wildernet

Holy Cross Ranger District

Quick Facts

Red Sandstone/Piney River Ranch Road

Difficulty:

Moderate

General Description

INTRODUCTION
A scenic graded dirt road that twists its way around the forests north of Vail for 11 miles to Piney River Ranch and Piney Lake, a great location for fishing, hiking, canoeing... anything!

The road is frequently wash boarded and in the summer can become quite dusty. There are many spurs off of this road, including Red and White, Lost Lake, and more. Most of the spurs are considerably more difficult to travel, and require the use of four wheel drive

TRAIL TIPS
This road is HEAVILY traveled, and many drivers, bikers, and hikers go too fast. Watch for on coming traffic!!

There are many terrific campsites in this area, but they fill up quickly! Please camp only in designated areas.

Current Conditions & Trip Reports

OPEN. Updated: 2001-06-13 11:24:00.0

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Recreation Opportunities

Activity		Remarks	On Site
	Cross-country Skiing	Along Red Sandstone Road and surrounding area.	Yes
	Cold Water Fishing	Piney River, Piney Lake	No
	Hiking & Walking	Red Sandstone Road accesses numerous hiking trails.	No
	Lodging	Piney River Ranch	Yes
	Mountain Biking	Red Sandstone Road is a relatively high use gravel road. There are several spur roads and trails such as Lost Lake.	Yes
	Scenic Driving	Red Sandstone Road is passable in 2 WD vehicles.	Yes
	Snowmobiling	Along Red Sandstone Road and surrounding area.	Yes
	Snowshoeing	Along Red Sandstone Road and surrounding area.	Yes

Related Activities

Eagles Nest Wilderness-Vail side - The Eagles Nest Wilderness straddles the Gore Range, to the east of Vail. The western portion of the wilderness area lies in the Holy Cross Ranger District and the eastern portion lies in the Dillon Ranger District.

Lost Lake Trail (Holy Cross Ranger District) - This trail is located north of Vail. From west to east, it travels from a trailhead on Red Sandstone Road, past Lost Lake to a trailhead on Lost Lake Road.

Piney River/Sheephorn Creek General Forest Area - This area includes the Piney River and Sheephorn Creek drainages, north of Vail.

Red & White Mountain Four-Wheel Drive Road - This road begins off Red Sandstone Road, north of Vail. It runs along Red and White Mountain then branches and can access either June Creek, north of Edwards, or Muddy Pass, north of Wolcott.

Red Sandstone/ Lost Lake Road Cross-country Ski Tr - This trail follows Red Sandstone Road north of Vail to Lost Lake Road and eventually to Lost Lake. There are a number of other forks off of Red Sandstone Road.