Mayflower Gulch Day Hike
Mayflower Gulch, Day Hike Near Copper Mountain
Hike, snowshoe or skin this moderate trail for summer blooms, winter serenity and year-round mining ruins among glacier-carved amphitheaters.
Short enough for small dogs and kids and steep enough to get the blood pumping, Mayflower Gulch is a beautiful two- to three-hour hike. Park in the lot and head up the wagon road following Mayflower Creek. Summer wildflowers explode in columbines, Indian paintbrush and primrose and Colorado’s mining past unfolds in the form of a log ghost camp and dilapidated ore chute. The trail climbs through evergreen forest, trucking above timberline and presenting towering natural rock ridge amphitheaters and 13,995-foot Mt. Fletcher flanked by spectacular Ten Mile Range vistas. Stop here for the easy 1.8-mile version or return to the road fork and begin climbing Gold Hill to tackle the Clinton Gulch loop. The steep path scrambles the ridge, across tundra, dropping back into timber, skirting Clinton Lake and circling back to the parking lot. Contact the Frisco/Copper Mountain Visitor Information Center at 300 Main St., Frisco for more hiking and trail information.
Rated: Moderate, 2.8 miles one way
Elevation: Tops out at 12,415 feet
Summer: Hiking, horses, mountain biking
Winter: XC skiing and snowshoeing
Get There: From Copper, drive south on Hwy. 91 for 5.3 miles. Trailhead parking is on left after a deep valley.
Gear Up:
Peak Sports (214 Ten Mile Circle, Copper Mountain, 970-968-2372) or
Rivers Clothing Company (503 Main St., Frisco, 970-688-4333)
