Hiking the
Wagon Loop Trail No. 1427:
The trail travels southwest and intersects with the Colorado Trail #1776. At the intersection, hikers can travel south on the Colorado Trail, continue west and take the Browns Creek trail to Browns Lake or simply loop back to the Browns Creek trailhead. The loop hike is a nice 1/2 day walk. An epidemic of mountain pine beetle has infested most of the trees around Browns Creek and Little Browns Creek. Hundreds of trees are dead and pose an extreme fire hazard. Logging and thinning of trees began during 2002 and will continue with removal of trees by contractors and fuelwood gatherers. Camp fires must be put out and visitors should be aware of extreme fire conditions in this area.
Specific Hiking and Trail Information for the Wagon Loop Trail No. 1427
Best Seasons: Spring to Fall
Length of Trail: 2 miles or less
Elevation at Trailhead: 8970 feet
Range of elevation encoutered on the hike: 8970 to 9600 feet
Estimated Difficulty (Forest Service Estimate): Easy
Travel Information
Trailhead Directions: From Highway 285, midway between Poncha Springs and Buena Vista, take County Road 270 west for 1.5 miles to a 4-way intersection. From the stop sign, continue traveling west. The road continues as County Road 272. Stay on CR 272 for approximately 2 miles. A sign at the cattle guard will indicate your entrance to National Forest lands. At the 2-mile point, watch for an intersection. At this intersection, CR 272 turns left and travels south for 1.5 miles to the Browns Creek Trailhead. From the Browns Creek Trailhead, continue traveling south on CR 272 for .25 miles to the Wagon Loop Trailhead. The trailhead is located on the right-hand side of the road.
For more information on this hike
National Forest: Pike & San Isabel National Forests Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands
Local Office: Pike & San Isabel National Forests Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands
Address:
325 Rainbow Blvd.
Salida, CO, 81201
719-539-3591
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