While this trailhead is a bit of a drive from the Front Range of Colorado, choosing this hike can make for a lovely day trip. The drive on Highway 285 and then on Lost Park Road is pleasant, and the hike is a very easy stroll through a wide valley. You might even spot a moose on the creek!
Trail Description: Compared to much of the CT, this trailhead is incredibly civilized and easy to find. From the Kenosha Campground it’s about 1 ¼ hours of driving to get there, but it’s all so pleasant that we recommend it for beginners and families.
The trail begins by crossing the North Fork Lost Creek on a huge, wide piece of wood that serves as a bridge (no rails – hold a small child’s hand!) The CT is just across the creek. Head left onto the CT. You’ll immediately see a registration box where you can fill out a form that lets the Forest Service know how much use the trail is getting. The form is used to monitor use of the Lost Creek Wilderness, but this section of trail never actually goes into the official Wilderness, so you needn’t bother with this.
We hiked a little over three miles out, but you can hike another 5.6 miles to the “Gate at Top of Saddle”, as FarOut calls it. The whole distance we hiked was a gentle uphill with almost no rocks on the trail. The valley is beautiful, with a creek and beaver dams along the way. The creek and beaver ponds are easier to see as you hike back downhill – a reminder of why “out and back” hiking has its rewards. Wildflowers line the trail and, if you’re lucky, you might see a moose munching down by the creek! There is very little shade for some stretches of this hike, so it is best done on a cool day or in the morning. Bring your bug spray – some through hikers complain about the mosquitos and flies at wetter times of the year. If you need relief from the sun, the forest is just about 20-50 yards uphill off the trail where you could duck into the shade for a rest break.
Note: The Brookside McCurdy trail overlaps with the CT for much of this hike. After hiking 2.4 miles, you’ll get to a trail junction where the Brookside McCurdy trail heads off to the right, uphill and into the woods while the Colorado Trail continues along the valley.
Features: Beautiful views of the valley. Wildflowers, including rabbit bush with its bright yellow flowers and purple elephant’s head along the streams. The occasional moose!
Terrain: Single-track. This may be the least-challenging, gentlest “walk in the park” that you’ll find on the CT.
Difficulty: Easy peasy!
Getting There: While this is a long drive, it is easy and very pretty. From Denver, head west on Highway 285; or from Fairplay, head east on Highway 285. 3.1 miles west of Kenosha Pass, turn south/east onto Lost Park Road (it is well marked with signage on 285). Drive 16 miles on this well-maintained road. This road is wash boarded for the first few miles, but actually gets better the further you go! Turn left onto Forest Road 134 and drive another 3.9 miles to the Trailhead, which is at the end of the road – you can’t miss it! Forest Road 134 is less maintained and takes about a half-hour to drive, but it is Subaru-able – needing an all-wheel drive car with a little bit of clearance.
Parking: There is parking at the Trailhead for about 4 cars, depending on how people park their cars. If the parking area is full, there are campsites nearby that generally have plenty of parking.
Length of Hike: Our hike to a confidence marker was 6 miles roundtrip. If you want a longer hike, you could continue for as long as you want, of course, but the nearest real high point is the “Top of the Saddle” and that would make for an 11.2-mile roundtrip hike. If you have little kids with you or someone with limited mobility, we’d recommend hiking just a half mile from the trailhead to a couple of creeks, which are pretty and have wildflowers lining them.
Elevation: Trailhead: 10,196. Turnaround: about 10,500. Gate at Top of Saddle: 10,918.
Day Hiking the Colorado Trail 