Spruce/Crystal Creeks Trailhead

Location

RangeTenmile Range

Elevation10,400'

Lat/Lon39.43681, -106.05038

Road Difficulty

1 2WD, easy dirt

2WD dirt to the lower TH. 4WD to the upper Spruce Creek trailhead. Rough 4WD to the upper Crystal Creek area.

Driving Directions

From the south end of Breckenridge, drive 2 miles south on Colorado 9. Turn right on Spruce Creek Road. Stay right up a hill before turning left at an intersection. Continue another mile to reach the obvious 2WD trailhead at 10,400'. To continue to the upper, 4WD Spruce Creek trailhead, pass through the gate and drive nearly 2 miles to reach the end of the road, near 11,100'. If you're headed to the Crystal Creek area, leave the lower trailhead, and after 0.2 mile turn right and follow a steep, narrow, 4WD road that goes all the way to Lower Crystal Lake, at 12,000'.

On-Site Info

ParkingParking for about 20 vehicles, with overflow pull-offs lower on the road.

CampingNone

Restrooms?No

Fees?No

Photos

Winter Access

Lower TH (10,400') open in winter but the road up from Highway 9 is fairly steep and often requires AWD, at least.

Trailhead added by BillMiddlebrook

Status Updates
Map


6/10/2025 Posted On: 6/10/2025 By: nicko3000125 Info: Direct road on Spruce Creek Road is closed but there is still easy access via Gold King Way/CR 801 or by taking the Blue River or Park County Commuter bus to the base of Spruce Creek Road and biking/walking 1.6 miles up the road to the trailhead. Biking was not horrible but using an e-bike would have made it easy. Then the ride down to Breck is awesome.
5/21/2025 Posted On: 5/21/2025 By: BillMiddlebrook Info: UPDATE: The 2025 Spruce Creek road closure (only open to local residents) is now scheduled to start on June 9th and last 3 to 4 weeks. If the project lasts into July, they are providing an access window from July 3rd to July 7th for those looking to access the area during the holiday. So, if you were planning on visiting the area via Spruce Creek, change your plans because the trailhead will not be accessible and there will be nowhere to park.
5/7/2025 Posted On: 5/8/2025 By: planet54 Info: Improvement project to close Spruce Creek Road, near popular trailhead, for up to 4 weeks Blue River residents in the area will be issued a local permit to access their properties near Spruce Creek Road News \| May 7, 2025 Summit Daily Staff Report Summit Daily Staff Report news@summitdaily.com An improvement project on Spruce Creek Road will begin toward the end of May, depending on weather conditions, closing the road for several weeks, according to the town of Blue River. Spruce Creek Road is one of the major routes to one of the most popular trailheads in Summit County, according to the town of Blue River’s monthly newsletter. It is steep with winding roads, and has been in need of maintenance for years, the newsletter states. Depending on weather conditions, Columbine Hills Construction will begin work on the road toward the end of May, with the project lasting from 3 to 4 weeks, according to the town. During that time, the road will be completely closed and only residents and short-term renters in the area will be allowed through to access homes, the newsletter states. Crown Drive will also reportedly be closed at the top and bottom with access for local traffic only. During construction there will dust, noise and equipment in the area, so the town is asking drivers to be patient and drive slowly. A Blue River local permit will be issued to affected residents so that construction crews can identify residents driving through. Anyone with questions or concerns can reach out to Town Manager Michelle Eddy at Michelle@TownOfBlueRiver.com.
2/4/2025 Posted On: 2/4/2025 By: bigfoot1 Info: Nicely plowed all the way to the trailhead and plenty of room for like 20+ cars. Slipped just a tiny bit on the way up but was able to power through without much incident.
10/1/2024 Posted On: 10/1/2024 By: wolfgangstiller Info: Road is in pretty good shape and possible in an AWD like a Subaru or Rav4/CRV but there are two rough spots where you would have to be very careful in an AWD vehicle. It would be better in a high clearance or 4wd vehicle.
10/7/2023 Posted On: 10/7/2023 By: swilson753 Info: The upper TH for Spruce Creek isn't too bad. I got up in a 2wd Hyundai Tucson in the dark. It looked worse in the daylight than in the dark. I'd say it's passable with 2wd + a little extra clearance. There's lots of rocks, but nothing super loose. No huge ruts/divots to worry about either.			2
7/9/2023 Posted On: 7/9/2023 By: ncxhjhgvbi Info: Upper Spruce Creek Trailhead was Easy 4x4. Plenty of SubuWu up there
7/1/2023 Posted On: 7/1/2023 By: sarahmariekirk Info: 4WD up to Upper Spruce Creek TH is clear of snow and not too bad - my Rubicon handled it great and so did my friend in his Subaru Outback. This road is worse than Grays Peak TH - there are some pretty big divots in the road and bigger rocks to navigate, but very doable as long as you pick the right line and go slow. Crystal 4WD TH is also clear of snow - but has some shallow creeks running along the road. Saw a number of vehicles up there today, and the road did not seem to be in terrible condition although there were a few obstacles to navigate (including the creek crossings see photo attached.)		1
6/26/2023 Posted On: 6/26/2023 By: jamie09302 Info: Trailhead road is in decent condition. Made it to the 4WD trailhead in my F150 very easily, would be okay in a normal SUV (yes, your Subaru can make it to the trailhead). Cannot currently drive all the way up to Crystal Lake even in high clearance 4WD, too many large snowdrifts.
5/30/2023 Posted On: 5/30/2023 By: SchralpTheGnar Info: Was able to drive up the spruce creek 4wd road above the 2wd lot about 1 mile to a nice parking area.
11/16/2022 Posted On: 11/16/2022 By: ncxhjhgvbi Info: Walked up the Crystal Creek road to the wheeler junction. Road is tracked out by an ATV with a track system - theyre doing some work on Francie's so it was relatively easy to walk up without spikes or floatation. Looks like a few passenger vehicles have attempted Crystal but turned around pretty quickly - I would recommend staying on the Spruce Creek Road if you really want to try to get higher. Past Francie's, snow is about mid shin to knee deep with only a few boot tracks to be seen. Was able to board down, only had to unstrap for a few rocky sections.
9/26/2022 Posted On: 9/26/2022 By: cougar Info: Road is Subaruable to the upper Spruce 4wd trailhead ar 11k and Wheeler junction. It's slow going and a few spots to take lines carefully, but overall passable. Got my 17 outback up and saw an old Outback lower clearance one up there.
5/14/2022 Posted On: 5/16/2022 By: rudi32 Info: I would say Rough 2WD to Spruce Creek TH (10,400'). Gate is still closed headed up Crystal Creek, still major snow on the road above 11,000'. Lost a pair of goggles coming down Crystal Creek road although, if anyone happens to snag them let me know !
9/19/2021 Posted On: 9/19/2021 By: LetsGoMets Info: 2WD to the lower TH around 10,400. Recommended clearance and good tires to get up to the upper TH, would not take a Subaru or like AWD vehicle.
8/22/2021 Posted On: 8/23/2021 By: nedryarson Info: Took my stock Xterra Pro-4x up Crystal Creek to the Lower Crystal Lake trailhead. Once you leave the Spruce Creek road right after the lowest trailhead, this is a legit 4x4 road. Narrow, steep, big rocks, and lots of deep holes. Easier once you pass Francie's Cabin and leave the forest. Biggest concern was encountering oncoming vehicles on the way down (very few pullouts for passing) but ended up lucking out. Other vehicles at trailhead - three full-size trucks, one 4runner, two Wranglers.

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