The Barret Park Loop starts and ends at the Daly Gulch parking area on the west side of Highway 50, about one mile northeast of Sargents. The loop goes west to Barret Park, swings back east on Razor Cr, follows the Continental Divide Tr east to the Baldy Lake Tr, then returns to Highway 50 and the Daly Gulch parking area. The loop is about 60 miles long. There is no gas available on the loop.
The Barret Park Loop is a fun loop with a few technical sections. For comparison, I consider the Star Trail near Taylor Park to be very difficult; the Barret Park Loop is not nearly that hard. There are only a few places that are difficult: several trails have steep drop-offs on the downhill side; Dutchman Tr has a few technical switchbacks and a steep section.
The loop is definitely for experienced riders because of the length and the technical sections. The loop is mostly trails. Novice and beginning riders should avoid most of the trails on this loop.
The entire loop is shown in pretty good detail on Trails Illustrated map 139. You may also consult the USFS Gunnison Basin Area Visitors Map, but the detail is not as good, and there are omissions and errors.
A note on nomenclature: Tr - trail; Cr - creek; FTnnn - USFS system trail; FRnnn - USFS system road; other roads and highways are state or county, as noted.
In the directions below, the loop route generally follows numbered dirt roads and numbered trails. Occasionally, the route follows unnumbered dirt roads, 2tracks, and trails, but these are clearly identified in the directions.
You should ignore all roads and trails that intersect the route
you are on unless told otherwise. This concept of sticking to
the main route and ignoring side routes is informally known as
'main-route rule' (derived from 'main-road rule' of sport rallying).
I will often tell you of side routes to ignore, but I may miss
some. So 'main-route rule' applies!
Park at the Daly Gulch parking area on the west side of Highway 50, about one mile northeast of Sargents.
0.00 Start at the Daly Gulch parking area. Ride through the gate to US Highway 50, turn right and ride on the highway to the first dirt road past Sargents.
2.12 Turn left onto dirt road FR780.
2.34 Turn right at the intersection and follow the dirt road to the USFS Long Branch Station.
4.92 Pass through the orange/yellow gate to the left, staying on the road as it curves back to the right. Do not go through the second gate on the left.
6.15 Turn right onto Baldy Lake Tr FT491 (aka West Fork Tr). Cross the creek and follow an ATV route, climbing through aspen to arrive at a gate in the fence.
9.00 Turn right through the gate onto the Hicks connector FT492. This trail has several side-hill sections where the tread is steeply sloped downhill. Do not turn off at the Hicks Gulch intersection (to the right). After about two miles, as the trail descends to Dutchman Cr, look for the left turn in some tall bushes/foliage.
10.93 Turn left across the creek onto Dutchman Cr Tr FT490. The trail runs up the creek and eventually climbs out of the canyon on four steep switchbacks and a very steep section of trail (Hernia Hill).
14.62 Turn right onto Left Hand Tr FT495 and drop back down the hill. The trail eventually intersects an old wagon road as it descends a steep, rocky hill.
16.45 Turn right onto the narrow road and follow it as it passes through a rail fence and drops down to Owens Cr. The wagon road gets wider and changes to a regular dirt road. The USFS and TI maps are incorrect here.
17.25 Turn left at the Y-intersection.
17.65 Turn left onto unnumbered Hill Climb Road and climb the steep hill.
17.91 Turn left and descend the other side to follow Left Hand Cr downhill. Ignore all left turns going down the hill.
18.55 Turn right at the bottom of the hill.
20.25 Stop at the red gate to private property and do not go through the gate. Turn left and follow the fence line, turn left again as the fence goes uphill to a gate.
20.62 Turn right and pass through the wire gate. Follow the trail downhill.
20.78 Turn left onto the dirt road. Do not go through the gate on the right.
20.95 Turn left onto Needle Reservoir Road FR781 and follow the road as it climbs to the Needle Reservoir and goes around the west (right) side. Near the south end of the reservoir, look for a trailhead on the right.
22.04 Turn right onto Right Hand Tr FT493 and follow the trail, crossing the creek twice, and arrive at an open meadow.
22.75 Turn right at the faint intersection in the meadow onto dirt road FR782.1A. This road is not shown on the USFS map but is shown on the TI map. The route goes uphill.
22.90 Turn left. The route continues uphill, then descends the other side. Do not take any turnoffs.
24.98 Go through the gate and turn left.
25.42 Turn left onto dirt road FR782
25.75 Turn left and follow the road downhill. Pass through the gate. Look for the Barret Cr Tr sign on the left. Ignore all other turns.
26.29 Turn left onto Barret Cr Tr FT494 and climb back up to the aspen.
26.60 Turn right at the Barret Cr Tr FT494 sign.
28.86 Turn right onto North Gulch Tr FT502.
29.92 Turn left in the small meadow.
30.83 Pass by the North Gulch Tr sign as you ride downhill to Lower Park, where the route becomes a 2-track.
31.15 Turn left onto an ATV route and climb the hill. Continue over the hill.
31.xx Ride straight ahead at the Middle Razor Tr FT501 trailhead sign. The trail crosses the creek, climbs out of the scrub, and goes back into the woods. The first small uphill is steep with a few roots and is slimy when wet.
32.75 Pass through the green gate.
33.00 Turn left at the bottom of the small hill. The trail becomes a 2-track (FR781.3B) as it approaches Razor Cr Park.
33.89 Turn right onto dirt road FR781 at Razor Cr Park. Continue on the 2-track along Razor Cr. There may or may not be an actual trail sign for Razor Cr Tr FT487 but continue following the 2-track as it narrows to a single-track trail.
34.43 Turn right to continue along the creek. Several sections are rocky and slimy when wet. After woods sections, the trail passes through several large meadows. You can see the Upper Razor Spur Tr marked by a post in a meadow.
40.34 Turn right onto Upper Razor Spur Tr FT487.A and climb the easy hill to the Continental Divide Tr.
41.11 Turn left onto the Continental Divide Tr FT486.
42.80 Razor Cr Tr intersects the Continental Divide Tr coming in on the left. Turn right and continue on the Continental Divide Tr. From here to Marshall Pass, the Continental Divide Tr is also named the Summit Tr. The trail is rocky in places, and there are a few hills to climb but nothing too difficult.
43.74 Three-way intersection near West
Baldy. The left turn is Left Hand Tr FT495, which intersects Dutchman
Cr Tr FT490 about .25 mile down the hill.
For an alternate ending to the loop, turn
left and follow Left Hand Tr, Dutchman Cr Tr, Hicks Connector,
Baldy Lake Tr, the dirt road, and Highway 50 back to Daly Gulch
(about 15 miles).
Otherwise, turn right and continue on
the Continental Divide Tr.
46.73 Four-way intersection near Baldy Lake. Turn left onto Baldy Lake Tr FT491.
50.08 Do not go through the gate on the left but continue straight ahead on Baldy Lake Tr.
52.93 Turn left onto dirt road FR780.
54.11 Turn left and ride through the gate on the left, then to the right to continue on the road.
56.69 Turn left at the intersection.
56.85 Turn right onto Highway 50.
58.97 Turn left and pass through the gate at the Daly Gulch parking area.
End of the ride.
Revised - August 7, 2003.