Young Gulch Trail

Young Gulch is the Poudre Canyon's friendliest long ramble — a gentle, creek-hugging climb that stays close enough to the water that you'll hear it babbling for nearly the whole way up. The grade is easy and the tread is wide and well-kept (it was rebuilt to run a little higher above the creek after a 2013 flood tore out the original), so it's the kind of trail where you can settle into an unhurried pace and just listen. Count on getting your feet near the water: the path crosses the creek somewhere around twenty-seven times — the first three on sturdy bridges that carry bikes and horses, the rest on single log spans laid for hikers with no railings, so watch your balance, and know that in spring runoff even the bridged crossings can feel sporty.

Be honest with yourself about a few things before you set out. From about mile 1.7 to mile 3.7 you cross into ground scorched by the 2012 High Park Fire, where the shade thins and a sunny afternoon turns genuinely hot — carry more water than you think you'll need, even with the creek running generously alongside. This is rattlesnake and poison-ivy country too, so mind where you step and reach, and give any bicycle coasting downhill room to pass. The trail simply ends near Stove Prairie Road at private property with no through-access, so plan it as an out-and-back and turn around whenever you're ready. Stock riders: the first 1.7 miles ride fine, but it gets rough past there, and trailer parking at the trailhead is tight — come early.

Trail Facts

Getting There

From Ted's Place, drive about 13 miles up CO-14 into the lower Poudre Canyon, passing Ansel Watrous Campground on your right and crossing a small bridge. At mile marker 109, watch for a short gravel road on the south (left) side of the highway that drops into the parking lot; the trailhead is in the southeast corner. Toilets are at Ansel Watrous Campground — there's no water at the trailhead, and the lot is small, so arrive early (especially with a horse trailer, which is tough to maneuver here & shouldn't be larger than a two-horse bumper pull).

Know Before You Go

• Watch your footing on the crossings. The creek is forded roughly 27 times — only the first three have full bridges; the rest are single log spans with no railings, and any of them can be dicey during spring runoff.
• Burn country, mile 1.7 to 3.7. This stretch was scorched by the 2012 High Park Fire, so it's hot, open, and exposed on a sunny day — carry extra water and watch uphill for loose rock and deadfall after rain.
• Rattlesnakes & poison ivy. Both live along this trail; mind where you put your hands and feet, and keep dogs close through the brushy, rocky spots.
• Share the trail with bikes. Bicycles are allowed (e-bikes are not), so expect riders — step aside for anyone coming downhill.
• Dogs under voice control. Leashes aren't required, but your dog must respond to you at all times.
• It's a dead end — plan an out-and-back. The trail stops at private property near Stove Prairie Road with no legal access onward; respect the boundary and turn around there.
• Year-round, but wintry. The trail stays open all year, though it holds snow and ice through the cold months — bring traction in winter.