North Lone Pine Trail

Tucked up Deadman Road past the Pot Belly, North Lone Pine is the kind of quiet, mostly shady trail that rewards a slow eye. The first mile runs nearly level through a lodgepole forest still stitched with old USFS axe blazes and small rock cairns — watch, too, for the occasional orange “953” marker nailed to a tree. It's easy walking until the path drops to North Lone Pine Creek and makes three quick crossings between miles 0.9 and 1.2; that lower stretch is your only dependable water, so tank up and treat it, because the southern three-plus miles run dry.

Above the creek the trail steepens and the route-finding earns its keep: you'll cross an old logging road twice, thread a clear-cut where cairns are your best friend, and pick your way over rocky ground and granite outcrops toward a boggy, wildflower-filled bench near the top. It finishes in dry, open forest east of Middle Bald Mountain, ending at Bald Mountain Road (FDR-517) beneath a little “953” sign. Two honest cautions: give the collapsing experiment shed near mile 0.8 a wide berth — the ground around it is snarled with loose barbed wire — and remember bikes are allowed here, so keep an ear out on the blind corners.

Trail Facts

Getting There

From Ted's Place, drive north on US-287 for 10.5 miles to “The Forks” at Livermore, turn left, and follow the Red Feather Lakes Road (CR-74E) toward the community of Red Feather Lakes. Just after the Pot Belly Restaurant, turn left onto Deadman Road (CR-86) and follow it to the trailhead — on a ridge to your left (south), 1.5 miles past a Forest Service gate and emergency call box. Total distance from The Forks is about 28 miles. Deadman Road is closed in winter. Limited stock-trailer parking sits at the trailhead, with more across the road or ¼ mile farther at the FR 300 junction. No water at the trailhead; the nearest toilets are at the North Fork Poudre Campground (when open), about 2.5 miles farther up the road.

0.0 mi	Trailhead on Deadman Road (CR-86)
0.8 mi	Old screened USFS experiment shed — loose barbed wire, do not enter
0.9 mi	Northern crossing of North Lone Pine Creek
1.1 mi	Middle crossing of North Lone Pine Creek
1.2 mi	Southern crossing of North Lone Pine Creek
1.8 mi	First logging-road crossing — marked by cairns
1.9 mi	Second logging-road crossing — trail signs; clear-cut & burn area beyond
4.5 mi	Trail ends at Bald Mountain Road (FDR-517)

Know Before You Go

• Route-finding. The tread runs faint in spots — follow the old axe blazes, rock cairns, and orange “953” markers, especially through the clear-cut and across the two logging-road crossings.
• Barbed wire. An abandoned USFS experiment shed near mile 0.8 is ringed with loose barbed wire and is falling apart — steer clear and do not go inside.
• Creek crossings. Three unbridged crossings of North Lone Pine Creek between miles 0.9 and 1.2 can be wet; the lower 1.25 miles is your only reliable water — treat it, and expect the southern 3+ miles to be dry.
• Burn country. A Cameron Peak Fire (2020) fire line shows at the start and end of the trail — watch for standing dead trees and washouts after rain.
• Bikes on trail. Bicycles are allowed (e-bikes and all motorized use are prohibited), so stay alert for riders on blind corners.
• Rocky footing for stock. Above the second road crossing the trail turns rocky with poor footing; stock must be fed only pellets or certified weed-free hay throughout the trip.
• Season & dogs. Deadman Road (CR-86) is closed in winter — the trail is typically reachable mid-June once it opens. Keep dogs under voice control at all times.