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Clear Creek Ranger District

Quick Facts

Grizzly Gulch Cross-country Ski Trail

Beginning Elevation:	9,800 Feet (3054.9 Meters) at the Bakersville parking area
Difficulty:	Most Difficult
Elevation Gain:	1,400 Feet (436.4 Meters) approximate
Ending Elevation:	11,200 Feet (3491.3 Meters) Approximate ending. Travel as for up the gulch as is safe, taking into account trail, weather and avalanche conditions.
Length:	4 Miles (6.67 Kilometers)
Usage:	Moderate
USGS Maps:	Grays Peak

		Satellite and Topo Map

General Description

This difficult trail leads up Grizzly Gulch south of the Bakersville exit. It offers excellent views of Grizzly and Torrey's Peaks as well as others along the Continental Divide. Climbing up south of Bakersville, the trail switchbacks for half a mile and then heads due south. On a clear day, Torrey's Peak can be seen straight ahead as the trail parallels Quayle Creek. At the 1.0 mile point there is a fork in the road. Take the right fork (the left fork is the Stevens Gulch Trail) and in a short distance there are some old cabins. Continue straight , the trail dips down across the creek and begins a steady uphill climb into the gulch. The trail travels both through forest and clearings. The trail ends adjacent to Torrey's Peak.

Grizzly Gulch has some tricky, narrow downhill sections on the return trip. There is avalanche danger on either side of the gulch and at its end.

Directions from Idaho Springs: Follow I-70 west to the Bakerville exit #221. Go south of the highway and park in the parking area. The Stevens Gulch/Grizzly Gulch trail leads to the south. Grizzly Gulch splits off of Stevens Gulch approximately 1 mile from the parking lot. Take the right fork to Grizzly Gulch.

Seasonal Information:
Normal Winter Season: Winter through Spring (NOTE: Seasons vary depending on snow depth and weather.) .

		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 Difficulty: Easy Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Neutral Report: Actually, this trail should never have been rated as most difficult. It is an easy to moderate X-country ski trail. The whole thing can be done in just a few hours. Also, you dont need to park in the lot next to I-25, but rather, you can drive up to the trail head proper, and park there. There are TWO forks in the trail. Stay right at both of them. If you go left, you will enter a more difficult route.