Colorado Trail Clear Creek Bridge and Reroute

Colorado Trail Clear Creek Bridge and Reroute - Segments 11 & 12

In between Leadville and Buena Vista, The Colorado Trail route through the Clear Creek Valley has been changed. Construction of the new Clear Creek Bridge is complete thanks to CTF Volunteers and our partners. The Trail reroute has signs, posts, and survey tape marking the way. It's ready for Trail users. Here's the story.

This reroute affects CT Segments 11 and 12 in the area where the two segments meet. The reroute is about 3 miles long with the new footbridge near the middle. Trail users are utilizing the new reroute and bridge, and have reported that it is easy to find and follow.

Click here to download a printable PDF map (2 MB).

The old route crossed the Clear Creek valley in a relatively steep alignment, passed through private lands and utilized a bridge on the private ranch to cross over the creek. It was a temporary situation and not ideal.

volunteer helping with bridge construction

The new reroute crosses the Clear Creek valley in a gentler alignment, east of where the old route crossed the valley. The new reroute eliminates some road and badly eroded portions, offers more singletrack and is on a gentler grade that is more enjoyable for users and will be easier for volunteers to maintain.

This reroute does not appear in either The Colorado Trail Guidebook, 7th Edition, or the CT Databook, 3rd Edition.

The new reroute crosses both the Clear Creek Road and Clear Creek about 3/4 of a mile east of where the old route crossed. The newly constructed, 80-foot long Trail bridge is located near the Clear Creek Reservoir, spanning Clear Creek near the middle of the campground that lies just upstream (west) of the reservoir. Readers of the CT Guidebook can look for the campground symbol on the maps for both Segments 11 and 12 - the campground symbol is where the new bridge is located. People using the CT Databook can view the map for Segment 12 showing the footprint of the Reservoir - the new footbridge lies just west of the Reservoir.

Southbound Trail Users: In Segment 11, traveling south from Twin Lakes, trail users will come to a point where the Trail begins its descent into the Clear Creek Valley. From here, users descend on an old jeep road a little more than a quarter mile and beyond a left-hand switchback when they encounter the intersection where the new reroute diverges. Watch for a sign, survey tape and new tread. Travel east on the new singletrack, traversing and gently descending a steep, sage covered hillside to the intersection with Clear Creek Road (CR 390). Straight across the road the CT continues across the valley bottom on doubletrack. Users are routed south then east and downstream near the creek. The CT reroute passes into the campground, and near the middle of the campground, users find the new 80-foot long, steel footbridge across Clear Creek. On the far side of the bridge the new singletrack tread gently climbs the wooded slopes in a mostly southwest direction for 1 mile before intersecting with the old route that continues uphill to the south.

Northbound Trail Users: In Segment 12, traveling north from North Cottonwood Creek, Trail users are mostly within the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area. Nearing the north end of Segment 12, users exit the Wilderness and find a sign at the boundary. A short distance farther, users begin the descent into Clear Creek and approximately 1/4 mile down the hill the Trail passes underneath a big power line. Just beyond the power line is the intersection where the new reroute diverges to the right (east). Look for a sign and survey tape marking the new reroute. Continue on the new reroute gently down the wooded slope for 1 mile to the new bridge. Across the bridge users will find themselves in the campground. Follow the CT signs and markings and travel upstream along the creek side of the campground and on doubletrack for a couple hundred yards before the reroute swings North toward the Clear Creek Road (CR 390). Directly across the road ascend on new singletrack tread North then West, traversing gently up the steep sage covered hillside. Two switchbacks will be encountered before the new reroute intersects with the long existing route on old jeep road that continues uphill.

This new reroute results in only minimal changes to the Trail data. The new reroute is approximately 1 mile longer than the old route. The division between Segments 11 and 12 remains Clear Creek Road (CR 390). Segment 11 is lengthened by about 1/2 mile and Segment 12 is also lengthened by about 1/2 mile. The elevation gain and loss remains unchanged.

The Colorado Trail Foundation is proud of this important reroute and bridge that preserves the connectedness of The Colorado Trail. Our volunteers worked countless hours to accomplish these upgrades. Collectively we worked with 5 bureaucracies, multiple landowners, and several engineering and construction experts. Thanks to everyone's cooperation, we completed the project in record time of less than a year. All in all, hundreds of people helped in this effort. The Colorado Trail Foundation extends a hearty "THANK YOU" to each and every one involved.

We hope you find this information helpful - please use the new reroute and bridge. We hope you enjoy using The Colorado Trail.