Round Trip Distance: 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 4573 - 4736 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 45 mins.
Trailhead: Kodel's Canyon
Fee: none
Attractions: Short connector
The K5 trail is located in the Kodel's Canyon Area of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area near Grand Junction and Fruita, Colorado. The north end of the trail begins at the junction of the K7, K6 and K5 trails. From there the trail runs south for a half mile to where it ends at its junction with the K1 trail. Enroute it is crossed by the K4 trail.
The north end of the K5 trail begins by following the wash to the left of the juniper tree that is about 20 feet behind the trail marker in this picture. If you are coming down the K6 trail you will probably go right by the K5 trail and never see it. The trail isn't all that apparent even standing here looking at the trail marker that is pointing right at it.
The trail follows the wash as it starts out but soon it leaves the wash and cuts across the flats.
Most of the good scenery as the trail cuts across the flats is in the distance looking toward Kodel's Canyon.
Near the midpoint of the trail the K5 trail is intersected by the K4 trail.
The scenery gets much better near the south end of the trail as the K5 travels over a small ridge between two hills.
The K5 trail comes to an end at the K1 trail. Going to the left on the K1 will lead back to the trailhead passing the K4 and K7 trails enroute. The trail to the right climbs over a higher ridge where it drops down to where the K12 trail meets up with the K1. Various loop hikes can be made by combining any of these trails.
For this post we turned around and hiked back down the K5 trail to where we began.
