The Ten Essentials
Overview
The Beaver Creek Trail enters the Comanche Peak Wilderness and the Browns Lake Travel Zone. It provides access to the Hourglass, Comanche Lake, and Brackenbury Cabin trails, and ends at the Flowers Trail.
| Wilderness One Way Length Beginning Elevation Peak Elevation Gain/Loss/Net Gain Ratings USFS Regulations Trails Illustrated Quadrangle |
Comanche Peak 7.5 miles (trailhead #1 to Flowers Trail #939) 9,082 11,132 2,354/304/+2,050 Hikers – Strenuous; Stock Riders – Challenging National Forest > Wilderness & Travel Zone #112 Poudre River, Cameron Pass Comanche Peak, Pingree Park |
Location
Poudre Canyon. Drive 26.5 miles from Ted’s Place to the Pingree Park Road (CR-63E) at mm 96.1, cross the Cache La Poudre River, and drive 15.9 miles to the Tom Bennett Campground turnoff on the right side. Cross over the South Fork of the Cache La Poudre River and continue on to Sky Ranch. If the gate at the entrance to Sky Ranch is locked, begin your patrol here (trailhead 1). There is parking and a clear trailhead. Note that this adds 1 mile to your one-way distance, whatever your final destination. The trail skirts Sky Ranch buildings, and rejoins the road. Turn right on the road, and follow it to trailhead 2. If the first gate is open, you can drive through Sky Ranch to a locked gate (at trailhead 2). Facilities are available at Tom Bennett Campground. Horse trailer parking is available at both trailheads. No water available at either trailhead.
| GPS Coordinates Trailhead 1 Trailhead 2 Jct. Hourglass Trail Wilderness boundary Jct. Comanche Lake Trail Jct. Browns Lake Trail Browns Lake Travel Zone, upper boundary Jct Brackenbury Cabin Trail Jct. Flowers Trail |
N40°34.857’ W105°36.011’ Map N40°34.758’ W105°37.111’ Map N40°35.127’ W105°38.695’ N40°35.232’ W105°39.660’ N40°35.413’ W105°40.180’ N40°35.423’ W105°40.240’ N40°35.397’ W105°40.383’ N40°35.636’ W105°42.864’ N40°35.636’ W105°43.103’ |
Description
For the first 2.7 miles, the trail skirts the north sides of Hourglass Lake and Comanche Reservoir. This portion of the trail is in multi-use National Forest.
If you are continuing on the Beaver Creek Trail, you will enter the Comanche Peak Wilderness Area, and the Browns Lake Travel Zone, at the west end of Comanche Reservoir. Proceed up the Beaver Creek Trail for another 0.7 mile, where the Comanche Lake Trail branches off to the left (south) and continues 0.9 mile to the lake. Continue up the Beaver Creek Trail about 50-100 yards, to its junction with the Browns Lake Trail on the right (north). The Beaver Creek Trail continues uphill to the west for another 3 miles. This section of the trail receives very little foot traffic, and can be covered by horse from the Flowers Trail or Zimmerman trails. If you choose to stay overnight , you could camp along the Beaver Creek Trail outside of the Browns Lake Travel Zone and include hikes of the Comanche Lake Trail, the Brackenbury Cabin Trail, and/or the Hourglass Trail (as well as the upper Beaver Creek Trail).
