Ute Canyon Trail (Colorado National Monument)
in Colorado
Location: Three access points: (1) from the Saddlehorn Visitor Center, turn left onto Rim Rock Drive and travel 9.3 miles (15.0 km) to the trailhead on the left (2) from the west entrance of the monument, turn right onto Highway 340 (going east); after 6.5 miles (10.5 km) turn right at the light onto South Broadway; go 1.2 miles (1.9 km) and turn left onto Wildwood Drive; watch closely for a brown trailhead sign on the right at 0.5 miles (0.8 km); turn down the road to the trailhead (3) from the east entrance, proceed north on Monument Road 0.6 miles (1.0 km); turn left on South Camp Road; drive 2.6 miles (4.2 km) to its junction with South Broadway; turn left and go 0.5 miles (0.8 km); turn left onto Wildwood Drive and go 0.5 miles (0.8 km); watch closely for a brown trailhead sign on the right at what appears to be driveway; turn down this road to the trailhead. The last two access points are shared with Liberty Cap Trail and Corkscrew Trail. Mileage: 7.0 one way (11.3 km) Difficulty Level: Steep Elevation: 6,440 to 4,800 feet (1963 to 1463 meters) from upper trailhead to lower trailhead.
Average time: 4-5 hours Usage: Hiking. Horseback riding is permitted along the boundary of the monument to the base of the escarpment only. Description (from upper access): Rigorous descent into narrow Ute Canyon from the plateau follows a primitive trail.
Route then follows the streambed with seasonal stream and pools bordered by cottonwoods and willows. A few arches may be seen. Unmaintained.
- States
- Colorado
- Trail type
- National Monument trail
- Centroid coords
- 39.0369°, -108.7089°
About Colorado National Monument
This trail is inside Colorado National Monument, a national monument managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $25 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/ute-canyon-trail-colorado-national-monument.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/colm/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Ute Canyon Trail (Colorado National Monument) and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
Coke Ovens Trail (Colorado National Monument)
3 miles from this trail's centroid
CCC Trail (Colorado National Monument)
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Corkscrew Trail (Colorado National Monument)
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Liberty Cap Trail (Colorado National Monument)
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Serpents Trail (Colorado National Monument)
4 miles from this trail's centroid
No Thoroughfare Canyon Trail (Colorado National Monument)
4 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.