Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests · Colorado

Taylor Mountain

1.2 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 932 · trail class 2 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 40.2047, -105.4839 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Bright Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

The Bright Trailhead is perched on the south rim of the North Saint Vrain Creek canyon, and is accessible by Taylor Mountain four-wheel drive road (National Forest System Road 330). Parking is limited. This trailhead provides access to the Bright Trail and is accesssible by vehicle part of the year.

View an area map here.

For current information on road openings and closures, check the Road Status Table .

Bright Trail (#921)

Length: Bright Trailhead (TH) to: North Saint Vrain Creek - 1.7 miles; Creek to Johnny Park Road on the Bright Extension Trail - 1.8 miles. DISTANCES ARE ONE-WAY.

Elevation: 8,700 feet at southern terminus; 7,320 feet at North Saint Vrain Creek; 8,350 feet at northern terminus.

Trail Description: Starting at Bright Trailhead , Bright Trail begins on a high, relatively level hilltop, and drops down the wooded north-facing slope into the North Saint Vrain Creek canyon. This drop is fairly steep with an elevation change of 1,400' in 1.7 miles from trailhead to creek bed. There is no bridge across the creek. Do not attempt to cross during periods of high water.

The steep drop to the North Saint Vrain Creek from the south canyon rim offers views of the canyon, and the peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Latlong: 40.234859;-105.448

Click here for a trail summary.

View a trail map here.

Accessibility - The Colorado Division of Wildlife has requested that the Forest Service keep Taylor Mountain Road open through the end of the last elk hunt, typically ending in late January. However, the road may not be passable after December 1 due to snow and ice.

Directions - Three miles south of Allenspark on Colorado Highway 7, turn northeast onto Taylor Mountain Road (Forest Road 330, also signed for Pine Valley Subdivision). Stay on the main gravel road for 0.7 miles as it passes through a subdivision. After crossing a cattle guard, the road degrades to four-wheel-drive for one mile to the Bright Trailhead.

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

Accessibility <p>Conditions are best mid-May through late October. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has requested that the Forest Service keep Taylor Mountain Road open through the end of the last elk hunt, typically ending in late January. However, the road may not be passable after December 1 due to snow and ice.</p>

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests

All 460 trails in Arapaho and Roosevelt National ForestsFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

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.