Golden Gate Canyon State Park: Black Bear-Horeshoe Loop

Distance: 5.6 miles round trip
Elevation: 8,180 ft - 9,379 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,516 (cumulative)
Bathroom at Trailhead: No (closest is the visitor's center)
Dogs: On leash (State Park)
Date Hiked: 7 Sept 2014
Tags: #coloradostatepark, #goldengatecanyon

Rocks, pine, and lots of sky dominate the Black Bear Trail in Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Golden Gate Canyon State Park near Golden, CO is filled with numerous and varied hiking options...often on the same route. The Black Bear-Horseshoe Loop is a perfect example. Uphill, downhill, rock scrambles, and open meadows are just some of the features I encountered. The park has an amazing backcountry feel even though it is within spitting distance of the city.

The loop described here ascends the Black Bear Trail, turns right onto the Mule Deer Trail, continues past the Horseshoe Trail to a spur that goes through Greenfield Meadow, then down the Horseshoe Trail to a connector that goes back to the Ralston Roost parking area.

The route starts directly across from the Ralston Roost parking lot on a small dirt track. The first 0.34 miles is very steep and rocky with an immediate 215 ft of elevation gain. Like most of the route, it alternates between Ponderosa Pine, open grasslands, and small clumps of Aspen.

The start of the Black Bear Trail

Much of the early route is open Ponderosa Pine

At 1.0 and 1.3 miles are two viewpoints. The first is more of a jumble of rocks, while the second is a broad shelf looking down on the pastoral beauty of several ranches. From this point the trail begins to descend a bit and then gradually increases again to the highest point on the route at 2.0 miles. The route to this spot goes through a large pile of boulders (trail signs guide the way), and across a narrow strip of land where fins of knee-high rock extrude like scales on a dragons back. When the trees thin, you can see Mt. Evans as well as Grays and Torreys in the distance.

Looking down from the first view point. That is Golden Gate Canyon Road.

Can you spot the hiker in this photo? The trail goes around the boulder.

From the high point, the trail descends through Lodgepole Pine to the junction with the Mule Deer Trail at 2.6 miles. At this point the trail is wide and sandy. Don't get sucked off onto the spur trail to several campsites, which is 20 yards or so before the junction.

Route finding through the boulders

Looking down on ranch land

We chose to continue on the Mule Deer Trail past the connection with the Horseshoe Trail (at 3 miles) to a lesser used trail that travel down towards Greenfield Meadow and several more backcountry campsites (see map). Just before the Horseshoe Trail is a very large meadow whose tall grasses could have hidden an entire herd of Mule Deer. A small cabin and interpretive site marks the spot. The meadow was a Pleistocene paradise, a testament to the 2014 rains and our ever changing climate.

Walking across the dragons back

Now on the shady Mule Deer Trail

Getting to our turnoff for Greenfield Meadow involved switching from a single track through Aspen to a large dirt road. The transition was unexpected and we looked around a bit before proceeding. The trail to the campsites splits off from Mule Deer Trail only 0.3 miles beyond the Mule/Horseshoe so we eventually found the junction. A large green sign talking about campsites exists at a right angle to the road.

Meadow by the Horseshoe junction

Ahead the Mule Deer Trail goes left while the spur trail that becomes a dirt road goes straight.

From this point the trail gets a little rougher as it winds down and through small stands of Aspen. At 4 miles the trail rejoins the Horseshoe Trail. It is more of the same for another mile until the trail connecting back to the Black Bear Trail splits off. This short half mile trail heads uphill again through a dense Lodgepole forest with occasional traverses of open hillsides.

Heading up the dirt road

Heading back down the Horseshoe Trail

Since our dog is getting older and tolerates being on a leash more, I am getting to explore new areas including Golden Gate Canyon State Park. The Aspens in fall are very nice indeed and there are even camping yurts that might be fun to try out. Another long hike to do in the park is the Mountain Lion Trail with a side trip to Windy Peak.

The connector trail leading from the Horseshoe Trail back over to the Black Bear Trail is a total change. It is uphill and in a Lodgepole forest.

Almost back to the parking lot.

Darling Creek

Distance: 4 miles round trip out of a possible 12 miles
Elevation: 8,740 ft - 9,601 ft
Elevation Gain: 642 ft
Bathroom at the Trailhead: No
Dogs: Off leash
Date Hiked: 28 September, 2014

While Darling Creek Trail is named after the creek, it is the Aspens that steal the show.

Darling Creek is an obscure trail on the east side of the Williams Fork Range near Silverthorne, Colorado. It wasn't until I took a fall color drive on Ute Pass Road that I even knew the area existed. While the upper slopes of the Williams Fork Valley are mostly dead Lodgepole Pine, there are several small groves of Aspens and it looked like this trail might go right through one.

A small sign points the way. The trail travels around the Henderson compound.

Williams Fork in Autumn glory

Interestingly, the trail starts near a tunnel where the world's largest conveyer belt, connecting the Henderson Mine (think molybdenum) in the east and the Henderson Mill in the west, comes out from beneath the Continental Divide. The belt is 15 miles long! Who knew? Molybdenum is used in the making of steel alloys. You will have seen the Henderson Mine if you hiked Butler Gulch or Vasquez Pass.

Some junctions are well marked. Much of the trail is indistinct.

The first half mile of the hike travels around the Henderson compound and up the Williams Fork River. Here too Autumn was evident. The willows were a rusty brown and I kept expecting a bull moose to wander into view all "geared" up for the annual rut.

The first mile of the route is the prettiest.

At 0.4 miles the trail splits with the South Fork Trail going straight along the river and the Darling Creek Trail doubling back up the hillside. This segment is very rocky but filled with Aspens. The trail then travels above and behind the Henderson compound (at 0.7 miles) and heads up the Darling Creek drainage.

Could not resist another Aspen shot

Be warned that the trail is often indistinct and hikers will need to be comfortable trail finding. On the way back we got sucked off on social trail that ended up on the east side of the fenced compound and had to back track, never a fun prospect, to find where we had gone wrong.

The blue sky belies a winter storm that was barreling down on us. By the time we returned to the car it was raining.

After the mine, the trail weaves up and down the drainage never straying far from stream. At one point (at 1.3 miles) the trail crosses the stream on a bundle of round, slick tree trunks. I hate such water crossings. My balance standing on pavement is poor. My balance on such a contrivance is non-existent and I am practically paralyzed with indecision on how to move. My preference is to ignominiously scramble on all fours over such obstacles. My hiking partner was disgusted with my timidity and zipped back and forth in a vain attempt to show me how easy it was. It is at times like these that I feel that a good wallop with a hiking stick is good for the soul. 

The trail wound around several hills filled with Aspen debris.

Since a winter storm was brewing, we only went 2.0 miles up the trail. At our turn around point, the Aspens had receded and only the stark skeletons of dead Lodgepoles remained so we did not feel guilty about turning around. The trail does continue for another 4 miles.

The perilous, at least to me, log crossing

 You get to Darling Creek from Silverthorne by traveling Ute Pass Road (County Road 3) west past the Henderson Mill (where the conveyor belt ends up) until it intersects with County Road 30. Take a right and travel south through the lovely Williams Fork Valley. Just before the road dead ends at the Henderson compound, it splits and travels under the conveyor belt through two tunnels. Take the tunnel even though it looks like private land. On the other side, brown signs point the way to a nearby campground and the Darling Creek trailhead. Parking is plentiful but right next to the compound, so don't get confused. A small wooden sign points the way.

The Aspens receded and soon a mixed coniferous forest cut off all view of the sky.

Darling Creek Trail is not a pristine wilderness experience and the trail is indistinct. It will appeal to those who like to leave the crowds behind and want to experience a wide variety of scenery.