Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests · Colorado

Bright Extension

1.7 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 921.1 · trail class 2 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike · seasonal: hiking 06/01-10/31

Trailhead Bright Extension Trailhead Drive there

Bright Extension Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Located 2.2 miles east of County Road 82E on the south side of Johnny Park Road (National Forest System Road 118), the trailhead is marked with a small sign near a minor saddle. This trailhead provides access to the Bright Extension Trail .

Acccess to the trailhead is seasonal. For current information on road openings and closures, check the Road Status Table .

View an area map here.

Bright Extension Trail (#827)

Length: Bright Extension Trailhead (TH) to North Saint Vrain Creek - 1.8 miles

Elevation: 8,350 feet at the TH; 7,320 feet at North Saint Vrain Creek

Trail Description: Bright Extension Trail begins at Bright Extension Trailhead on Johnny Park Road (National Forest System Road 118). The trail drops gently across the wooded plateau for the first mile. It then descends steeply down a dry drainage on an open south-facing slope, which can be a very hot climb back out on a summer afternoon. There is no bridge at the end of this trail.

Latlong: 40.234859; -105.448

Click here for a trail summary.

View a trail map here.

Accessibility - The trailhead is 2.2 miles east on the four-wheel drive Johnny Park Road and can be difficult to spot. The Bright Extension Trail is accessed from this trailhead.

Directions - From Meeker Park, follow the “Forest Access” sign by turning east onto the gravel Cabin Creek Road, County Road (CR) 82. At 1.1 miles, continue straight on the gravel Elk Park Road, CR 82E. Continue 2.2 miles east to the Johnny Park Road (National Forest System Road 118).

Restrictions

Motorized vehicles prohibited.

Unless seasonal restrictions are in effect, campfires must be attended at all times and cold to the touch with the bare hand before being abandoned.

Collection of dead and down wood is allowed; do not break branches from standing trees for firewood.

Practice Leave No Trace principles.

Fishing and hunting are allowed in accordance with regulations established by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife .

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.