Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests · Colorado

Cliff Creek

11 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 8840 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike · seasonal: hiking 07/01-09/30

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 38.8609, -107.1639 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Cliff Creek #840 the Forest Service's write-up

season June to

The Cliff Creek Trail #840 begins at the Cliff Creek Trailhead across from Horse Ranch Park on Gunnison County Road 12 and ends at an intersection with the Soap Creek Trail #443. It enters into the heart of the West Elk Wilderness from the north, the well-defined trail climbs up through aspen and spruce forests to Beckwith Pass. Sweeping vistas of peaks and wildflower meadows reward the climber. The trail then descends to the headwaters of Cliff Creek and after traversing 0.5 miles of rocky terrain rolls easily through mixed forest dotted with meadows and ponds. After crossing the southern branch of Cliff Creek, there are several trail options to choose from. Castle Pass lies to the east, Soap Basin to the south, or go westward off Mosley Ridge to tie into the Little Robinson Trail #850.

Geo-Ref Trail Map Geo-Reference Instructions

Restrictions Open to hiking and horseback riding.

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.