wildernet

Taylor River Ranger District

Quick Facts

Brush Creek Road #738

Beginning Elevation:	8,500 Feet (2591 Meters)
Difficulty:	Easy to Most Difficult
Elevation Gain:	4,200 Feet (1280 Meters)
Ending Elevation:	12,700 Feet (3871 Meters)
Length:	20.0 Miles (32.2 Kilometers) Peal Pass (Continues as Castle Creek Road)
Other Maps:	Trails Illustrated: 131, 127
Recommended Season:	Summer to Fall
Road Number:	738
Usage:	Moderate
USGS Maps:	Crested Butte, Gothic, Pearl Pass

		Satellite and Topo Map

General Description

Brush Creek leads from Highway 135, near Crested Butte, to Castle Creek Road near Aspen. A lack of signage, numerous spurs and icy conditions can make this route difficult to follow. Snowfields often block the pass throughout the year. Check at the district office for road conditions before using this route.

The first five miles from Highway 135 are passable by a two-wheel drive vehicle. The next four miles are an easy four-wheel drive road following Brush Creek. After following Middle Brush Creek for a mile the road climbs rapidly to Pearl Pass, which culminates in a field of large, sharp and slick scree. This is a challenging route for motorcyclists, mountain bikers and four-wheelers.

Directions from Crested Butte: Travel one and a half miles south of Crested Butte on Highway 135 to Brush Creek Road.

Directions from Aspen: Travel south from Ashcroft on Castle Creek Road, where the road splits take the left fork. This will lead you to Pearl Pass and Brush Creek Road.

		Current Conditions & Trip Reports
		Add your own trip Report! Newly re-released feature. One of the most popular features on Wildernet, trip reports allow you to share your experiences with others. This is an invaluable resource for determining what to expect on your outdoor adventure, so please participate! To prevent spamming, you must be a registered user of Wildernet in order to submit a trip report Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: We went on this road in July 2000. We encountered one snow field which wasn't bad but would only try it on a motorcycle. Some sections are very rocky and fairly steep up and down hills. Very scenic. Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Not Recommended Report: 4 of us went through on dirt bikes on 7/5/2000. We encountered several large snow fields that would be un-passable to any other motorized vehicle. We had to drag the bikes across one nasty snow field on a steep shelf road about 1/2 miles from the top of the pass. I would recommend this for dirt bikes only at this point.

Recreation Opportunities

Activity		Remarks	On Site
	Cross-country Skiing	Brush Creek Road	Yes
	Four-Wheel Driving	Brush Creek Road #738	Yes
	Hiking & Walking	Twin Lakes Trail, Cumberland Basin Trail, Teocalli Ridge Trail	Yes
	Horseback Riding	Brush Creek Road,Twin Lakes Trail, Cumberland Basin Trail, Teocalli Ridge Trail	Yes
	Wildflower Identification	Brush Creek Road	Yes
	Mountain Biking	Brush Creek Road,Twin Lakes Trail, Cumberland Basin Trail, Teocalli Ridge Trail	Yes
	ATV Riding	Upper Brush Creek Road	Yes
	Motorcycle Riding	Brush Creek Road	Yes
	Scenic Driving	Brush Creek Road	Yes
	Backcountry Skiing	Friends Hut	Yes
	Snowmobiling	Brush Creek Road	Yes
	Snowshoeing	Brush Creek Road	Yes

Related Activities

Brush Creek - Brush Creek begins in the Elk Mountains and flows into the East River on the eastern flanks of Mt. Crested Butte.

Brush Creek (winter) Trailhead - Brush Creek Winter Trailhead lies two miles from Highway 135. The well-used trails available from this site include East and West Brush Creek and Farris Creek Roads.

Twin Lakes Trail - Twin Lakes Trail leaves upper Brush Creek Road and enters the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. Twin Lakes lie at approximately 11,780 feet.