Green Ridge Trail

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5/5 (13 reviews)
Red Feather Lakes, Colorado (Larimer County)
Last Updated: 07/26/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

Camping Category Icon Camping
Forest Category Icon Forest
Mud Category Icon Mud
Scenic Category Icon Scenic
Water Category Icon Water
Standing water and mud await your journey on this 15-mile trek through the high-country forest near Cameron Pass in the upper Poudre Canyon west of Fort Collins, Colorado. Even during the driest parts of the summer season, water holes with 36” of standing water are abundant and common. Early season off-roaders will find water even deeper when the trail opens after the spring snowmelt. This is not a technical trail but the risk of getting stuck and actually using that winch for more than a conversational piece is real. Find a like-minded off-roader to go with you and hit the trail for a day of beautiful scenery with a drive through an adult off-road water park. Green Ridge Trail is the third leg of the three-trail loop known as the “Mud Loop.” Off-roaders will combine Sevenmile Road, Bald Mountain (USFS517), and Green Ridge Trail as a day-long trifecta where you will experience a diet full of rocks, water, and mud. Green Ridge Trail is, by far, the wettest and muddiest in this loop that starts and ends in the Poudre Canyon.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Green Ridge Trail is a very fun and adventurous trail that travels north along the Green Ridge from Poudre Canyon to the Deadman vicinity near Red Feather Lakes, Colorado. The trail has numerous water crossings with some of them exceeding 36" in depth. The route remains in the trees except where it passes through a couple of meadows. Significant water is always present along the trail which becomes more easily passable later in the season. With the water comes mud. Rocks on this trail can be 18" in diameter with some hidden in the water features. Because this trail travels through a remote mountain area without cell phone service and there is a significant risk of getting stuck on this trail, recovery equipment is a must for this trail. For safety reasons, don't run this trail alone. Green Ridge Trail, when combined with Bald Mountain (USFS 517) and Sevenmile Road, is known as the "Mud Loop". The Green Ridge Trail leg is the most difficult and could be problematic for beginning off-roaders and stock vehicles.

Trail Reviews

5/5 (13)
Temporary Closure
Rated 5/5
Visited: 09/14/2023

Closed gate at beginning of trail
Open
Visited: 07/19/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Great trail with fun mud holes. We had a lot of jeeps in a group ride and it was good day of wheeling.
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1000
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 09/25/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Easier

I drove Green Ridge from north to south on Sunday, 25 Sept., 2022. It's open all the way through now. Most of the trail was in good condition. It get's a little thready between Laramie Lake and the top of the ridge, through the fire. There's some low hanging branches (well, less now LOL) and the 2-track is just getting beat back in. The water holes were all fine, not too deep for my Xterra and almost all of them have a solid bottom. I did burry the Xterra up to the body in an optional mud hole at waypoint 11, so be prepared if you try for that one. No pics, we were busy driving. In the conditions that are out there right now I don't know if I'd give this a 5, more like a 4 to 4.5, but I'm sure it gets harder with more water on the trail and deeper water holes.
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Official Crew
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47250
Temporary Closure
Visited: 06/22/2022

Green Ridge Trail remains closed by order of the USFS because of fire damage from the Cameron Peak fire in 2020. There is no estimate on when the area will re-open to the public.
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Official Crew
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117100
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 12/01/2021

Closed for the season! See you in 2022!

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