White River National Forest · Colorado

Fayville OHV

15 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 2290 · trail class 3 · typical grade trail_grade · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle, atv, e-bike · motorized use allowed · seasonal: hiking 05/21-11/22

Trailhead West Elk Trailhead Drive there

West Elk Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

No fee

The West Elk Trailhead is a year-round parking area for motorized and non-motorized recreational activities. The trailhead is located along Forest Road 245 (Buford-New Castle Road) approximately 7.5 miles north of the Forest boundary. The parking area has room for several dozen passenger vehicles and trailers.

During the summer, the West Elk Trailhead serves as the southern access point for Motorized Trail #2290 (also known as the Buford-New Castle Parallel Trail). During the winter, the trailhead is one of the access points to the Flattops snowmobile trail system, providing parking for snowmobilers who wish to follow the Buford-New Castle Road. The trailhead also provides parking for the West Elk non-motorized trail system, which is located immediately east of the parking area.

Recreational opportunities in this area are provided through partnerships with a number of local organizations. The White River Trail Runners provide maintenance and stewardship of Trail #2290, while the Rifle Snowmobile Club grooms the Buford-New Castle Road for snowmobiling. West Elk Trails, Inc. (WETI) maintains the cross country ski trails to the east of the trailhead.

Restrictions <ul><li>Please note that <strong>OHVs are not allowed on the Buford-New Castle Road</strong>.</li><li><strong>November 23rd to May 20th</strong> -snowmobiles are permitted to use the Buford-New Castle road during winter travel management as snow conditions allow.</li></ul>

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in White River National Forest

All 729 trails in White River National ForestFind 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.