Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. Elk Creek Colorado Trail Located in a neighboring New Castle, hike just a portion of the trail or leave early and go for the long haul on this 18-mile round trip hike. I looooove this trail. Access fromDurango & Silverton Railroad: Visitors may utilize. An official website of the On a small stream, twitching the fly to supply movement, while keeping the fly in the water longer, can be key to success. The campground is convenient to the South San Juan Wilderness. Great views. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. Access fromDurango & Silverton Railroad: Visitors may utilize. Great trail. Because theres no obvious turn around point, its important for hikers to remember that they must retrace the same distance already walked, so plan accordingly. It can be a reset button for your life. (970)945-2521, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recreation/hunting/recarea/?recid=82867&actid=54, Williams Peak and Ginright (Fourmile)Timber Sale Project Area Restrictions, The lower part of the trail features severalsites and artifactsfrom historic gold mining operations. Just about a mile in. Rio Grande National Forest, Conejos Peak Ranger District. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Rainroad Elk Park train stop. Enjoy one final view of the area, and then complete the trail at the intersection with Road 651. Phone: 719-657-3321 Map showing recreational areas. LockA locked padlock Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. The MLS number of this property is 8386827 . At Elk Falls Pond, a third trail, the Lion's Back Trail, leads another 1 mile up to the Elk Falls Overlook. The best times to visit this trail are May through October. Streamersfrequently overlooked for fishing such narrow waterwaysare especially effective in high or stained water during and after a heavy rain, when large trout attack baitfish patterns from many excellent holding lies. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. The third day we hiked ~11 miles, starting with 2 miles downhill and then 7 miles to the top of columbine pass and then 2 miles down to camp at Chicago basin. Highly recommend. Got there too late in afternoon to make it all the way to the end though. We got off the train at elk park ~11:45am and hiked ~6 miles uphill the first day. Be prepared for a lot of bugs and rain. I would bring a hiking pole to navigate some of the scree jags. Share sensitive information only United States. Usage: Moderate to heavy In early summer, water levels drop gradually, and runoff subsides. Outfitter-guides who receive any form of compensation must obtain a special-use permit to operate on public land. The trout manage to survive this demanding environment by hiding in deep pools below the winter ice, and beneath undercut banks. "Moderate" seems an understatement. Again, a lot of trees were down that we had to circumnavigate. ( Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. No conditions reported in the past 7 days. These and others within the wilderness area are fed by runoff from the high peaks, and provide great fishing for brook trout in clear, icy water. This same attraction can also affect other aspects of your wilderness experience, by decreasing overall solitude with increased visitation. Good views, variety of terrain and landscape you walk through. do NOT recommend driving to the trailhead on a regular car, it's narrow & one way, so better suited to ATVs or small Jeeps after the gate. Join Rodrigo Salles and Ross Purnell in their quest to catch these magnificent jungle fish, and become the first outsiders to participate in this ancient ritual. View the Map for the East Elk Creek and Spring Creek Trails (.pdf document), From New Castle, CO travel northwest on County Road 245. The walk down a single lane unused road along the creek to the trail is a nice walk in itself. Durango, CO 81301 Have to beat the storms up here! Completed this loop early July 2021. Adventure into the Flat Tops Wilderness! Along this segment, the trail crosses through stands of willow, cottonwood, aspen, and eventually spruce and fir. 15.2 miles - Turn right on "Zoom" single track for 1.0 miles. This is a popular trail for hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Some gentle ups and downs. Many . It's best to present the fly from downstream, allowing you to remain undetected. Erosion taking over on a couple sketchy drops. COTREX is a project by the Colorado DNR and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). We ended up finishing around 5pm on the 5th day, so instead of waiting around for the return train to Durango on day 6, we took the train to Silverton for lunch, then rode the whole return trip to Durango. Glenwood Springs: A History of Taking Fun to the Extreme! 3 days, 2 nights. Here the road becomes progressively more primitive, but keep going another 4.3 miles to reach the parking lot. Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan describes the main forage foods of trout in alpine environments, including baitfish, crustaceans, and insects. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. I got injured jumping off the bridge there, so we couldn't complete the hike north over hunchback pass, and down Elk creekwe were kinda bummed. This was a great trail & relatively flat, but we got off trail accidentally and went down a steep hill which we then had to climb back up to get back on track. My childhood hike, worth it to see meadows. Took me just a little longer as I tend to go slower and take a lot of pictures Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Getting to the trailhead in a VW hatch was a breeze. From the trail head to the South San Juan Wilderness boundary only. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Rainroad Elk Park train stop. website belongs to an official government organization in the Well maintained trail. Great trail. Weather. Camping is not allowed within 100 feet of any water source. At Second Meadows, the creek's banks are lined with vegetation, making a stealthy approach to the trout more challenging. Motorcycle Riding. Access from Molas Trail: Travel north for 42 miles on US Highway 550 towards Silverton.Turn east (right) at Molas Lake. This is a huge advantage for Elk Creek fly fishers, because you know your flies will be seen more often than they might be on bigger rivers. The Forest Service will start a large-scale trail-clearing . To exit we kept walking all the way to Purgatory. | A lot of UP. This is a very popular area for birding, camping, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail begins by climbing high above Elk Creek where the valley narrows overlooking the boulder-strewn stream. A gorgeous fall hike, lots of color. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Beautiful hike! Sad to see all the beetle damage. Elk Creek Campground is for day use and overnight use. COTREX is a project by the Colorado DNR and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Colors are definitely changing and seemed to be more vibrant as I gained elevation. Suitable camping sites are dispersed along the valley. ) or https:// means you've safely The best times to visit this trail are May through September. Summer and fall are the two main fishing seasons, allowing four months during which to plan your journey: June, July, August, and even September (weather permitting, with cooler weather). There was a new amazing view after every turn. Bring an extra blood bag as you'll need to counter what's sucked out of you by the mosquitoes. Motorcycle Riding. This trail was beautiful, once you actually got to it. Also visible is the famous Painted Wall, the tallest cliff in Colorado (2,250 ft.), as well as rock islands jutting up from the depths of the canyon. Some fallen trees. *In the spring of 2019, four massive avalanches barreled across the Elk Creek Trail covering the trail with debris in four separates areas. 15 Burnett Court Hike 5 miles down Molas Trail to Elk Park, than an additional 1 mile to Elk Creek Trail. Loved it, follows fast flowing creek and at one point, about 3 miles in, can follow iff trail into open area where creek has numerous flows(fisherman there). This approach is located at 11,700ft and provides access to the Vestal Group from the east via Upper Elk Creek & Vallecito Creek. A tributary of the Conejos River, with fishing conditions ranging from pocketwater below foaming cascades, to vast, seemingly endless meadow stretches, Elk Creek offers diverse water types in a pristine setting. The trail then follows the valley, with Elk Creek meandering slowly through the wide, flat First, Second and Third Meadows. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. This multi-use trail can be used both directions with a 1,141 ft black diamond climb. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. Select a dry fly with enough buoyancy to suspend the nymph throughout the drift without sinking. This trail is great, cant wait to go back and takes lots of family pics along the way! 15 Burnett Court Griffith's Gnat #20-24; Brooks Sprout Midge black/olive #20-22; Garcia's Rojo Midge red/black #18-22; Jujubee Midge black/olive #20-24; Mercury Black Beauty #20-24; Pure Midge Larva black/red/cream #20-24. Durango, CO 81301 on official, secure websites. Even when the water narrows, or begins to run thin, it still provides enough holding water for sizable trout. Check trailhead signs or Forest Service Offices for site-specific camping, campfire, and livestock regulations. Easy/Intermediate. The creek's placid, fertile water here holds larger trout than the canyon, and the fishing is good. Rio Grande National Forest, 1803 W. Highway 160 In high water, the trout do not see as many surface foods, making subsurface imitations like nymphs, emergers, and streamers their main focus. The mountain scenery is spectacular the whole way, and you cross over several high passes along the way. Rate Difficulty (optional) Easy. Consider a day trip on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad (steam) which offers a 64-mile journey through abandoned mining towns. I've done a lot of trails in the areathis one is my new favorite. The trail is a significant distance from town. Just north ofMolas Pass, turn right (east) into dirt parking lot. It is common to see the naturals land on the water from the grass lining the water's edge in the four meadow stretches. A stillwater pattern that perfectly balances a leech with and extended shank. This horse property is in the Elk Creek Village subdivision and the neighborhood. Little bit of snow and good water resources for dogs. Please respect nearby private landowners when accessing this area. Subscriber Services. The more exposed areas will heat up quickly. After crossing the creek, continue for another 0.5 miles to an intersection with Spring Creek Trail #2068, which is just past a second creek crossing with a log bridge. The trail joins the Continental Divide Scenic Trail #813 directly above Dipping Lakes. Very isolated in the middle of the trail, we only saw 1 other person each day. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. Over the Guardrail is a story about finding and creating adventures in your own backyard, and using time on the water to heal yourself and recharge yourself. We made the decision to cut our trek short. To properly set up a dry-dropper rig, you first want to use a fairly heavy fluorocarbon leader to help turn over a larger fly on every cast. The trail is in great condition until the second meadow, a couple of downed trees, but not much else. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. East Elk Creek Trail #1841 is 6.9 miles long and is the closest Forest Service recreation site to the Town of New Castle. Population Willow and me. Traffic thins out toward the end. Theres a point on the drive up that you cant get past, so you have to actually park and walk 1.5 miles until you get to the trailhead. I'm fortunate enough to enjoy this trail weekly. Official websites use .gov A .gov The most effective way to fish the canyon is with dry flies or dry-dropper rigs, which prevent snags and allow short drifts over prime water. Preview trail Hiking River Views Wildflowers Wildlife Description Camping sites 29 through 42 are located in the overflow loop (no picnic tables or fireplaces). I highly recommend it. The second approach is to twitch the streamer as it swings inside an undercut bank. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Great backpacking experience!! Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 6 min to complete. Seasonal weather conditions and natural events may render designated roads, trails, and areas impassable for extended periods. Great trail. 16.2 miles - Continue straight on "Chainsaw" single track for .7 . His web site is landonmayer.com. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Stop for a quick break, but plan to keep hiking, as the best fishing lies another three miles upstream in the vast stretches of the Second, Third, and Fourth meadows in the South San Juan Wilderness Area. This jigging technique will allow you present streamers to trout that would be otherwise unapproachable. Other trails which can be reached via the El Creek Trail are the Notch Trail #729 and the Rough Creek Trail #727. The narrow water continues as you enter Third and Fourth meadows. There will be several more creek crossings over the next three miles. Seasonal weather conditions and natural events may render designated roads, trails, and areas impassable for extended periods. One of the biggest assets of Elk Creek is its expansive public water. One of the biggest drawing points of the Elk Creektrail is the unique opportunity to combine a Wilderness trip with a ride on a steam locomotive. Uphill. This was our third trek on this trail. You then pass over the continental divide twice and the train picks you back up. Fishing: Elk Creek is rated good for rainbow and brook trout in the lower section of the creek. Molas Lake to Animas River via Molas Trail, Vestal Basin via Colorado and Elk Creek Trail, Stony Pass, ATV Trail 821, and Cinnamon Pass OHV Route. It begins at Forest Road 128 and ends at Forest Trail 813. Then, as your streamer swings to your side of the creek, twitch the rod tip while applying tension to the line. Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. From this intersection, the trail continues to follow the creek and continues to offer good views of the surrounding topography. We'll be adding 2.7 miles this year, thanks to a grant from Colorado Parks and Wildlife with matching funds from Team Evergreen Cycling. 50 inches. Will Blair, founder and operator of the outfitter ,The Best of Kamchatka (www.thebestofkamchatka.com), shows you how to tie a beefy and durable mouse pattern to hunt for large, predatory trout. Elk Creek - Colorado Trail Avalanches $55,810 maintenance grant The Columbine Ranger District will use this grant to address the historic avalanche cycle of 2019, which left four large debris fields along the Elk Creek section of the Colorado Trail in the Weminuche Wilderness. Official websites use .gov A .gov There are two ways to approach this presentation problem. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. Get Here. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Spectacular views along Forest road 250 of the Conejos Canyon and River. I'll never forget it. To reach the trailhead, take 7th Street/Midland, which becomes the Buford Road (CR 245). 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