Soap Creek #443

Soap Creek Trail 443 begins at the end of Soap Creek Road, FSR 721 and ends at the intersection with the Little Robinson Trail 850 and the Peters Creek Trail 856 on the Paonia Ranger District. This trail leads north into the West Elk Wilderness where Wilderness Regulations apply. It climbs steadily, following Soap Creek for about 1.5 miles and intersects with the Soap Basin Trail 442 and the East Soap Trail 535. The Soap Creek Trail forks left at this intersection and continues north along a ridge east of Soap Creek for approximately 1.5 miles before it descends into the drainage and again follows Soap Creek. After crossing the creek and following the creek for about 2 miles it intersects with the Soap Basin Trail again and just past that it intersections with the Sheep Lake Trail 551. The trail ascends out of the Soap Creek drainage traveling through conifer, aspen and open parks to the divide between the Soap Creek and Robinson drainages. Here it crosses into the Paonia Ranger District and continues for approximately half a mile before ending at the intersection with the Little Robinson and Peters Creek trails.