All we need is SNOW! 30 Miles round trip. 2020-2021 at Vallecito Nordic. Vallecito Creek Trail (#529) – approximately 8.5 miles to Johnson Creek, 2000 ft ascent. 4 nights on the trail! Vallecito Creek Trailhead. Backpacked the Vallecito Creek trail up to Hunchback Pass. Vallecito Creek Trail between Johnson and Hunchback: is all navigable by food but NOT STOCK. General Notes: Host on site. Park in the parking lot for the trailhead. Getting There From Durango or Bayfield, head to Vallecito Reservoir. You will find the beginning of Vallecito Creek Trail at the Vallecito Creek campground, just a few miles past the North end of Vallecito Lake near the towns of Bayfield and Durango. The trails have been cleared. Take the road all the way to the Vallecito campground/trailhead north of the reservoir. The hike begins in a steep canyon with ponderosa pine forest, aspen and conifers. Vallecito Creek Trail – Easy/Moderate. Can't wait to go back & try other trails … The trail climbs gradually as you follow Vallecito Creek north. The Vallecito Creek Trail begins in the Vallecito campground. Pulling about 65 feet higher than the creek, the forest envelops the trail in heavy timber and a thick undergrowth. Vallecito Creek Trail: Vallecito Creek at the ford, where the bridge washed out years ago, and water is almost thigh deep. Vallecito Campground area map. Tour of Carvings. Vallecito Creek Trail From Johnson Creek to Hunchback Pass #529: Pine River Drainage. Vallecito Lake Event Center But where the shoreline mellows, the route drops down to hug Vallacito Creek at the foot of the steep hillsides. Or take Vallecito Creek trail and experience the same breathtaking views. The Tour of Carvings Project is a comeback story of the Vallecito community following the Missionary Ridge Fire of`2002. After .6 miles you enter the Weminuche wilderness. About 5.6 miles from Rock Creek, the trail comes up on the Needle/Johnson Creek Trail #504. Review of San Juan National Forest. Beyond Johnson Creek, the views open up. The avalanche debris was cleared from the trail in fall 2007. Reviewed August 26, 2015 . There is a slide debris pile near Rock Creek (but ok via foot). Parking for the Vallecito Creek Trail, a major access point for the Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado's largest (no mountain bikes or motorized vehicles allowed), is at the entrance to the campground. Between June 9 and July 28, over 70,000 acres were burned at a cost of $40.8 million dollars. Spent one night at the campground at the trail head near Vallecito Resevoir. Continue on Vallecito Trail #808. Note: On the Vallecito Trail, the third bridge (counting from the South) across Vallecito Creek is out due to an avalanche in the winter of 2004-2005. From CR 501 continue to North end of the Lake and bear left (North) for 2.8 miles on CR 500 to reach Vallecito Campground and trailhead parking. Pulling west, the trail hugs Vallacito Creek at the foot of the steep hillsides. Seven picnic sites are near the campground entrance, along the creek. A stunning day hike on the first few miles of the trail, or a wonderful four-to-five day backpack trip. Vallecito Creek borders one side of the campground and the whole area is … The Vallecito Valley is packed with people but once you reach the Johnson Creek juncture you should be free of pesky day hikers. Vallecito Creek Trail: Access from the east. Vallecito Creek Trail. After 0.5 miles, as the shoreline grows too rugged, the trail climbs higher and the views slip away behind the basin walls. So wax your skis and get ready… This season we welcome an additional partner the Pine River Irrigation District (PRID), which expands our longtime collaboration with the US Forest Service. 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