Colorado Trail to Gudy's Rest

Colorado Trail Info Sign

This is a very popular trail with hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers because it is located very close to Durango but offers easy to moderate terrain along Junction Creek and wonderful views from Gudy's Rest.  Gudy's Rest is named for Gudy Gaskill, the "Mother of the Colorado Trail."  If you are looking for solitude on a hike, this is not the trail for you.

Lower Trailhead Parking Lot

Directions: From Historic Downtown Durango, head north on Main Ave to the intersection with 25th Street. Turn left at the light (heading west) and 25th Street turns into Junction Creek Road as it twists around Miller Middle School.

After approximately 3 miles, you will come to a fork in the road. Turning right takes you along Falls Creek Road, and going straight heads to the Colorado Trail.  You will see a sign at the intersection indicating which way to go for the Colorado Trail.  About a half mile from the intersection, the trailhead for the Colorado Trail will be on your left. There is a good sized parking lot along with decent pit toilets.  There is another trailhead about another mile up the road by the Junction Creek Campground, but the parking lot is much smaller.

The Trail: The trail stars out quite flat and begins a gradual climb along Junction Creek.  The trail is very wide but very rocky since it is in the flood plain for Junction Creek.  You will cross over a small footbridge where the trail heads left and continues along Junction Creek.

The trail is still pretty wide and the terrain becomes more rolling, but nothing strenuous.  In fact, for the first mile or so, the elevation gain is only around 200'.

Junction Creek alongside the trail.

After about a mile, you will come to the intersection with the upper trailhead and the trail begins to diverge to the left and upslope from Junction Creek.  The terrain becomes a bit more challenging and begins to climb up the Junction Creek valley.  The trail also meanders through some picturesque ponderosa pine stands that offer some very nice shade.

Once I passed the upper trailhead, I started to encounter a number of mountain bikers, so it is best to have your ears open.  If they are heading downhill, they are moving at a very good clip and I find it easiest just to move out of the way, which they appreciate and always say "thanks."

Bridge over Junction Creek.

About a mile past the upper trailhead, you will come to a wooden bridge over Junction Creek.
This is a great place to stop and rest a bit because after you cross over the bridge, the easy part is over as you will enter switchback central.

The climb from the bridge to Gudy's Rest contains six switch backs, gains approximately 600' in elevation, and covers approximately 1.3 miles.  Nothing too technical but definitely a good aerobic workout.  The views from Gudy's Rest are wonderful and you can see Fort Lewis College up on the mesa above Durango as well as Perrin's Peak.

View from Gudy's Rest. Perrin's Peak is on the right.

The Colorado Trail continues on from here all the way to the top of Kennebec Pass, on to Molas Pass, and all the way to Denver if you are so inclined.  My hike (actually, trail run) ended at Gudy's Rest.

My total time for this route was just under two hours and a distance of 7.85 miles.  I was running the route, so I would recommend giving yourself 3.5 hours for a hike from the lower trailhead, and about 2.5 hours from the upper trailhead.

Starting elevation was 6988' and the elevation at Gudy's Rest is 8022' giving you just over a 1000' in elevation gain for the hike.  Below is an elevation profile (out and back) of this route and a terrain map.  

Elevation Profile.

Terrain Map