Rawah South Trail

The Rawah South Trail isn't a trip you drive to — it's the southern reach of the long Rawah Trail (#961), and you earn its trailhead first by walking in on the West Branch Trail. Where that path crosses the North Fork of the West Branch of the Laramie River, a sign-posted junction sends you right, and the climbing begins. The first stretch is gentle and forgiving: a steady uphill grade through heavy timber, the tread well-worn and easy to follow, the river never far off through the trees. Around nine-tenths of a mile in you meet a stream crossing on an old stringer bridge — note it, because the timber is failing and slick as glass when wet.

Past the Twin Crater Lakes junction the trail stops being gentle. It leans into a run of steep switchbacks, then throws an unbridged crossing of the North Fork at you around mile 2.2 — in high runoff that's a real wade, so pick your line and be ready to get your boots wet. From there it's a lung-burning pull up to Grassy Pass, where the trees fall away and the Medicine Bow Range opens up to the southeast. This is exposed alpine wilderness: fill your bottles at the last crossing (there's no water on the final climb), watch for moose in the willows down low, and turn back early if the afternoon sky starts stacking up over the pass — lightning has no mercy up there.

Trail Facts

Getting There

There's no roadside trailhead for this one — the Rawah South Trail begins deep in the Rawah Wilderness at its junction with the West Branch Trail, so you hike in to reach it. Access the West Branch Trailhead off Laramie River Road (Larimer County Road 103), reached from CO-14 up the Poudre Canyon. Follow the West Branch Trail to where it crosses the North Fork of the West Branch of the Laramie River; just past the crossing, a sign-posted junction on the right marks the start of the Rawah South Trail. The road and trail are typically snow-free and open by late June, once Laramie River Road is plowed clear and opened for the season — there is no winter access.

Know Before You Go

• Wilderness rules apply. This is the Rawah Wilderness — no bikes, no wheeled conveyances, no motorized use of any kind, and group size is capped at 12 (people and stock combined).
• Fire closure up high. Wood fires are prohibited above 10,800 ft in the Rawah Alpine Closure Area — carry a self-contained chemical stove for the top of this trail.
• The stringer bridge is failing. At the 0.9-mile stream crossing the old timber bridge is unsafe when wet — test it, or plan to cross the water directly.
• Wade the North Fork. The mile-2.2 crossing of the North Fork is unbridged and can be a genuine wade during high runoff; the crossing here is your last reliable water before Grassy Pass.
• Exposed at the top. The final push to Grassy Pass is open alpine terrain — start early and turn back if afternoon thunderstorms build; lightning is the real danger up here.
• Moose country. Watch for moose in the willows and wet meadows lower down — give them a wide berth.
• Dogs on leash. Dogs must be on a hand-held leash with hikers throughout, and closed in winter — Laramie River Road isn't plowed.