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Chihuahua Gulch
From Dirtopia, The Off-Road Encyclopedia
 Photo: End of the 4x4 section of the trail, start of the hiking area | |
| Off-Road Information | |
| Other Names: | |
|---|---|
| Terrain: | 4x4/atv/dirtbike |
| Off-Road Use: | |
| Difficulty: | Moderate(5) |
| Camping: | {{{camping}}} |
| Geography | |
| County: | Summit |
| Nearest Cities: | |
| Map Links: | Google Map |
| Satellite Map: | {{{satlinks}}} |
| Special Map: | |
| GPS Coords: | 39.6005/-105.838 |
| Google Earth: | Chihuahua_Gulch.kmz |
| Climate: | |
| Area Size: | |
| Elevation: | |
| Last Visited: | |
| Open/Closed/Date: | |
| Season(s): | {{{seasons}}} |
Excerpt borrowed with permission from TrailDamage.com
This is the most challenging trail spur off of Peru Creek, and it also has some amazing scenery. It is maintained by a local 4-wheeling club, so it is also in great shape. It also features a long hiking trail at the end.
It starts two miles down Peru Creek at a well-marked sign to the left. There is a small parking area at the trailhead, though there is not enough room for a truck and trailer here.
It immediately starts uphill in a rocky section. The trail remains a little rocky all the way through, for the most part, though there is a short section where it is fairly smooth dirt. There are sections where you can choose different lines through the small- to medium-sized rocks.
At about 0.6 miles in the trail turns to the left and dips down to cross Peru Creek. Then it turns right and goes uphill again. At this point the trail becomes a bit more rocky and challenging.
At 0.8 miles you will be on the edge of a marshy area that fills the gulch. The trail goes through the very edge of the wet marsh, so there will probably be a bit of mud here. Stay on the trail and do not go any further into the marsh. Take care in this section and remember that damage to wetlands heals very slowly. If this area is damaged the trail could be closed.
It is very scenic here as you climb over a rocky ridge. The rocks here could be very challenging for a 4x4 vehicle if it does not have enough clearance. If it is wet it could be even more challenging.
There is a jarring section of trail that is being saved by a collection of logs that form a sort of bridge through it. Stay on the logs and do not go into the muddy area next to them.
There are two areas that could be confusing, but brown forest service signs have been placed there. Follow the arrows on the signs.
Soon the trail simply ends and vehicles cannot travel any further. The rest of the trail is for hiking only. There is a bit of room to turn around, but it is not a parking area by any means.
Go back out the way you came in.
External Links
TrailDamage.com pictures, movies, maps, GPS coordinates and additional trail information.
Maps and GPS Coordinates
A comprehensive list of GPS waypoints and tracks in Google Earth format can be found here: Chihuahua_Gulch.kmz
Chihuahua Gulch Coordinates: 39.6005° -105.838°
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Find nearby Geocaching locations
- Find this location with Google Earth
