Lava Creek

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 5.1 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 8,388 - 10,216 feet
Cellphone: 0-2 bars
Time: 3 hrs.
Trailhead: Battlement Reservoir
Fee: none
Attractions: Forest hike, deer, elk, bears

The Lava Creek trail is located near the towns of Parachute and Battlement Mesa, Colorado. The trail begins on private land before entering the White River National Forest where it climbs its way up the mountain to the Battement Reservoirs. The trail was reconstructed in recent years and has been kept in good condition ever since. With almost 2,000 feet of elevation gain along a very rocky path the trail gets only light use until hunting season each year.

Big Creek Scout Trail

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 5.9 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 8171 - 9085 feet
Cellphone: 0-1 bars
Time: 2 hrs. 45 mins.
Trailhead: Big Creek Reservoir
Fee: none
Attractions: Forest hike, fishing

The Big Creek Scout trail is located in the Uncompahgre National Forest near Grand Junction, Colorado. The trail begins at its north end near the Big Creek Reservoir on FR #403.1A and climbs through a canyon to its south trailhead at FR #404.1A. Forest Road #404.1A is a spur off of the Uranium Road FR #404.

East Unaweep

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 5.4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 8124 - 8951 feet
Cellphone: 0-2 bars
Time: 2 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Basin/Little Creek Trail
Fee: none
Attractions: Forest hike, wildlife

The East Unaweep trail is located in the Uncompahgre National Forest near Grand Junction, Colorado. The trail begins off the lower end of the Basin Trail where it follows a canyon up to the Little Bear Lake and Unaweep Trails. The trail is a single track that is not open to anything with more than 2 wheels and 4 legs.

Little Bear Lake

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 12.1 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 8095 - 8980 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 4 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Basin/Little Creek Trail
Fee: none
Attractions: Forest hike, deer, mushrooms, berries

The Little Bear Lake trail is located in the Uncompahgre National Forest near Grand Junction, Colorado. The trail begins off of the Basin Trail and runs through the woods to a point at the end of a ridge overlooking the Gill Creek trail area. The trail is open to all modes of transport from mountain bike to 4-wheel drives.

Bull Basin

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 12-13 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 9639 - 10,003 feet
Cellphone: 0-4 bars
Time: 5 hrs.
Trailhead: Jumbo Reservoir
Fee: none
Attractions: Forest hike, deer

The Bull Basin Trail #507 is in the Grand Mesa National Forest near Grand Junction, Colorado. The trail stretches between Highway 65, near Mesa Lakes, and Forest Road 121, near Bonham Reservoir, south of the town of Collbran. This post follows the portion of the trail that traces the Long Slough Road, FR #254.1A, for 6 miles to Bull Creek Reservoir Number 5 which is the turnaround point for this outing.