Buchanan Pass

Distance: 10 miles round trip
Elevation: 8,650 ft 9,816 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,166 ft (net), 1,366 ft (cumulative)
Date Hiked: 24 Sept 2015
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Dogs: Off leash until the wilderness boundary (5 miles)
Tags: #peaktopeak, #hike, #coloradooutdoors
Other hikes in area: Caribou Ranch, Lake Dorothy, Arapaho Glacier

Looking down on Middle Saint Vrain Creek  from the rocks around Timberline Falls on the Buchanan Pass Trail

The Buchanan Pass Trail is a gentle, wooded trail that travels from Camp Dick off Highway 7 north of Nederland, over the Continental Divide, to Monarch Lake. The full length is primarily used by backpackers but day hikers can easily do an out and back of any length. This post describes and out and back to the wilderness boundary located five miles in for a ten mile round trip hike.

Map to the trailhead

Parking area with kiosk to the left and 4x4 road straight ahead

Buchanan Pass is largely forested.

To access the trail, drive all the way to the end of FSR 1141 (through the Peaceful Valley and Camp Dick campgrounds) until the road dead ends at a large parking lot (see map). There is a kiosk to the left and a gnarly 4x4 road that heads due west. Start by hiking over the large pile of rocks at the start of the road. The rocks were put there by the Forest Service to deter anyone without a tank from proceeding further. The official trail veers to the right at 0.14 miles at an obvious trail sign.

Unnamed cascade along the creek

Fall color

At 2.3 miles in is the large rock overlooking a gorge that is technically Timberline Falls. You can't see much of the falls, but you can climb onto the boulder and for nice views up and down the river. This is a perfect destination for a shorter hike.

Another view of the creek from around Timberline Falls

Fall color

At 3.13 miles the route crosses the creek and at 3.75 miles it travels across a large talus field. Shortly thereafter, at 4 miles, is a very large meadow with views of Sawtooth Mountain (12,304 ft). A titan-sized gum ball on the right makes for a dramatic locale. This is another great place to turn around for a shorter hike.

Talus field from the far side looking back

Large meadow with views of Sawtooth Mountain

In the final mile between the meadow and the wilderness boundary, the route will rejoin the 4x4 road and walk along a rocky segment to a large backcountry camping spot. Stop here or continue a few hundred yards to the wilderness boundary.

Fall color

View of the creek near the backcountry camping spot. 

The Buchanan Pass Trail is a great spot to enjoy a long hike or a shorter hike with out of town guests. It is both serene, dog friendly, and lovely in the fall.

Intersecting the 4x4 road

Wilderness Boundary 

Colorado Trail (Segment 3) Wellington Lake to Buffalo Creek

Distance: 8 miles round trip
Elevation:8,262 ft - 8,390 ft
Elevation Gain: 935 ft (cumulative)
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: Off leash
Tags: #ColoradoTrail, #coloradooutdoors, #hiking
Other hikes in area: Gashouse Gulch, Pine Valley Loop

This short stint on segment 3 of the Colorado Trail is cushy on the paws and mellow romp through the trees.

The Colorado Trail stretches almost 500 miles across the state from Denver to Durago. Divided into 28 segments, it can be hiked in 4-6 weeks straight through, in segments, or just in bits and pieces because it is so dang beautiful.

Trailhead

On this trip I was looking for a trail I had not done that would allow an off leash dog. Looking on the topo map I decided to head down towards the Wellington Lake Trailhead and hike eastward (away from the wilderness area) toward the Buffalo Creek Trailhead.

This segment is mostly in the trees

This bit of the Colorado Trail was a delight. The ground was a magic carpet of pine needles...soft and nearly rock free. While in the trees most of the time, the forest was open and airy and I was able to keep and eye on the dog as she bolted hither and yon. It was so smooth and level that I found myself walking along at over 3 mph.

Rock piles occasionally appear

The only downside was the lack of water and the sparse views. There was one meadow with a view of the Castle, an eroded rock pinnacle to the west of Wellington Lake, but that was about it. There is a rifle range 3 miles in, which was very active. Handgun fire to small nuclear explosions could be heard a long way off.

Most of the trees are Ponderosa, but this stint contains mostly Lodgepole

You get to the trailhead from Denver by heading up highway 285 to Bailey and then south on Forest Service Road 560 towards Wellington Lake. 560 is paved for only a short distance but then becomes hard packed dirt. Two other FSRs branch off from 560. If you stay to the right you'll find the trailhead, which is located on the right hand side of the road and very obvious.

View of the Castle

My turn around point just past 4 miles one way 

This backcountry campsite made a great lunch spot