wildernet

Pikes Peak Ranger District

Quick Facts

Signal Butte Trail

Beginning Elevation:	8,760 Feet (2730.7 Meters) Hackett Mt, Divide
Difficulty:	Moderate
Elevation:	8,760 Feet (2730.7 Meters)
Elevation Gain:	250 Feet (77.9 Meters)
Ending Elevation:	8,500-9,000 Feet
Length:	54.5 Miles (90.83 Kilometers)
Other Maps:	Trails Illustrate 137 Pikes Peak, Canon City
Recommended Season:	Late Spring to Summer
Trail Number:	717
USGS Maps:	Quad Maps: Signal Butte, Mt Deception, Woodland Park

		Satellite and Topo Map

General Description

Signal Butte Trail, #717, is a multi-use trail and connects several other trails, which are listed below.
717-Signal Butte Multi-use
717A-Rule Spur
717B-Phantom Spur
717C-Davis Spur
717D-Westcreek Spur
717E-Wildhorn Spur
This beautiful 54.5 mile multi-use trail is located in the "Creeks" area north of Divide. It meanders over ridges and across creeks. It is accessible to hiking, biking, X-country skiing, motorcycling. Parts of the trail are not wide enough for ATVs.
Signal Butte Trail has been used by motorcyclists for a long time, but
was not officially placed on the Forest Service system until 1991. Currently
the district is working with a motorcycle club on signing and trail maintenance. This area is under the WHITE ARROW SYSTEM which means that motor vehicles can only travel on routes designated with white arrow signs.

Directions from Colorado Springs: From Colorado Springs take Highway 24 through Woodland Park. West of Woodland Park, turn right (north) on to County Road 25 (Trout CreekRd). Drive approximately 3.5 miles to the trailhead.

Directions from Colorado Springs: From Colorado Springs, take Highway 24 west through Woodland Park to Divide. Follow County Road 5 by turning right (north) at the stoplight in Divide. This road will become Forest Road 357. Continue traveling on it until you see the trailhead on the left side of the road.

Seasonal Information:
Normal Summer Season: May through October . Normal Winter Season: November through March .

		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 Filed By: RANDY (AURORA, CO) Time of Day: ALL HOURS Length of Time: STILL GOING Difficulty: Moderate Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: AWSOME TRAILS AND GREAT VIEWS ALL TRAILS MARKED 717 RECOMMEND THE MAP Conditions: ALL TYPES DEPENDING ON THE SEASON Water Availability: TAKE FLUIDS MANY STREAMS TO COOL OF IN Recommended Clothing: DEPENDS ON WEATHER CONDITIONS Suggested Accessories: CAMEL BACK Length of Time: 5 Difficulty: Moderate Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: Rode 717 and 717B out of the Divide trailhead. Some of the trails were fairly narrow for ATV's but we made it through fine. The north part of 717B was burned by the Hayman fire in 2002, but many of the trails are still open Conditions: Some of the trails were muddy with some downed timber at the edges of the burn. Filed By: Jim Brown (Colorado Springs, CO) Time of Day: 0900 Length of Time: 5 hrs Difficulty: Moderate Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Neutral Report: As far as ATVs go, very narrow trails (but passible). A lot of ducking for branches. Trails were NOT well marked. Trails forked often...a trail map is a MUST!!! Conditions: A little snow in shaded areas and ice covering some of the stream crossings. Icredible to be able to ride this late in the season! Recommended Clothing: In November it was warm in the sun and cool in the trees. More riding through the trees than in open areas. Difficulty: Moderate Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: The boys and I rode on a Thurs and we did not see a sole. Some of the trails had just been maintained by the FS and were in great shape. We rode for about 3 hours and did not even get off 717. We are going back soon. Difficulty: Moderate Number of People Encountered: 11-25 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: PARTS OF TRAIL NOT FOR ATV'S. HAD TO WATCH FOR SPEEDING DIRT BIKES, BUT THEY WERE VERY FRIENDLY AND POLITE. TRAILS REALLY WERE NOT MAINTAINED BY FS. WILL TRAVEL ON TRAILS LATER IN THE SUMMER. HORSESHOE MOUNTAIN RIDERS FROM DEL NORTE. Difficulty: Moderate Number of People Encountered: 11-25 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: Nice area,great trails for ATVs.Watch for oncoming motorcycles!We rode trails for 4 days and still did`nt cover all trails.#717A was best. 5/30/01-6/3/01 WallDog and Scagman. KEEP IT CLEAN View more Trip Reports.

Recreation Opportunities

Activity		Remarks	On Site
	Hiking & Walking	Signal Butte Trail	Yes
	Horseback Riding	Signal Butte Trail	Yes
	Mountain Biking	Signal Butte Trail	Yes
	Motorcycle Riding	Signal Butte Trail	Yes