White River National Forest · Colorado

Cherry Creek Connector

1.4 mi of trail, end to end · Cherry Creek Connector #2256.1A: 5.5 mi loop in the Service's write-up · native material surface · trail No. 2256.1A · trail class 2 · typical grade trail_grade · tread 12-18 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 39.7075, -107.6466 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Cherry Creek Connector #2256.1A 5.5 mi loop · the Forest Service's write-up

No fee

This trail connects the West Elk Stock Driveway to the Cherry Creek Trail . From the West Elk Stock Driveway, the trail begins with a slight ascent into an aspen stand. The trail soon levels off, makes a right turn, and continues a short distance through the aspens before beginning it’s descent toward Cherry Creek. The descent is initially gradual and passes through open meadows and oak brush. The final descent is a steep dirt path with loose footing in some places. At the bottom of the hill, the trail levels out, crosses Cherry Creek, and completes the link to the Cherry Creek Trail. From here, you can turn left (uphill) towards Forest Road 819 or turn right (downhill) toward Forest Road 245.

This connector trail creates a 5.5 mile loop opportunity with the upper portions of the Cherry Creek Trail and the West Elk Stock Driveway. The loop can be traversed in either direction beginning at Forest Road 819. Ride approximately two miles south on either the Cherry Creek Trail or the Stock Driveway, traverse the connector, and then complete the loop by returning north to Road 819. If accessing the connector from the West Elk Stock Driveway, look for a left turn near a stock pond at the edge of a meadow. If accessing the connector from Cherry Creek, look for a right turn over the creek near the base of a hill, just past the sign for Trail 2291.

The majority of the Cherry Creek Connector is easy to follow with good, wide tread. The last meadow before the final descent is the only place where navigation can be challenging. Keep an eye out for cattle as you travel through this area.

This trail is open to hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in White River National Forest

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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.