Leave No Trace
Overview
| Wilderness One Way Length Beginning Elevation Peak elevation Gain/Loss/Net Gain Ratings USFS Regulations Trails Illustrated Quadrangle |
None 4.5 miles (northern trailhead to junction with Elkhorn Baldy Road) 9,348 10,689 1,608/267/+1,341 Hikers – Moderate; Stock Riders – Moderate National Forest #111 Red Feather Lakes, Glendevey South Bald Mountain |
Location
From Ted’s Place, drive north on US-287 for 10.5 miles to the “forks” at Livermore, turn left and head up the Red Feather Lakes Road (CR-74E), to the community of Red Feather Lakes. Just past the Pot Belly Deli & Bar the road will turn to gravel and become the Deadman Road (CR-162). Follow it to the trailhead, located on a ridge to your left, two miles after passing a Forest Service gate and the emergency call box. Total distance from the Forks to the trailhead is 28.5 miles. Facilities are available at the North Fork Poudre Campground, just beyond the Killpecker Trailhead, 2.8 miles further up the road. Adequate horse trailer parking is available at the trailhead. No water available at trailhead. The upper third of this trail has poor footing for stock, and you may encounter ATVs illegally on this trail. Note that motorcycles are legal.
| GPS Coordinates Northern trailhead Elkhorn Baldy Road |
N40°48.502’ W105°40.232’ Map N40°45.669’ W105°42.394’ |
Description
The first part of the trail is relatively level to North Lone Pine Creek. From here the trail turns to the southwest, passing through a predominantly lodgepole pine forest, and goes by an abandoned Forest Service experiment shed. Continue climbing up Lone Pine Creek, making two stream crossings. Further uphill, the trail makes two crossings of a logging road (FDR-333). Watch for cairns or tree blazes indicating the trail. Along the way you will have good views of the Red Feather Lakes and of South and Middle Bald Mountains. You will come to a small outcropping of granite on your left where the trail is poorly defined except by cairns. There are several isolated limber pines along the trail in this area. If you wish, you can mark your location and climb North Bald Mountain. From the summit of North Bald Mountain you will have panoramic views of the Mummy Range to the south, the Medicine Bow Mountains to the west and north, and the valleys and plains stretching to the east. A portion of the upper trail passes through a somewhat boggy area that has many water-loving wildflowers. From the outcropping, continue on to the southwest, passing through a dry, open, mixed forest consisting of lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce with a dense carpet of grouseberry plants covering the ground to the east of Middle Bald Mountain and eventually intersecting the Elkhorn Baldy Road just south of Middle Bald Mountain.
