Francie's Cabin Snowshoe

Trail Length: 4.8 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,380 ft to 11,264 ft
Elevation gain: 896 ft
Dogs: Off leash. Not allowed near the cabin
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Date Snowshoed: Feb 2008
Tags: #snowshoe, #breckenridge, #hut, #coloradooutdoors, #10thmountain

Francie's Cabin near Breckenridge CO

Francie’s Cabin near Breckenridge CO, is part of the 10th Mountain Division’s hut system. It was built in 1994 and sits at 11,294 ft. It sleeps twenty in both summer and winter.

To get to the trail, head up Crown Drive, which is 2.1 miles from the middle of Breckenridge (Skill Hill Road). Don’t take the new Hwy 9 bypass if you want to track this mileage. Crown Hill Road becomes Spruce Creek Road. Follow this until it dead ends at the trailhead. On the left is the Mohawk Lakes trailhead and sign. Don’t go this way. Continue up Spruce Creek Road itself. You should see track at the far end of the parking area.

Treelined route

The trail begins in the trees and then opens up at the intersection of the Wheeler Trail at 1.3 miles. From this point the trail traverses meadows and hillsides with views to the south. There are two gates to pass along the way. It is 0.8 miles beyond the Wheeler Trail junction to the junction of the Crystal Creek trail, which comes in from the right. The trail makes several sharp turns all the while heading upwards. The cabin can be seen in the distance half way up the last slope. The smell the wood smoke will lure you on long before you see the cabin itself.