Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests · Colorado
Lion Gulch
3.5 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 949 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike
Trailhead Lion Gulch Trailhead (#949) Drive there
Lion Gulch Trailhead (#949) the Forest Service's write-up
The trail drops abruptly from the trailhead then begins a three mile climb along a stream in Lion Gulch. It provides access to the historic area known as Homestead Meadows where eight homesteads were established between 1889 and 1923. Information boards provide background stories at each location. Hiking to all the homesteads adds another 2.8 miles. See Homestead Meadows Trail. Lion Gulch trailhead accommodates approximately 35 vehicles.
You can find more information at the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers website .
Restrictions Trail Regulations: No motorized equipment. Leave historic artifacts as you find them. Certified weed-free hay is required for stock. Dogs must be on a hand held leash.
This trailhead on fs.usda.gov
Every trail in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
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.
