Big South Trail 944

From USHikingtrails

Big South Trail 944
The Big South Trail parallels the Cache La Poudre River from Highway 14 for 6.7 miles one-way, to just above the intersection with the Flowers Trail. In addition to the river scenery, Big South offers terrific vistas of the rugged canyon carved by the Cache La Poudre River, and long stretches of trail through heavily wooded pine forests.

Fast Facts
Distance(Miles):	6.7 miles one-way
Trail Surface & Condition:	Dirt, rocky in places
Other Trail Users:	Dogs, Horses (But not recommended*)
Ownership:	National Forest
Best Seasons:	Three seasons (spring thru fall)
Type:	Out-and-Back
Beginning Elev (Feet):	8,440
Ending Elev (Feet):	9,550
Elevation Gain (Feet):	+1,110
Difficulty Rating:	15.6
Big South Trailhead GPS Coordinates:	Latitude: 40.6345 Longitude: -105.8063
Junction With Flowers Trail GPS Coordinates:	Latitude: 40.5581 Longitude: -105.78027
* Stock is not recommended because the trail crosses scree fields with very poor, rocky footing. Because it is a wilderness area, dogs must be on leash.

Poudre Canyon from Big South Trail

Maps & Trailhead Directions

Big South Trailhead
Near To: Rustic and Fort Collins, Colorado

Driving Directions To Trailhead From Ted's Place north of Fort Collins on US Hwy 287, drive up Poudre Canyon (Highway 14) 49 miles. The trailhead is on the left side of the highway, just before crossing a bridge. Facilities are available at the Big South Campground, which is just past the bridge on the left side of the road. No water.

Big South Trailhead

Elevation: 8,440'

Maps & Images Lat: 40.6345 Long: -105.8063

Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps

Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth

Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

Trail & Hike Description

The Big South Trail is named for the Big South Fork of the Cache la Poudre River. Although this is the main stem of the Cache la Poudre, the name differentiates it from the South Fork, which flows to the north from Pingree Park, and from the North Fork, which flows from the Red Feather Lakes area, and joins the main stem of the Cache la Poudre at Gateway Park in the lower Poudre Canyon. This stretch of the Cache la Poudre River begins at Poudre Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park and flows north, carving out the magnificent canyon that is home to the Big South Trail.

This is the lower access to the Big South Trail. The upper part of this trail was once connected to the lower part by a footbridge over the Poudre River, near Peterson Lake. The bridge was washed out a number of years ago, and the Forest Service apparently has no plans to replace it any time soon. The only way to cross the river is by wading, which can be difficult or impossible during most parts of the year. Therefore don't plan on hiking the full length of this trail (both the upper and lower sections) when starting from this trailhead. It's best to access the upper portion of the Big South Trail from the Corral Creak Trailhead, located on Long Draw Road, just before the Long Draw Campground.

From the trailhead sign (see trailhead photo in the gallery below), the trail ascends up the hillside to the left of the sign. It is not the wide trail that directly parallels the river! But don't despair. After climbing up the hillside for a short distance, the trail parallels the river, and descends to the river's edge at numerous places. Continuing along the Poudre River it's entire length, the trail climbs up the side of the canyon away from the river, providing vistas up and down the canyon (and great views of the autumn colors during the fall season), descending again to the river's edge.

After about 1/2 mile, the trail enters the Comanche Peak Wilderness. From this point forward, no mechanized vehicles are allowed (including bicycles), and dogs must be on-leash at all times. The trail is in a Forest Service Designated Travel Zone. See the section on camping below for more details on the limitations imposed in Travel Zones.

The trail climbs and descends gently for the first two miles. At about two miles, it crosses a fairly large scree (talus) field - not a problem for hikers, but it may be a challenge for stock. For this reason, stock is not recommended on the lower part of Big South Trail. Just a short distance beyond the scree field, the trail drops back to the river's edge near a house-sized boulder. This is a choice spot for a picnic, or for a break to enjoy the serenity of the river, before continuing on. From here, the trail begins a fairly steep ascent to an overlook point well above the river (the photo above was taken from this point). It then descends to the footbridge crossing May Creek. After a short climb out of the May Creek drainage, the ascents and descents become more gentle, as most of the elevation gain is behind you. From here on, the trail very gently ascends up the canyon, which widens somewhat and becomes more forested.

At about 6.5 miles, the Big South Trail intersects with the Flowers Trail, and about 1/4 mile beyond the intersection, the trail hits the Poudre River at the point where the footbridge that washed out years ago once crossed the river. Unless you are one to brave a river crossing by wading and rock-hopping, this is the point to turn around.

The Big South Trail is one of the best hikes in Northern Colorado, because it offers a little of everything: Views of and access to the Poudre River, sweeping vistas of the Poudre River Canyon, serene forested areas, and brilliant fall colors. Highly recommended!

Camping On The Big South Trail

There are sixteen designated camping areas along the Big South Trail, starting about 3/4 mile from the trailhead. Because of the popularity of this trail, it is a designated Travel Zone. As in all Travel Zones, camping is restricted to designated sites, wood fires are prohibited, and only self-contained chemical stoves may be used. Note that overnight stock camping is prohibited in the Travel Zone.

The first five campsites are located on the slope above the trail, to your left as you ascend the trail from the trailhead (i.e. to the East of the trail). Site #6 is located just before crossing the bridge over May Creek, and campsite #7 is located uphill shortly after crossing May Creek. Campsites #8 and #9 are about 3/4 mile further up the trail and to your left. Sites #10 through #16 are located in relatively flat terrain along the last two miles of trail before reaching the Flowers Trail junction. Sites #11 through #14 are located on the river (west) side of the trail. All the other campsites are on the east side of the trail.

The downloadable PDF topographic map of Big South Trail shows the relative locations of the campsites along the trail. The table below lists the GPS coordinates (latitudes and longitudes) of the Big South campsites.

Big South Campsite GPS Coordinates

CAMPSITE	GPS COORDINATES (WGS84 DATUM)
Site #1	N40.62035°, W105.79943°
Site #2	N40.61927°, W105.79952°
Site #3	N40.61615°, W105.79882°
Site #4	N40.61563°, W105.79932°
Site #5	N40.6131°, W105.79997°
Site #6	N40.60763°, W105.79513°
Site #7	N40.60478°, W105.79437°
Site #8	N40.59603°, W105.80035°
Site #9	N40.59603°, W105.80112°
Site #10	N40.57812°, W105.80285°
Site #11	N40.57095°, W105.79552°
Site #12	N40.56982°, W105.79488°
Site #13	N40.56808°, W105.79382°
Site #14	N40.56705°, W105.79255°
Site #15	N40.56345°, W105.78853°
Site #16	N40.56215°, W105.78723°

External Links & References

Downloadable PDF topographic map of Big South Trail with campsite locations waypointed on the map

Big South Trail Description on US Forest Service web site

Remembering Jaryd Atadero on USHikingtrails.com blog