Rio Grande National Forest · Colorado

Halfmoon Pass

7.0 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 912 · trail class 2 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, bike · seasonal: hiking 05/16-11/15

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 37.9751, -106.7426 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

East Bellows Trailhead # 790 the Forest Service's write-up

No Fee · season May to

This trail provides good hiking and horseback access to Wheeler Geologic Area, Halfmoon Pass and the La Garita Wilderness. Beautiful views and unique geologic features are the main attractions of this trail. Decent camping areas are not hard to find. Opportunities for fishing exist in East Bellows Creek. This trail allows for a good overnight backpack visit to Wheeler Geologic Area. Camping is allowed only in designated sites. No campfires are allowed within the Wheeler Geologic Area.

After arriving at Hanson’s Mill, those planning to hike to Wheeler Geologic Area should follow the trail delineated with the trailhead sign and registration box. This trail is closed to all motorized use and closed to mountain bike use after crossing East Bellows Creek as it then passes through the La Garita Wilderness.

Within about three miles from Hansons Mill the trail will cross East Bellows Creek. The old sheep bridge is no longer usable, so hikers may get their feet wet. Crossings in the early summer can be dangerous. After the creek crossing, the trail will head up the west fork of East Bellows Creek, Canon Nieve.

The trail joins the 4WD road about 1.5 miles before the geologic formations. At this junction go left (west) and follow the road to its end at a pole fence in a small meadow below Wheeler Geologic Area. The unique, picturesque features of the geologic area are about 0.25 to 0.5 mile north from the end of the road. The foot trail to Wheeler will quickly meet the West Bellows Creek trail.

The trail into Wheeler from the end of the 4WD road is well marked. It is an easy to follow trail but difficult in elevation gain that will take you on a loop trail around the formations.

This trailhead consists of a parking lot, restroom, signing, picnic tables. Overnight camping is allowed at this trailhead. This is an ideal campsite if you have horses. There is lots of room for trailers and nearby grazing. No corrals but horses could be picketed out or put into portable panels or electric fences in nearby meadows.

Restrictions No Motorized vehicles or motorcycles allowed on the trail into the Wilderness.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Rio Grande National Forest

All 227 trails in Rio Grande National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

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.