STATE:

ACTIVITY:

Clear Creek Ranger District

Quick Facts

Hells Hole Trail

Beginning Elevation:	9,400 Feet (2930.2 Meters) at West Chicago Creek Campground
Difficulty:	Moderate
Elevation Gain:	1,800 Feet (561.1 Meters)
Ending Elevation:	11,200 Feet (3491.3 Meters) at the base of Gray Wolf Mountain
Length, One-way:	3.5 Miles (5.83 Kilometers)
Trail Number:	53
Usage:	Moderate
USGS Maps:	Georgetown

		Satellite and Topo Map

General Description

The Hells Hole Trail, begins at West Chicago Creek Campground, travels along West Chicago Creek for the first mile, and leads into the Mount Evans Wilderness. The creek and old beaver ponds offer places to fish and camp. Aspen groves attract many small birds and mammals. The higher points on the trail offer views of the surrounding mountains. The second and third miles climb to more rocky, less forested terrain. Hells Hole itself is a willow and meadow area.

This trail is suitable for horse use but is not suitable for pack strings.

Directions from Idaho Springs: Travel southwest on Highway 103 approximately 10 miles to Forest Road 188. Travel west on Forest Road 188 approximately 2 miles to the site.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible: Summer through Fall (NOTE: Accessibility depends on snow depth and weather.) .

		Current Conditions & Trip Reports
		Add your own trip Report! Newly re-released feature. One of the most popular features on Wildernet, trip reports allow you to share your experiences with others. This is an invaluable resource for determining what to expect on your outdoor adventure, so please participate! To prevent spamming, you must be a registered user of Wildernet in order to submit a trip report Time of Day: 4:00 p.m. Length of Time: 40 minutes to our campsite. The rest of the trail was about a 1.5 hour hike. Difficulty: Moderate Number of People Encountered: 11-25 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: This trail is 6.5 miles south of Idaho Springs. The forest road is not marked. The road is labeled West Chicago Creek Road. Turn West off of HW 103. The trailhead is about 3 miles from HW 103. Dirt road, but totally accessible by car. Conditions: Great camp sites off the trail. Private. Great shade. Quite a few bugs during the day. Water Availability: Water sources along the creek for the first mile of the trail. Recommended Clothing: Very warm during the day, but cooled off nicely by the evening Time of Day: 11:00 Length of Time: 4 1/2 hrs Difficulty: Moderate Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: Good hike. A lot of up hill hiking. Aspens at beginning part of hike. Many dogs on trail...most on leash. Your description on getting there should be updated. The turnoff to the West Chicago Creek Campground where the hike starts is not approx. 10 miles on highway 103 from Idaho Springs. It is approx 6.5 miles from Idaho Springs or I-70. Conditions: The hike was mostly shady. It is a very wooded area. It was mostly dry. There were a few patches of snow at the end of the trail. Recommended Clothing: It was cool. A fleece and windbreaker are suggested. We use our raingear as a windbreaker.

Recreation Opportunities

Activity		Remarks	On Site
	Backpacking		Yes
	Fishing	The creek and old beaver ponds offer fishing areas.	Yes
	Hiking & Walking	Hells Hole Trail	Yes
	Horseback Riding	The trail is not suitable for pack strings.	Yes

Related Activities

West Chicago Creek Campground - West Chicago Creek Campground is located 10 miles southwest of Idaho Springs on the West Chicago Creek Road, (Forest Road 188), at an elevation of 9,600 feet.

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