Jacks Gulch Campground Loop Trail

Jacks Gulch sits up on the bench above the Poudre, reached by turning onto Pingree Park Road (CR-63E) off CO-14 and climbing a few miles into the ponderosa and lodgepole. The campground here is one of the more developed on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, and this little loop is its walking path — roughly 1.1 miles of dirt tread that threads between the loops and clearings on gentle, forgiving ground. It’s the kind of trail you do in camp shoes with a cup of coffee: enough to stretch your legs, let the kids run, and shake off a day in the car without committing to a real climb.

COTREX has it open to hikers, bikes, and horses (dogs on leash), and the walking is easy the whole way around, closing back on itself where you started. Don’t come expecting big views or a summit — the reward here is quiet forest, the smell of warm pine, and an easy morning amble before you point the car deeper up Pingree Park Road toward Comanche Peak country. It’s USFS ground, so check current conditions and seasonal access with the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, especially in shoulder seasons.

Trail Facts

Getting There

From Ted’s Place, drive up CO-14 into the Poudre Canyon to Pingree Park Road (CR-63E) near mile marker 96.1, cross the Poudre, and climb a few miles to the Jacks Gulch Campground entrance. The loop is inside the campground — confirm the trailhead on the map. It’s a developed fee campground, and the access road isn’t maintained in winter.

Know Before You Go

• Easy family loop. About 1.1 miles of gentle dirt tread inside the campground — a good leg-stretcher, not a destination hike.
• Shared use. Open to hikers, bikes, and horses per COTREX; keep dogs on leash and yield with courtesy.
• Part of the upper Poudre / Pingree Park network. A relaxed warm-up before bigger trails deeper up Pingree Park Road toward the Comanche Peak Wilderness.
• Check current conditions. It’s USFS ground on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District — confirm seasonal access, fees, and any closures before you go.