Lion Gulch Trail (& Homestead Meadows)

Location

There are two routes to the trailhead:

1. Drive up the Big Thompson Canyon on US-34. Before reaching Lake Estes make a left onto Mall Road, a Larimer County connector road passing over the Big Thompson River below the dam. This will take you to US-36. Turn left and head southeast on US-36 for about six miles. The trailhead is located on the right side of the road at mile marker 8.
2. Drive west of Longmont on CO-66 to the town of Lyons, and then head northwest on US-36 for about 12 miles. The trailhead is located on the left side of the road. Facilities and trailer parking are available at the trailhead. Riders: The trail can be difficult for horses because erosion on steep sections has exposed rocks.

Description

At the trailhead, there is a double-sided information board about the history of Lion Gulch and Homestead Meadows. Lion Gulch is one of the most heavily used trails in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District. Heavy use by horses, hikers, and bikers, as well as environmental damage from rains after the Big Elk Fire, which burned more than 4,400 acres of forest and meadows over 10 days in July 2002, has caused severe erosion problems and hazardous trail conditions at certain points along the trail.

The trail descends to a bridge that crosses the North Fork of the Little Thompson River, where there is an informational plaque about Homestead Meadows. At 0.3 mile you will find a second bridge, the first of 9 crossings of a small stream that courses through Lion Gulch. There is a fork in the trail shortly after you cross the bridge, the left fork for hikers goes up the hill, while the right fork for horses parallels the North Fork of the Little Thompson. If you want to you could take the horse trail on the way in and the foot trail on the way out, or vice versa. These trails merge about 0.1 mile up the hill where horses and hikers share the same trail. There is another bridge (N40°18.736’ W105°24.778’) about a mile from the trailhead, and the crossings after that will be either via single or double logs or fords. Practice caution in the gulch if heavy rains are present, flooding has been known to occur. Look for improper campsites and campfires too close to the stream. At the halfway point the trail switches through a rock outcropping, (N40°18.567’ W105°25.315’). Continue in a westerly direction for about 1.4 miles and you will find an information sign about the Homestead Act. There is an unmarked spur trail that heads south where you can find another stock tank. The main trail junction (N40°18.482’  W105°26.741’)  is about 0.1 mi. west of the information sign and there are several signs there that tell you where to go to visit the homesteads.

There are eight homesteads in this area, which were built between 1889 and 1923. The Walker and Griffith Homesteads are just to the North of the trail junction. The Irvin and Brown homesteads are about 1.5 miles further to the north. To reach the other four homesteads, Engert, Hill, Laycook and Boren, turn south at the trail junction and take the respective trails that will lead you to these homesteads. If you are on horseback there is a stock tank just to the north of the trail junction before you reach the Walker Homestead.

GPS Coordinates

Northern Area of Meadows

Southern Area of Meadows