Mendenhall

Zoom in to see trails...

Status:	Seasonal Closure
Typically Open:	06/15 - 11/30
Length:	10.95 miles
Highest Elevation:	10363 feet
Duration:	About 1 hour, 30 minutes
Shape of Trail:	Straight Through
Best Direction to Travel:	N/A
Nearest Town:	Walden
Nearest Town w/ Services:	Walden
Official Road Name:	881
Management Agency:	Roosevelt National Forest / Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife
District:	Canyon Lakes District / Colorado State Forest Park

Highlights

Mendenhall is a mountain forest trail that drops from the Medicine Bow Mountains down into the North Park Valley just north of Walden, CO. The trail offers off-roaders a variety of experiences including a rocky road, dense forest, and great views of the Zerkel Wilderness area to the west. This trail is a nice scenic drive for experienced off-roaders while it can be challenging for novice wheelers. This trail is also near the popular North Sand Hills Recreation area.

Route Information

Technical Rating

( MODERATE )

Waypoints

1. Mendenhall Trailhead (0 mi)

The trailhead for Mendenhall is marked as FR 881. The route heads south from the Hohnholz Lakes Road. In this area, the road is graded and well maintained, suitable for all vehicles. The road will remain in this condition for about the first two miles. After that, it will become "the road less traveled" and more trail-like.

Directions to Trailhead

Starting Point: Walden, Colorado

Take Colorado Hwy 125 north out of Walden 13.5 miles. Veer right onto CO 127 for 3.5 miles to the Forest Service Access Road, which is Jackson CR#46. This turns into FS204 (second right at the houses), which is the Hohnholz Lakes Road. Follow this 3.3 miles to the intersection of Forest Service Road 881. This is the start of Mendenhall.

Camping

Dispersed

Land Use Issues

Mendenhall is a seasonal trail that closes during winter months due to considerable snow fall.

Trail Reviews (9)

Questions & Answers (1)

Q: Tim Loved your review of Mendenhall trail. It helped us plan our motorbike ride from Red Feather Lakes to Walden. Mendenhall is now blocked. If you find out that it is open, I would love to know. We (Wife and son) would like to repeat our trip from Red Feather Lakes to Walden via Mendenhall. In late July we had to go through Kings Canyon and take the highway to Walden. Still a nice trip. Mike Schuster schuster45@gmail.com

–Michael Schuster (08/05/2021)

–Tim Palmer (08/10/2021)

Writer Information

Tim Palmer

Mapping Crew - Colorado

Tim lives and works in Northern Colorado. He has owned and driven 4X4 vehicles his entire adult life including Jeeps, pick ups, ATVs and UTVs. After high school, Tim's first 4X4 was a 47 Willy's CJ-2A with a flat 4 and a 6-volt electrical system. Typically wheeling in Northern Colorado or Southern Wyoming, Tim loves being in the mountains and the back country. Because of a desire to enjoy and promote responsible off-roading and to keep it available for the future, he belongs to a local 4X4 off-road club. Being part of the Trailsoffroad.com community furthers that goal as well. A love for off-road adventures, camping, fishing, and hunting keeps Tim away from pavement and always exploring. While his wife likes the comfort of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Tim prefers the ruggedness of the Jeep Wrangler. Although most off-road time is spent in Colorado and Wyoming, an occasional trip to the Moab area is common. Tim will spend the summer going topless and enjoying the value of the great outdoors. Amateur Radio Technician license call sign: ke0npg

Walden, Colorado (Jackson County)