8.7 miles - Veer right and continue on "Elk Creek Loop" trail for 4.0 miles. Official websites use .gov A .gov on official, secure websites. Outside the wilderness, the trail is open to mountain biking. Have to beat the storms up here! Larimer County. The creek's placid, fertile water here holds larger trout than the canyon, and the fishing is good. Trail could use some better signs, and GPS showed 3.7 miles vs 3 miles :). On newsstands January 3rd! Typically a 7-foot leader tapered to 4X works great. Overnight backpacking was fun at First Meadow. Possession of motorized equipment or motorized means of transport are not permitted. At the bridge that crosses the creek the real trail begins, and so does the climbing. United States government. Nature: Singletrack Status: Phase One complete, Phase Two under construction Strenuous at points. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock First meadow is 3 miles from the trailhead. *In the spring of 2019, four massive avalanches barreled across the Elk Creek Trail covering the trail with debris in four separates areas. connected to the .gov website. ) or https:// means you've safely 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. East Elk Creek Trail #1841 is 6.9 miles long and is the closest Forest Service recreation site to the Town of New Castle. Not much elevation gain but lots of up and down. Then, as your streamer swings to your side of the creek, twitch the rod tip while applying tension to the line. The trick to successful dry-fly fishing on Elk Creek is accuracy in pocketwater settings, when your drifts can be short in the calm water breaks around rocks. We camped at ~9300 ft. A little snow pack at the top but awesome along the river! This trail is considered most difficult. Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. Remember to slow down your casting stroke on both the forward cast and backcast, allowing enough time for the flies to turn over when using longer leaders. connected to the .gov website. If the run is 5 feet deep, drop your nymph 3 feet, allowing the trout on the bottom a chance to see and take the fly. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Possession of motorized equipment or motorized means of transport are not permitted. All Rights Reserved. There was another group who did this, and the train staff didn't seem to have any problem with it (we had paid for a RT ticket anyway). Mosquitos and biting flies swarm when you stop moving. Avalanche debris was cleared. This multi-use trail can be used both directions with a 1,141 ft black diamond climb. Got there too late in afternoon to make it all the way to the end though. When you have selected the correct dry, attach a piece of 5X tippet to the bend of the hook. Please respect nearby private landowners when accessing this area. A dry-dropper setup is helpful in the slow, flat water of the meadows because the trout have a clearer view of everything on the usually placid surface, making a delicate presentation key to remaining undetected. Camping is not allowed within 100 feet of any water source. Flat. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Back at car 350. little traffic, some mountain bikers, will definitely do again. Roxboro, CO. Add Rating. The nature back there is unbelievable. Want to report conditions for this trail? Great trail with beautiful views! As they climb, visitors are treated to a variety of good views of East Elk Creek Canyon. Glenwood Springs: A History of Taking Fun to the Extreme! Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 10 min to complete. Preview trail Excellent trip, lots of varied terrain, meadows, forests, small mountain ponds and lakes, avalanche tree slides, large and small rock slides, multiple high passes with great views. Uncompahgre Valley, and Bostwick Park. Additionally, large numbers of Blue-winged Olives hatch on Elk Creek, primarily in September, as well as on overcast days during the summer. The trail seems dry, not many wild flowers to be seen,. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). The weather plays a big role in water conditions. Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. Good fishing. Get Here. Perform this maneuver while standing directly above the area where the trout is holding, knowing that the fish cannot see anything above its position. Remember to filter water and practice low-impact camping and follow all Wilderness restrictions. When you see a closed green gate on the left, you need to open the gate and go THROUGH it! Bring an extra blood bag as you'll need to counter what's sucked out of you by the mosquitoes. The trail is always very clear and easy to follow. . Just about a mile in. The narrow creek creates some challenging casting situations, and it's helpful to have a spotter here to direct your casts. Charlie Craven guides us step by step on how to tie this split-wing CDC mayfly dun imitation that descended from competitive fly fishing. To reach the trailhead, take 7th Street/Midland, which becomes the Buford Road (CR 245). If I were to do it again, I wouldve done a few more miles the first day - theres a nice campsite before the first peak. Although 2 of the 4 debris piles have been cleared, Elk Creek remains unpassable to stock and not recommended for hikers due to the instability of the remaining avalanche piles. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. This horse property has 2 bedrooms and 2 total baths. Durango, CO 81301 Really strenuous going up be we also went mid day when it was hot. Usage: Moderate to heavy It is easier for the fish to detect the leader or line from above, which could spook it. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. ATV Riding. on official, secure websites. Most visitors choose to not go the whole distance. Map Information. In the canyon areas, go with short leaders of 4 to 6 feet. The Colorado Trail Explorer online map and its underlying geospatial data are intended to depict physical features as they generally appear on the ground and are not intended to be used to determine title, ownership, legal boundaries, legal jurisdiction (including jurisdiction over roads or trails), or access restrictions that may be in place on Snowmobiling. Easy/Intermediate. Total Length 2.3mi; Elevation Range 9,957-10,431ft 474ft; Manager USFS Norwood Ranger District; Trail Number . Highly recommend. Snowshoeing. Firewood is not provided. The trail joins the Continental Divide Scenic Trail #813. Designation of a road, trail, or area should not be interpreted as an invitation to all types of travel or as an implication that the road, trail, or area is passable, actively maintained, or safe for travel. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Estes Park. We recommend it as long as you are ready to stay 7 days in the backcountry! website belongs to an official government organization in the You ride the Durango/Silverton Steam Train and it drops you off. The campground is composed of three loops, including overflow camping. The By redirecting your approach and position to a 45-degree angle below the fish, you can false cast directly upstream to determine your distance. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. Uses: Hiking 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. This is especially important when your position on the creek's edge is angled far away up- or downstream. There are also good climbing opportunities in the area. Getting to the trailhead in a VW hatch was a breeze. Columbia via the SE ridge by turning right on the Colorado Trail (CT) intersected at 1.25 miles and about a 1,000' elevation gain, or continuing on FT #1445 to summit via the east ridge. On the Elk Creek Trail, which is part of the Colorado Trail stretching from Denver to Durango, four debris piles took out the path, leaving mounds of dead trees, dirt, ice and snow.. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. Fishing: Elk Creek is rated good for rainbow and brook trout in the lower section of the creek. website belongs to an official government organization in the Instead, drift a nymph tied with a weighted bead, preferably tungsten, or lead substitute wire wrapped around the hook shank. Good easy trail! More potential for future phases. 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 is in great condition until the second meadow, a couple of downed trees, but not much else. There are a few camping sites near this junction. Elk Creek Trail #503 is part of the Colorado Trail, traversing the mountains from Denver to Durango. We are early 50s, fairly fit experienced hikers from Durango, and we gave ourselves 5 nights/6 days. The trail follows Elk Creek from its confluence with the Conejos River to its upper reaches and passes through a variety of terrain including deep canyons and wide meadowed valleys. At 5.2 miles, the trail cross East Elk Creek for a final time. 5 in Trail Running. There is public access to the Conejos River and Elk Creek. ( Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking to and fishing at mountain lakes. There is public access to the Conejos River and Elk Creek. An official website of the About 1.2 miles from Castle Valley Boulevards intersection with the Buford Road, take the right branch of the Y onto East Elk Road (CR 241). There were at least 5 if not 6 avalanche debris fields on the Elk creek trail. We got to the train stop at noon and the train picked us up at 3pm. On a small stream, twitching the fly to supply movement, while keeping the fly in the water longer, can be key to success. A really incredible trip with unbeatable views! Check trailhead signs or Forest Service Offices for site-specific camping, campfire, and livestock regulations. No obstacles. We met others that were completing this 36-40 mile trip as we were walking into the wilderness from Needleton. OHV Riding (>50") Nordic Skiing. Mechanized means of transport are not permitted (mountain bikes). Rate Quality . Very steep and pretty scrabbly first 1/2 Mille, nice views after. Great trail. Highly recommend! Great trail. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. 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