Caribou Pass Trail is a 6.3 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Tabernash, Colorado that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from June until November. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Note: Road has a seasonal closure - it is open June 15th - November 15th (pending weather).
Colorado Tourism Office, 1625 Broadway, Suite 1700 , Denver, CO, 80202, Phone: 800-COLORADO
Directions from Granby: Travel southeast on Highway 40 approximately 14 miles to County Road 84. Travel northeast for 6 miles to Forest Road 129, then east 6 miles to the Junco Lake Trailhead.
November 29, 2020Hiked this route in mid Oct. Made it in a sedan car (no snow yet). Windy at the pass but otherwise great conditions
October 10, 2020the views are killer! did this section part of a backpacking loop from Eldora **in August**
October 6, 2020You do not need a 4wd to get to the trailhead. You just have to slow it down a little. I didn't even notice the downed trees to be honest. We just went round them. The last climb to the saddle will be tough. We took frequent breaks. Beautiful views of the Indian Peaks. Bring a wind layer for the top. It got a little crowded on the way down but mostly hikers heading to Columbine Lake.
September 23, 2020September 23, 2020hiked this trail today some down trees but are pretty easy to get around. saw the volunteers cutting fallen trees and clearing the trail, big thanks to the volunteers. I took lots of breaks to catch my breath but made it! I think this trail should be rated hard lol
September 20, 2020This is an amazing hike! We were a bit hesitant going because of the tree fall but that wasn’t an issue at all. Sure, there were some trees blocking the trail but they were easily manageable. Once you reach the top, be prepared for wind but the views are incredible. I’d definitely recommend this hike! I tracked the distance and it ended up being about 8 miles. Great trail for dogs, not a lot of heavy foot traffic.
September 20, 2020Still many trees across the trail. Able to go over or around them all, but slowed us down. Only made it to about 3 miles from the parking lot, but will definitely be back to finish the trail to the top!
September 19, 2020Didn’t even get to the trailhead...need a 4X4 or maybe a tank. Dirt road for 10miles, terrible. And tons of people driving like crazy.
September 14, 2020I hiked this trail on 9/13/2020. It was as gorgeous and recently torn-up-from-the-forest-floor-up as others said; however, it was manageable for both the willing wanderer and a spider monkey (like myself). I wouldn't rate it as moderate with the recently downed trees; I needed a decent break before the summit because of all the ducking, hopping, and general gazelle-ing about the fallen flora that had me pooped after a time. Sometimes you might need to lose sight of the trail to navigate the trees, but as long as you have a general sense of where you left, and your body in relation to the terrain-- you'll be fine. Glad I went during a break in the smoke; this hike might just be the metaphor you need.
September 12, 2020Beautiful trail, but unfortunately many many newly downed trees to walk around or over. Trail becomes unpassable as you make the turn toward the last mile to Caribou Pass. On the positive side, views are breathtaking with the fresh snow.
August 29, 2020Amazing that you can hike 3 miles and get up to the continental divide. View from the top was incredible. Great short hike. 3 hr round trip if you move at a moderate pace.
August 28, 2020Completed this hike this morning (Friday) and only saw 5 people the entire time. A great moderate hike - definitely challenging during the final mile but manageable. Would definitely recommend!
August 21, 2020Beautiful views the whole way up. A little confusing at the top of the divide so I hiked a round for awhile. Felt super uncomfortable trying to make it around and down to lake Dorothy, too much loose shattered rock for me and my pup.
August 16, 2020Few down trees on the trail but nothing too bad. Beautiful views of Caribou lake and the surrounding peaks. The parking lot is a USFS fee area, so be sure to purchase a day pass or park outside of the fee site. There is a fee station early on before you get to the reservoir which you can use a card to pay the $5 fee.
August 10, 2020Nice view. Lots of elevation gain last mile
August 7, 2020Had it at 7.3 miles. Last 2 miles is bumpy. Nothing an f150 can’t handle. Beautiful views. Started at 8 am. Only saw 2 people on the way up. Lot was full when I got down. Saw 5 moose at meadow creek lake on the drive in.
July 29, 2020The Caribou trail itself was very nice. going up I didn’t see a single person until the top. There was some logs, water and mud on the trail but it was minimal. The view from the top is incredible. The reason this is only 4 stars is once I came down to where the trails join there was 30 to 40 people I passed heading up as I was coming down. Also the previous reviewers are correct, the road is a bit of a mess the last couple of miles and I would add 25 to 30 minutes of travel time each way to your itinerary
July 28, 2020Like the reviews that I read, our drive to the trailhead was super rough. Bump after bump after bump. But if you don't mind a super bumpy ride to the Trailhead, the hike was AWESOME. Challenging at times, but the mountain pass at the top was absolutely STUNNING! Amazing 360° views. It was a little bit chilly at the top so bring a light jacket if you get cold easily.
July 12, 2020When someone says the road is rough on the way up, believe them! The Honda Civic was struggling to say the least. Otherwise once we got up to the trailhead, we learned the drive was worth it for this trail. Many different types of terrain going up - rock, dirt, tree roots, etc. It became tough for us once we got near the tree line as we are from Iowa and not fully acclimated to the altitude. A few short stops to catch our breath and pretty soon we were at the top of the trail! I would recommend this trail to anyone as long as they have a 4WD vehicle that has some good ground clearance.
July 10, 2020Make sure your car suspension is in good working order. Last two miles or so of the drive is filled with logging truck potholes. You will be going very slowly. Lots of mosquitos until you can get above the trees and into the wind. Bring bug spray. Some mud on parts of the trail but nothing too bad. All passable without much of a mess. The view at the top is worth it. Go early if you can.
