Wheeler
Wheeler Trail is a 10.1-mile trail in Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters La Garita Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Rio Grande 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 | 37.8134° N, 106.7372° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 37.9013° N, 106.7846° 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 5 segments.
The trail
| Length | 10.1 miles |
| Trail class | 3, 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 | 790 |
| Forest | Rio Grande National Forest (unit 0209) |
| 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 year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed 05/01 to 10/31 (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
- La Garita WildernessFS · about 63% 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
East Bellows Trailhead # 790 Open May No Motorized vehicles or motorcycles allowed on the trail into the Wilderness. | 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
- PrescribedEast Bench Piles Rx
8 mi from the trail midpoint · 5 acres
- PrescribedWolf Creek Piles Rx
26 mi from the trail midpoint · 2 acres
- PrescribedSargents Mesa Piles Rx
36 mi from the trail midpoint · 116 acres
- PrescribedBoogie Piles Rx
36 mi from the trail midpoint · 171 acres
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 Wheeler Trail?
The Forest Service records 10.1 miles under this name in Rio Grande National Forest, the sum of 5 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Wheeler 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 Wheeler Trail start?
The line begins at 37.8134° N, 106.7372° W and ends at 37.9013° N, 106.7846° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is East Bellows Trailhead # 790, 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 Wheeler Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters La Garita Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: La Garita Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Wheeler Trail?
Hansen Mill Dispersed Camping (under 0.1 mi) and Palisade Campground (4.6 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 2 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Wheeler 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 Wheeler Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Wheeler Trail?
Rio Grande National Forest, Forest Service unit 0209. The trail is in Colorado.
Is there a fire near the Wheeler Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest East Bench Piles Rx at 8 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 5 segments named Wheeler in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0209. 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.