest, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Weminuche 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 end37.4777, -107.5444 · Directions ↗
Other end37.7048, -107.5199 · 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 4 segments.

The trail

Length19.5 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers529
ForestSan Juan National Forest (unit 0213)
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.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 06/01 to 09/30 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 06/01 to 09/30 (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.

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. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

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
    Gold Mountain

    33 mi from the trail midpoint · 39,747 acres · 92% contained

  • Wildfire
    Elk

    38 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,257 acres · 73% contained

  • Prescribed
    Wolf Creek Rx

    41 mi from the trail midpoint · 1 acres

  • Wildfire
    Swiss Roll

    43 mi from the trail midpoint · 775 acres · 0% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Vallecito Trail?

19.5 miles, the sum of the 4 segments the Forest Service records under this name in San Juan National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Vallecito Trail?

hiking and horse and pack stock. 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 Vallecito Trail start?

The line begins at 37.4777, -107.5444 and ends at 37.7048, -107.5199. 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 Vallecito Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Weminuche Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Weminuche Wilderness Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Vallecito Trail?

Vallecito Campground (0.1 mi), Pine River (3 mi) and Middle Mountain (4.8 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Vallecito Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as 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 Vallecito Trail?

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

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Vallecito Trail?

San Juan National Forest, Forest Service unit 0213. The trail is in Colorado.

Source: San Juan National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Vallecito Trail?

4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Gold Mountain at 33 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 4 segments named VALLECITO 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 September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.