White River National Forest · Colorado

McCullough Gulch

2.4 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 43 · trail class 3 · typical grade trail_grade · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 39.4011, -106.0793 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

McCullough Gulch TH #43 the Forest Service's write-up

The trail is located south of Breckenridge on the north side of Quandary Peak, elevation 14,265 feet. From the trailhead you will be hiking on an old mining road through the McCullough Gulch drainage. Although private property exists along this trail, hikers and mountain bikers are allowed access and are asked to stay on the trail. Eventually you turn onto a trail that leads you to a viewpoint of White Falls. You can continue up the trail to a beautiful alpine lake with a magnificent view of the entire McCullough Gulch drainage.

In summer months, access to the trailhead is available only through parking reservation or by shuttle from Breckenridge to the Quandary Peak Trailhead parking lot. From there, it is ¼ mile walk up McCollough Gulch Road to the trailhead. Visit hikequandary.com for parking reservation and shuttle information. Summit County does not permit parking on McCollough Gulch Rd (including Quandary Peak Trailhead area), Blue Lakes Rd or Highway 9.

This area is part of the 53,804-acre Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, designated by Presidential Proclamation on Oct 12, 2022 to protect its important prehistoric, historic, natural and recreational values.

Restrictions Closed to motor vehicles.  Open to Hike, Horse and Mountain Bike. 

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Wheeler National Recreation TH #39 the Forest Service's write-up

The Wheeler National Recreation Trail can either be started outside of Blue River just north of McCullough Gulch or near Copper Mountain. The trail climbs into the alpine and crosses over the Tenmile Range and has spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. You can also enjoy the lower elevations as it passes through a mix of lodgepole and spruce/fir forests. Because this trail travels above timberline, you should begin your hike early in the morning because of the ever changing mountain weather. There is always a strong chance of afternoon thundershowers accompanied by lightning.

Restrictions Closed to motor vehicles. Open to Hike, Horse and Mountain Bike.

This hike 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.