North Fork Trail 929

From Coloradohikingtrails

North Fork Trail 929
This trail drops into the North Fork of the Big Thompson valley, then follows the creek upstream toward Rocky Mountain National Park. Beautiful scenery, great for a family hike.

Fast Facts
Distance(Miles):	4.3 one-way to RMNP Boundary
Trail Surface & Condition:	Dirt
Other Trail Users:	Horses, dogs
Ownership:	National Forest
Best Seasons:	Year around with snowshoes/skis in winter
Type:	Out-and-Back
Beginning Elev (Feet):	7,988
Ending Elev (Feet):	8,966
Elevation Gain (Feet):	922
Difficulty Rating:	10.5
North Fork Trailhead GPS Coordinates:	Latitude: 40.4757 Longitude: -105.4605

North Fork Trail

Trailhead Information

North Fork Trailhead, End of Dunraven Glade Rd
Near To: Drake and Glen Haven, Colorado

Driving Directions To Trailhead From the Dam Store at the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon, drive up US 34 7.7 miles to Drake. Turn right on Glen Haven Rd. (County Rd. 43) for 6.1 miles, then right on Dunraven Glade Rd. (County Rd. 51-B). Continue 2.5 miles to the parking lot, which is on the left. Restrooms are available at the trailhead, no water.

North Fork Trailhead, End of Dunraven Glade Rd

Elevation: 7,988'

Maps & Images Lat: 40.4757 Long: -105.4605

Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps

Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth

Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

Trail & Hike Description

The trail drops abruptly into the North Fork Canyon and follows the creek upstream, eventually entering Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). The trail travels through the Comanche Peak Wilderness, private land, and a USFS Travel Zone, therefore dogs must be kept on-leash (note that dogs are not allowed into Rocky Mountain National Park).

The trail travels through stands of Aspen and evergreen trees, and after about 3 miles enters a meadow where the remains of the Mateland family line shack can be seen. Although no visible signs remain, this was also the location of a resort camp called Deserted Village, built of stick architecture in the 1890s by Fred Sprague. Deserted Village camp closed its doors in 1914, one year before Rocky Mountain National Park was founded. Also, somewhere in this section of trail, legend has it that the Scottish Lord Earl Dunraven buried a cache of whiskey one fall, with the intent to unearth it the following spring when he returned. The cache, however, was never found and possibly remains buried to this day.

After leaving the meadow, the trail becomes steeper for the last 1.5 miles to the Rocky Mountain National Park boundary.

There are eight designated camp sites on the trail, the first approximately 1 3/4 mile from the trailhead, and the eighth about 3 1/2 miles from the trailhead. My favorite is site #3. Located about 1/4 mile to the north of the trail, it is secluded, and affords a beautiful view down the valley. These sites are first-come, first-served.

The high difficulty rating can be misleading. The scenery is enjoyable along the full length of the hike, so you can turn around at any point without being disappointed. With the exception of the abrupt descent into the North Fork Valley at the trailhead, the elevation gain to the meadow is very modest, and doesn't become steep until after the meadow. Therefore it is a perfectly fine choice for a less strenuous hike or family outing, if you choose to make it so.

NOTE: Because this trails extends into Rocky Mountain National Park, it is cross-indexed in both the "North-Central Mountains" and "Rocky Mountain National Park" categories.

External Links & References

North Fork Trail Description on US Forest Service web site