Galena Gulch

4.8/5 (16 reviews)
Breckenridge, Colorado (Summit County)
Last Updated: 10/10/2022

Trail Information

Highlights

Galena Gulch is a short, relatively easy 4WD trail through dense woods with some loose, rocky climbs. It is part of the Golden Horseshoe trail system which covers over 8000 acres between the Swan River and French Gulch. The area has a rich history and is dotted with countless mines, mills, and cabins dating from the late 1870s through the 1950s. The Golden Horseshoe is crisscrossed with 4WD, ATV, single track, mountain bike, and foot trails. Keep a sharp eye out for other folks using this network and, as always, be considerate. Stay the trail, and pack out what you packed in. It is vital that all visitors respect historic sites. Please leave them as you found them. Decades of tourists taking home bits of these historic buildings as mementos or carving their autographs have destroyed much of our history. Many historic sites are in a dangerous state of decay. Never enter or climb on historic ruins. It could damage the site, or worse, damage you!

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.8/5 (16)
3600
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 08/27/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

We ran several trails in the Golden Horseshoe today. A few mud puddles along the way. The most fun on Galena Gulch was the steep hill with the loose rocks. Lots of areas where they've been clearing trees. No scenic views.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 06/20/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Great little trail but had to back down and turn around, was approaching the climb on waypoint 4 and wasn’t getting traction. Went back out and turned right to using summit Gultch to get to the top. Rookie mistake as I should of aired down and when I wasn’t getting traction on the loose rock. I completely forgot to lock the center diff to aid me up. Had family with me so didn’t risk it. Stock LX470 on 33s. Had I been smarter this wouldn't have been an issue, but this would be tough for 2WD as you would need momentum and not easy to gain that for this waypoint, the higher up you go the harder it will be to back down or turn around, we were able to turn around before it got to steep.
Official Crew
37000
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 06/10/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

I ran most of the Golden Horseshoe today. The trails are all open, mostly dry with a few wet spots.
Official Crew
37000
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 10/30/2021
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

We ran several trails in the Golden Horseshoe today. There are some dry spots, but most of the trails have 4 to 8 inches of snow. Some have packed tracks, some don't. Some are slushy. Some are icy. (We put fresh tracks on a couple of less-used trails.) Georgia Gulch and the north end of American Gulch may be impassible. (There were no tracks and we decided not to risk it.) Be wary of off-camber spots that are close to trees. Sliding sideways is a good possibility.
Official Crew
37000
Impassable
Visited: 10/26/2021

Reports of snow at high elevations and folks going off trail to avoid drifts. While this trail may be passable by experienced groups in very capable rigs, we feel it safer to designate the trails as *IMPASSABLE* at this point.

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