White River National Forest · Colorado

Ptarmigan Pass

2.0 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 35 · trail class 2 · typical grade trail_grade · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse

Wilder Gulch TH #75 the Forest Service's write-up

This is a pleasant 3½ mile hike from the parking lot at Vail Pass to the top of Ptarmigan Pass. There are potential opportunities for viewing a variety of wildlife and wildflowers. The trail ascends gently while it passes in and out of coniferous forests and meadows. At the end of the Wilder Gulch trail you will come to a 4WD road that you can follow up to Ptarmigan Pass. Ptarmigan Pass offers fantastic views of the northern Sawatch Range and the west side of the Gore Range.

Restrictions <strong>Summer:</strong> &nbsp; <ul><li>Closed to motor vehicles and mountain bikes&nbsp;</li><li>Open to hiking and horseback riding&nbsp;</li></ul><br /><strong>Winter:</strong> &nbsp;See <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recreation/recarea/?recid=40891">Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area</a> for details.

This hike on fs.usda.gov

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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.