Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest
St. Vrain Glacier Trail #917

Buchanan Pass Trailhead to (one way):

• Middle St. Vrain Trailhead: 3.8 miles
• St. Vrain Glaciers: 8.4 miles
Middle St. Vrain Trailhead to:

• St. Vrain Glaciers: 4.6 miles
Beaver Reservoir Trailhead to:

• Coney Flats Trailhead: 3.4 miles
• St. Vrain Glaciers: 10 miles
Coney Flats Trailhead to:

• St. Vrain Glaciers: 6.6 miles

Elevations:

• Buchanan Pass Trailhead: 8,600'
• Red Deer Lake: 10,372'
• Saint Vrain Glaciers: 11,200'

Season of Most Use: June through October (open year round)

Usage: Heavy to extremely heavy

Rating: More to Most Difficult

USGS Maps: Allenspark and Isolation Peak Quads

Trailhead Location: There are several parking options for accessing the St. Vrain Glacier Trail. These are:

Buchanan Pass Trailhead and Beaver Reservoir Trailhead for 2-wheel drive; Middle St. Vrain Trailhead and Coney Flats Trailhead for 4-wheel drive. The Buchanan Pass Trailhead is at the west end of Camp Dick. Camp Dick is one mile off of Highway 72 at mile-marker 50, approximately four miles south of the intersection of Highway 7 and 72. Turn west onto paved National Forest System Road (NFSR) 114. Park in the lot at the west end of Camp Dick, or you can reach the Middle St. Vrain Trailhead in a 4-wheel drive with high clearance: drive 3.6 miles farther on NFSR 114 (Middle St. Vrain Road - this is a rough 4-wheel drive-only road, closed from late October through late June or early July).

To reach the Beaver Reservoir Trailhead, turn off of Highway 72 onto County Road 96 (about four miles south of the turnoff for Camp Dick). Drive about two miles west to Beaver Reservoir. You can park at the Beaver Reservoir Trailhead and hike to Coney Flats Trailhead, which is partly on the 4-wheel drive road and partly on an old private road, closed to 4-wheel drive. If you have 4-wheel drive with high clearance, you can try to reach Coney Flats Trailhead by driving four miles farther on NFSR 507 (Coney Creek Road - this is a rough 4-wheel drive-only road, closed from late October through mid- to late-June). From the Coney Flats Trailhead, NFSR 507 continues northwestward to join up with NFSR 114. NFSR 507 from here on is very rough, for experienced 4WD drivers only.

The St. Vrain Glacier Trail continues west where the Buchanan Pass Trail #910 makes a sharp switchback to the east one and a half miles west of the Middle St. Vrain Trailhead, and 5.3 miles west of the Buchanan Pass Trailhead on the Buchanan Pass Trail. This junction is also 3.6 miles west of the Coney Flats Trailhead and 7.0 miles west of the Beaver Reservoir Trailhead on the Beaver Creek and Buchanan Pass Trails.

The St. Vrain Glacier Trail continues west through the Indian Peaks Wilderness for another 3.1 miles to Gibraltar Lake (elevation 11,200 feet), at the foot of the St. Vrain Glaciers. The first part is on an old jeep trail, but there are two places where you'll need to ford the Middle St. Vrain Creek, which can be difficult, especially in late spring and early summer. Near the fords, the trail breaks up into little paths as hikers seek the easiest routes across the creek. The jeep trail ends at a scenic pond with little islands. The outlet can be crossed on a pile of logs, but watch your footing as they are old and rotten. At a large rock cairn on the far side of the creek, a constructed trail continues for another mile. In a field of boulders, the previously obvious trail simply disappears, leaving you to wind your way through and over the rocks. Before the small lake in the bottom of the valley, a faint path climbs the hillside towards Gibraltar Lake, running out somewhere in the rocks. The St. Vrain Glacier Trail ends in a beautiful cirque basin, with half a dozen tiny lakes under sharp rock walls and glacial remnants.

Backcountry camping in the Indian Peaks Wilderness is by permit only. Permits are required for camping along this trail June 1 to September 15. Contact the Boulder Ranger District (303-541-2500) for information.