White River National Forest · Colorado

Three Forks

5.3 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 2150 · trail class 4 · typical grade trail_grade · tread 12-18 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads Lower Three Forks Trailhead Drive there · Upper Three Forks #2150 Drive there

Lower Three Forks Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

No fee

Lower Three Forks Trailhead is located on Forest Road 832, a short distance north of Rifle Mountain Park. The parking area has room for approximately ten vehicles. The Trailhead provides access to Three Forks Trail #2150 . Three Forks Trail is 5.3 miles long and is open to hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. The trail is also accessible from the Upper Trailhead on the Bar HL road.

Restrictions <ul><li>Day Use Only</li><li>Forest Road 832 is closed to wheeled motorized use from 11/23&nbsp;to 5/20</li></ul>

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Three Forks #2150 the Forest Service's write-up

No fee

Three Forks Trail is 5.3 miles long and extends from East Rifle Creek to the top of Coulter Mesa. The trail is accessible from Forest Road 832 ( Lower Trailhead ) and the Bar HL Road ( Upper Trailhead ), and can be traveled in either direction. Three Forks Trail winds its way through several gulches and passes through a variety of forest growth, including blue spruce, Douglas fir, and aspen. Along the way, visitors are treated to several expansive views of the surrounding topography. The trail also passes by several beaver ponds.

Starting from the Lower Trailhead, the first two thirds of the trail has a gradual elevation gain and stays close to the creek. Over its final two miles, the trail turns up Hoover Gulch and ascends to the top of the Mesa. The top of the trail is also an outstanding location for viewing aspen colors in the fall.

The trail is open to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Please yield to horseback riders. A popular use of this trail is to hike or ride from top to bottom and arrange a car shuttle pickup.

Restrictions Forest Road-832 and the Bar HL Road are <strong>closed to wheeled motorized use</strong> from November 23&nbsp;to May 20.&nbsp;

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Upper Three Forks #2150 the Forest Service's write-up

No fee

Upper Three Forks Trailhead provides access to Three Forks Trail #2150 . Three Forks Trail is 5.3 miles long and is open to hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.

This trailhead is located on the Bar HL Road (Forest Road 211 at the top of Coulter Mesa). The parking area has room for approximately six vehicles.

The trail is also accessible from the Lower Trailhead on Forest Road 832.

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in White River National Forest

All 729 trails in White River 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.