White River National Forest · Colorado
French Gulch
2.1 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 2.1 · trail class 3 · typical grade trail_grade · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike
Trailhead French Gulch #2 Drive there
French Gulch #2 the Forest Service's write-up
Gold was discovered in French Gulch in 1860 by French Pete. This valley proved to be wildly rich in gold, silver, lead and zinc. You will see the remains of many mines in this area, as well as the rounded rock piles left by dredge boats. The trail initially follows the road and continues past a gate where eventually you will have wonderful views of Mt. Guyot and Bald Mountain. Once you have reached French Pass, you may continue downhill toward Michigan Creek located in the Pike/San Isabel National Forest in Park County.
Restrictions Closed to motor vehicles. Open to Hike, Horse and Mountain Bike.
This hike on fs.usda.gov
Every trail in White River National Forest
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.
