Lupine in full bloom on a mid June day. The Lupine Trail (Intermediate) - One of Crested Butte's newest single track trails, it runs along the western slope of Smith Hill overlooking the Slate River Valley. The trail itself consists of mostly non-technical single track with a half mile stretch of double track in the middle. The most common way to run/ride the Lupine trail is to start from the Saddle Ridge subdivision at the East trailhead. From there, the trail is net downhill winding through fields of blue Lupine and lush Aspen groves. Coming from the West TH you will find yourself climbing a few switchbacks during the first mile before the trail traverses along the hillside through those same Aspen groves & fields of Lupine.
Access: You can access the trail in a few different locations. The most common being the East TH located in the Saddle Ridge subdivision, although this one does not allow for vehicle parking. To get to it you must either run up from town via Gothic Rd, the Rec Path, or come down from Mt Crested Butte via the same two options. The other access is via the Slate River TH about 3 miles out Slate River Rd.
Difficulty: Above I noted that this is an Intermediate trail, but I feel that it is on the easy side of that. Remember to take into account that this is a high altitude trail running destination, and we are at or above 9,000' here. If you are not used to it you might think that this trail is more difficult, especially when climbing.
When To Run It: The trail "should" be free of snow from the end of May through October, with the best time being mid June when the Lupine is in full bloom. September is also a great time to experience cool fall air and the golden leaves of the Aspens, especially when there is an early snowstorm that leaves the high peaks shining with a fresh coat of the white stuff.
Connecting Trails - There are currently no other trails that connect directly to the Lupine Trail, but there are multiple options close buy that require just a short road linkage. On the west end of the Lupine Tr, you can reach the north end of the Lower Loop in just one mile via Slate River Rd and Gunsight Bridge. If you are coming from the east trailhead, you can quickly access the Rec Path or head up towards Mt Crested Butte and connect to the Upper Loop Tr via Hunter Hill Rd. Snodgrass is another trail that is commonly connected with the Lupine, but usually on a mountain bike. If you are looking for a long run though, I highly recommend it. The same goes for the CBMR trails.
Suggested Loops: Below are a few loops that I do on a regular basis. Click on the link to see the exact stats and route via Garmin Connect.
Access: You can access the trail in a few different locations. The most common being the East TH located in the Saddle Ridge subdivision, although this one does not allow for vehicle parking. To get to it you must either run up from town via Gothic Rd, the Rec Path, or come down from Mt Crested Butte via the same two options. The other access is via the Slate River TH about 3 miles out Slate River Rd.
Difficulty: Above I noted that this is an Intermediate trail, but I feel that it is on the easy side of that. Remember to take into account that this is a high altitude trail running destination, and we are at or above 9,000' here. If you are not used to it you might think that this trail is more difficult, especially when climbing.
When To Run It: The trail "should" be free of snow from the end of May through October, with the best time being mid June when the Lupine is in full bloom. September is also a great time to experience cool fall air and the golden leaves of the Aspens, especially when there is an early snowstorm that leaves the high peaks shining with a fresh coat of the white stuff.
Connecting Trails - There are currently no other trails that connect directly to the Lupine Trail, but there are multiple options close buy that require just a short road linkage. On the west end of the Lupine Tr, you can reach the north end of the Lower Loop in just one mile via Slate River Rd and Gunsight Bridge. If you are coming from the east trailhead, you can quickly access the Rec Path or head up towards Mt Crested Butte and connect to the Upper Loop Tr via Hunter Hill Rd. Snodgrass is another trail that is commonly connected with the Lupine, but usually on a mountain bike. If you are looking for a long run though, I highly recommend it. The same goes for the CBMR trails.
Suggested Loops: Below are a few loops that I do on a regular basis. Click on the link to see the exact stats and route via Garmin Connect.
- 8 Mile Loop: By parking on Slate River Rd and using the Rec Path, you can easily reach the East TH of the Lupine Trail without dealing with much traffic. Once you finish the Lupine, return to your vehicle by via Slate River Rd.
- 11.5 Mile Loop: This loop starts and finishes in town. Head north on Gothic Rd to the East TH of the Lupine Trail in the Saddle Ridge subdivision. Once you run the lupine trail, turn right on Slate River Rd for approximately 1 mile. You will see Gunsight Bridge on your left, so head down the trail, across the bridge, and return to town via the Upper Lower or the Lower Lower. You may also want to add on the GB Loop just after crossing the bridge, it is worth the short detour to check out Oh Be Joyful falls!
- 16 Mile Loop: If you are feeling more ambitious and would like to get in a nice 16 miler, head out Tony's Trail, then left onto the Upper Loop. You will come out on Hunter Hill Rd, head downhill to Gothic Rd. Taking a left onto Gothic Rd, you will head down and either take the Rec Path for a quarter mile, or just stay on the road until you get to the Saddle Ridge subdivision where the East TH of the Lupine Trail is. The rest of the loop is the same as the above 11.5 mile loop.
Photos from the Lupine Trail
This post is part of a series highlighting the amazing trail running in and around Crested Butte, Colorado. The information from this post, along with all other trails which I have written about can be viewed HERE. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you out there!
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