Beaver Creek Loop Trail

Please note: As of July, 2019, users have reported that there are closures in this area. Please consult the park's website before visiting. The Beaver Creek Wilderness Study Area covers 40,000 acres of uninhabited, road-free wild country. According to the Central Colorado Wilderness Coalition, "bighorn sheep and elk find winter and summer range in Beaver Creek. Mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, beaver, golden and bald eagle, and ring-tailed cats and the threatened Mexican spotted owl and peregrine falcon utilize the area. Vegetation includes Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine, Limber pine, aspen, pinon-juniper woodlands, and wetlands streams." Beaver Creek is in the Pike National Forest, 13 miles northeast of Canon City and 10 miles southwest of Colorado Springs. Its boundaries are within El Paso, Fremont, and Teller Counties, and it lies on the south slope of Pikes Peak between Phantom Canyon Road and Hwy 115. The Beaver Creek Loop hike begins at the trailhead at the end of CR 132, but the loop itself starts about .75 miles from the trailhead. During this hike you'll experience creek bottom jungle, quadriceps burning ascents, breathtaking views of vertical splendor and evergreen carpets, and the magical sights and sounds of a rushing Rocky Mountain river. You will not be the first to make this trip because some of the trail was engineered during Gold Rush days. You will discover that this 7.3 mile trek is truly an "E-Ticket ride" that will make you want to get in line again and again. Go south on Hwy 115 out of Colorado Springs for 32 miles. Turn right at the Brush Hollow Reservoir turnoff onto Fremont County Road 123. Follow this road 5 miles to CR 132. Turn right and travel 11 miles to the parking area. CR 132 is a dirt road, graded every spring. Some of its is quite rutted, but I've seen all kinds of vehicles in the trailhead parking area. If you want a really FULL day, drive down Hwy 67 from Divide. This becomes Phantom Canyon Road (24 miles of Colorado beauty), which parallels Beaver Creek (but not within view). Turn east on CR 123 until you reach CR 132.