Middle St. Vrain

full-limited Icon
4.6/5 (67 reviews)
Lyons, Colorado (Boulder County)
Last Updated: 09/22/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

Middle St. Vrain is a well-known off-road trail near Boulder, CO, often combined with Coney Creek. While the loop of the two offers varying difficulty levels throughout, Middle St. Vrain is relatively uncomplicated, except for The Gatekeeper. Since the Indian Peaks Wilderness surrounds the road, there are breathtaking views of the forest scenery as you travel. The trail is also an artery to recreation, with several official walking trails and fishing opportunities. Its unique charm and stunning scenery draw in adventurers from all over. 


Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.6/5 (67)
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 10/01/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Not much trail traffic, later in the day. Water was high, watched some motorcycles have some difficulty crossing the water. Still not the peak for colors as @ryan mentioned.
User Avatar
Official Crew
inline-aa Icon
122950
Open
Visited: 09/20/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Fun trail as always. Still a lot of water on the trail for this time of year. Aspens were just starting to show some color.
User Avatar
Official Crew
inline-aa Icon
45150
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 08/05/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Calvary 4-Wheelers ran Middle St. Vrain and Coney Creek, near Peaceful Valley, west of Lyons on Saturday, August 5, as one of our “Challenge” trips. Along for the trip were me in my Wrangler Unlimited (LJ) on 31s, Rich in his Grand Cherokee (WJ) on 32s, Jon in his Cherokee (XJ) on 32s and Francisco in his Wrangler (TJ) on 35s. It was a challenge, but very fun and very beautiful. I finally got to use the new winch I got for Christmas for its intended purpose. Unfortunately, it was on the gatekeeper with a group of about 20 JKs on 37s waiting behind us. Once we got through the gatekeeper, we let the big group go past us so we wouldn’t slow them down all day. Soon after we got back on the trail, it began to rain lightly, and we had off and on sprinkles the rest of the morning. The trail was in good shape, though considerably rougher than the last time we had been on it several years ago. We went past the turn for Coney Creek all the way to the end of the trail. We parked at the trailhead for the hiking trail that goes into the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area and had a nice lunch under the trees.
Trail Review: Middle St. Vrain - Bill Andrews
Trail Review: Middle St. Vrain - Bill Andrews
View More Images
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 08/04/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Ran out to the Bucannans pass trailhead on Aug. 4th and back on Aug. 6th in a 3rd Gen Tacoma with 2.5” lift on 32s. Rode the sliders and skids a few times but no real damage to the truck. Had a great time and the hike up to Gibraltar lakes is gorgeous. There are some no joke boulders on this trail.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/30/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

This trail was fun and challenging at times. Our group consisted of a few Lexus GX’s and my 4Runner on 33s, as well as a GX, an XJ, and a Rubicon unlimited on 35s. The smaller tire rigs struggled in some of the rock gardens. Bent skid plates, crunched bumpers, bent mufflers, etc, were some of the damages the group sustained throughout the trail. So if you’re on smaller tires, be prepared. Even the rigs on 35s took a few substantial hits. Also, if you run this trail through the coney flats water crossing, go slow. Our group towed a hydrolocked Tacoma a good 3-4 miles out to the end, through some rough rock sections, as he allegedly charged through the water crossing and the resulting bow wave flooded his motor. If you have a mild lift on at least 33s, you shouldn’t have any issues with the water crossing. I watched a stock ZJ Cherokee attempt the crossing and they took on a bit of water in the cab. So if you lack ground clearance, be mindful.
Trail Review: Middle St. Vrain - Alex Roberts
Trail Review: Middle St. Vrain - Alex Roberts
View More Images

From the Community

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