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Buffalo Creek Recreation Area
Pike National Forest Colorado Trail Map This is a topographic map of the trail system in an area of the Pike National Forest called the "Buffalo Creek Recreation Area." Also included is Pine Valley Ranch Park, which is part of the Jefferson County open space system. The Colorado Trail from Highway 126 to the Rolling Creek Trailhead (Lost Creek Wilderness) goes through this area and is included on this map. All the trails are open to hikers and most trails are open to cyclists and equestrians. Some trails in Pine Valley Ranch Park are closed to cyclists and equestrians. Forest Service Road 543 (Buffalo Creek Rd.) is open to local land owners but otherwise closed to public motorized vehicles. Have you ever wondered what the area looks like while you are looking at a map? This product has 31 pictures for a visual guide to the trails and the environment. We believe this is the most detailed and accurate map available of the trail system. We put a great deal of effort into making this map as accurate as possible. Map Details
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 Front Cover of Map Product
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Small Image of Buffalo Creek Recreation Area Trail Map Of course, the sample is not meant to be useful but is intended to give you an better idea of what the map looks like. A closeup of a small area of the map is provided for additional information at the following link: Closeup of Small Area The Trails
Buffalo Creek Recreation Area is a great place and a very popular place for cyclists. It has many miles of sweet single track trails. Ride up Buffalo Creek Rd. for a gentle elevation gain then up to the Colorado Trail or Gashouse Gulch Trail. Take an amazing ride down one of the trails that lead back to the Buffalo Creek Rd. Be sure not to miss Charlie's Cutoff. We suggest you ride it from west to east. Gashouse Gulch Trail in the "canyon" is probably the most techical trail but Charlie's Cutoff, Baldy Trail, and Homestead Trail (along Miller Gulch) offer some fun spots. The Narrow Gauge Trail in Pine Valley Ranch Park is a great trail for beginners/novices/families. For a little more adventure try riding up Buffalo Creek Road and turn around when you are ready. The Colorado Trail from Little Scraggy Trailhead towards Hwy. 126 (heading north) is also an old road with gentle or short climbs. It's a good, short ride for the novice cyclist. Heading west on the CT can give the novice cyclist some experience on single track trails but watch out for the downhill before FSR 550. Many equestrians also use these trails and equestrian groups hold rides here. Cyclists should be careful about spooking horses. The North Fork of the South Platte River and Buffalo Creek are reliable water sources for horses. Morrison Creek and Tramway Creek are very small but might be a source and there is (2009) a tub of water (filled by spring) along the Strawberry Jack Trail about a 1/2 mile below Skipper Trail. Although a large area was burnt by the Buffalo Fire, many miles of trail are in trees and nature is making a comeback in the other areas. Notice how nature renews as you travel along the trails. Fire tends to go up so it often skips over narrow canyons. As a result, most of the Buffalo Creek Road is green (at least in summer) and wooded but go up the hillside a ways and you can run into the burnt areas. Some other trails are also like this. The trail junctions in this area usually have trail signs to help you find your way. There was one section of the Strawberry Jack/Homestead Trails that had conflicting names on the trail signs. This was in 2009. Trail List
Pine Valley Ranch Park has the following trails: Narrow Gauge Trail, North Fork View Trail, Park View Trail, Pine Lake Loop Buck Gulch Trail and Strawberry Jack Trail take you from Pine Valley Ranch Park to the national forest. Trails in the national forest on the north side of Buffalo Creek: Baldy Trail, Charlie's Cutoff, Gashouse Gulch Trail, Homestead Trail, Miller Gulch Trail, Redskin Creek Trail, Sandy Wash Trail, Skipper Trail Trails in the national forest on the south side of Buffalo Creek: Buffalo Burn Trail, Colorado Trail, Green Mountain Trail, Morrison Creek Trail, Shinglemill Trail, Tramway Trail Buffalo Creek Road (FSR543) also serves as a trail and connects many of the trails listed above. A list of retailers that carry this map product is available at the following link: Retailer List |
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