Hiking Browns Canyon National Monument

[tomcat32]

I checked out the Browns Canyon NM hiking trails last week. There is a small trail system in place and the area has nice scenery ranging from Antora to Columbia plus the Northern Sangres to the south and Buffalo Peaks to the north. Great grandstand views of Princeton and Yale. The immediate area has some interesting rock outcroppings and terrain. I covered about 11-12 miles with 1.5 miles of overlap at the most. The trails follow numerous dry creek beds and I followed the river a bit. This is a trip report but I posted it here since I didn't really hit any summits. Below is a link to my trip report with photos and beta for anyone curious about the new NM.

http://tomcatoutdoors.blogspot.com/2016 ... ument.html

[Shaolin]

Definitely some nice views. Might have to check it out someday. Thanks for sharing.

[Tornadoman]

Tom,

I always enjoy your reports, you live in/explore some great areas there. Thanks for sharing, that's definitely an idea for when the summits are too cold/snowy!

[MonGoose]

Thanks for posting this trip report! I've kayaked Browns Canyon a few times but never hiked it. It's a beautiful National Monument and I'm very grateful to Senator Mark Udall for championing this cause. I hope to take some time this summer to explore the new area.

Browns Canyon National Monument

[mtgirl]

Thanks for the trip report. I poked around your other trip reports and stumbled onto the mountain bike trip reports you did around Boreas Pass and Sheep Creek. Nice ! Wanting to hit both of them up in 2017.

Assuming you've ridden the "Cottonwood Tour" in Salida ? https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/6309603 One of my favorites, and with the long initial climb, sounds right up your alley and close to home.

[tomcat32]

Thanks for the trip report. I poked around your other trip reports and stumbled onto the mountain bike trip reports you did around Boreas Pass and Sheep Creek. Nice ! Wanting to hit both of them up in 2017.

Assuming you've ridden the "Cottonwood Tour" in Salida ? https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/6309603 One of my favorites, and with the long initial climb, sounds right up your alley and close to home.

I have ridden my own variation of the Cottonwood Tour many times. I usually hit Prospector then climb Lower Backbone at the end and descend on the updated Burnpile trail which is a good flow trail. It's my close to home ride for my Singletrack fix. They have finished the new trails that drop into Cottonwood. I don't have the map in front of me but they are called Salsa, Rumba, and Rumba Ridge if I remember right. The new trail that drops into Cottonwood has a nice downhill that is swoopy and bermy.

[mtgirl]

Thanks for the trip report. I poked around your other trip reports and stumbled onto the mountain bike trip reports you did around Boreas Pass and Sheep Creek. Nice ! Wanting to hit both of them up in 2017.

Assuming you've ridden the "Cottonwood Tour" in Salida ? https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/6309603 One of my favorites, and with the long initial climb, sounds right up your alley and close to home.

I have ridden my own variation of the Cottonwood Tour many times. I usually hit Prospector then climb Lower Backbone at the end and descend on the updated Burnpile trail which is a good flow trail. It's my close to home ride for my Singletrack fix. They have finished the new trails that drop into Cottonwood. I don't have the map in front of me but they are called Salsa, Rumba, and Rumba Ridge if I remember right. The new trail that drops into Cottonwood has a nice downhill that is swoopy and bermy.

Yes, I've ridden Salsa & Rumba down to Cottonwood. I do the same at the end and make my way over S-Mountain to descend Burn Pile. Salida Mountain Trails is now finishing a new trail, Chicken Dinner, that looks like a fun alternative at the end also.

[ColoradoGuy]

I've hiked the distance of the canyon on the railroad tracks from the north end of the park (at Nathrop) to Salida.



It'll be interesting to see if any truly great trails are built now that it's a national monument.