Chihuahua Gulch

full-limited Icon
5/5 (42 reviews)
Keystone, Colorado (Summit County)
Last Updated: 05/26/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

One of the more popular trails in the Keystone area, Chihuahua Gulch is used by 4x4’s, hikers and sometimes a little horse traffic will be seen. The first 2.1-miles of this trail is used by all, but the last four are for hiking only. The scenery on this trail does not disappoint and packs a lot into a small trail. After the climb to the marsh, the views of the mountains open up as you look into the valley. With two stream crossings and a little rough rock here and there, this makes for a great trail for beginners and seasoned wheelers. The Forest Service road once went to Chihuahua Lake, but is now blocked off. The hiking trail has been rated as moderate and shouldn’t be taken on by someone with no training. This is a great trail to pair with Warden Gulch (FS 265) for a day of off-roading.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

5/5 (42)
Open
Visited: 08/09/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Loved this trail! I read the more recent reviews and was prepared mentally for a challenge. We took our Tundra with small lift and 35's...it's a bit of a pig. The trail is a bit tight but all in all we did great and didn't hit a skidplate or sliders. Picking the right lines is necessary; you can't just go through some of the sections without planning ahead. With a little more planning we would have done the hike to the lake but the drive was very enjoyable and left plenty of time for us to do other things during the day.
Trail Review: Chihuahua Gulch - Josh Beck
User Avatar
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/27/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Harder

I went up on a Thursday and only had a few hikers to navigate around. Beach ball sized rocks is a good description. This is no longer a trail for Subaru’s. I was surprised by the number of small creeks the trail crossed, but nothing deep (14” max).
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/14/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Harder

This is a great short trail that’s very scenic. As mentioned before, the trail has been washed out pretty bad with all the moisture this year. There is a few rock gardens you have to navigate with exposed boulders around beach ball in size. I’d say a 5/5 now.
User Avatar
inline-aa Icon
100
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/10/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Harder

Ran it in my stock FJ Cruiser with factory rock sliders, skids, and 33” tires. The trail is always fun and gorgeous. The boulder field was more dug out than in past years. My skid plates hate me.
Trail Review: Chihuahua Gulch - Dune
Trail Review: Chihuahua Gulch - Dune
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 06/24/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Harder

Trail is clear all the way back, the hiking portion is not clear yet to the lake, still snow at the main ascent. Trail has been washed out more after this winter than years past, would consider trail more difficult at this time. Stock 4x4 vehicles can clear the whole trail but will scrape in certain areas if not careful. Just after the first water crossing and once you reach the high Alpine basin, that portion of road is EXTREMELY washed out and should now be listed as a technical feature. No bypass. There is a large puddle / water crossing before coming up on a very rocky / rutted out part. This section requires careful wheel placement and even on 35" tires with a 3.5" lift I scrapped a bit.
Trail Review: Chihuahua Gulch - John Graham

From the Community

Start a free trial and get this level of detail on every trail guide
Start Free Trial