Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests · Colorado

Forsythe Canyon

0.9 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 852 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike

Trailhead Forsythe Canyon Trailhead Drive there

Forsythe Canyon Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Forsythe Canyon Trailhead provides access to the Forsythe Canyon Trail and parking for the Winiger Ridge area west of Gross Reservoir. For current information on road openings and closures, check the Road Status Table .

Gross Reservoir is managed by Denver Water . Visit their website for regulations and information.

View an area map here.

Forsythe Canyon Trail (#852)

Length: Forsythe Canyon Trailhead (TH) to trail intersection with CR 68J - 1.6 miles

Elevation: 7,337 feet at TH; 7,837 feet at CR 68J

Trail Description: Forsythe Canyon Trail is a non-motorized hiking trail near Gross Reservoir. From the Forsythe Canyon Trailhead , walk downhill from the parking area. The trail begins near the gate on National Forest System Road 359.

Forsythe Canyon Trail leads off of a rocky point, following Forsythe Creek down its wooded, rocky canyon. The small creek runs noisily in spring, forming small, picturesque waterfalls and cascades finally ending at the far northwestern tip of Gross Reservoir.

Latlong: 39.960774; -105.396

Camping in this area is restricted to the designated campsites along National Forest System Road 359 .

Gross Reservoir is managed by Denver Water . Please visit their website for regulations and additional information.

View a trail map here.

Restrictions In this area, <strong>dispersed camping</strong> outside of a designated Forest Service campsite is <strong>prohibited.&nbsp;</strong>See<a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd910648.pdf"> Order.</a>

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests

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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.