Mt Zirkel Wilderness Area

[IaArcher]

I'm planning a hiking trip to CO with my wife in July and would like to include some scouting for for future archery hunt to Mt Zirkel Wilderness Area. I will only be doing day hikes up to 10 miles or so. Wondering where to start and if a car will be ok to travel with. Any help would be great. Sounded like a great idea since my wife enjoyed RMNP so much last year.

 

[cnelk]

Which side are you planning on accessing?

 

[IaArcher]

Not sure but thinking from Steamboat Springs

 

[cnelk]

Well, if your car is a Subaru you'll fit right in

 

[WoolyBugger]

I went out there for elk in 2017 and accessed from north of steamboat. A car would not have been able to get where we got. There was a stock truck that got to the trail head but it couldn't have been an easy ride. We came in a 2500 with some added ground clearance (cant remember what my friend had done suspension wise) and MT tires and had no issues. Feel free to PM me if you have some more questions

 

[IaArcher]

Well, if your car is a Subaru you'll fit right in

Ya but it has really aggressive tires

 

[BCSojourner]

I'm planning a hiking trip to CO with my wife in July and would like to include some scouting for for future archery hunt to Mt Zirkel Wilderness Area. I will only be doing day hikes up to 10 miles or so. Wondering where to start and if a car will be ok to travel with. Any help would be great. Sounded like a great idea since my wife enjoyed RMNP so much last year.

You can drive up the Buffalo Pass Road (about 10 miles west of Walden on Highway 14 in Jackson County) with a sedan. It is a good road-I know because it was a reconstruction project of mine about 22 years ago and it is still in great shape. Cannot remember the name of the trailhead at the summit but it is a good spot to enter the Zirkels from the south. Did a 24 mile llama trek through there about 8 years ago. Great views and some really neat country. Pretty easy hiking as well. Not sure if they have ever fixed the west side of the road dropping down to Steamboat Springs - it was still rough as a cob 8 years ago. Just don't try and access before early July-we are having a heck of a (good) winter here with lots of snow and when we reconstructed the road there was always a drift that blocked access to the trailhead until early July.

 

[IaArcher]

You can drive up the Buffalo Pass Road (about 10 miles west of Walden on Highway 14 in Jackson County) with a sedan. It is a good road-I know because it was a reconstruction project of mine about 22 years ago and it is still in great shape. Cannot remember the name of the trailhead at the summit but it is a good spot to enter the Zirkels from the south. Did a 24 mile llama trek through there about 8 years ago. Great views and some really neat country. Pretty easy hiking as well. Not sure if they have ever fixed the west side of the road dropping down to Steamboat Springs - it was still rough as a cob 8 years ago. Just don't try and access before early July-we are having a heck of a (good) winter here with lots of snow and when we reconstructed the road there was always a drift that blocked access to the trailhead until early July.

Thanks this is what I was looking for. My wife is not up for a back country camping trip yet .

 

[Tallfeller454]

Just like Dennis said, head straight west from Walden and you can find a few trailheads on good roads weather permitted. We pulled into the Pitchpine Trail head. Nice drive up to the trail head. Few different trails you can take from there you can head straight west to climb altitude or head north or south for more reasonable terrain. Beautiful views on that area.


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[IaArcher]

How is the snow pack from Walden side? I have vacation planned for second week in July

 

[Jkr61]

Buffalo pass road from steamboat side is still an extremely rough road

 

[nhunt46051]

I stayed in Zerkel for 3 days in 2016, never came across any sign or elk. Nice area though!

 

[Beendare]

The thing you don't see scouting that area now is that those trails get pounded by outfitters hauling their camps/hunters/supplies into their camps.

Changes pretty drastically just before archery season....a critical tidbit of info for a hunter.

...

 

[vanish]

How is the snow pack from Walden side? I have vacation planned for second week in July

Snow line was at about 9300-9500ft as of Sunday.

 

[Phaseolus]

The Tower Snotel site near the top of Buffalo Pass has 71” of snow on the ground right now. https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/nwcc/site?sitenum=825

 

[TheShootist]

I drew an early season rifle mule deer tag for this wilderness. How are the crowds on the NE side towards seven lakes?


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[jdmaxwell]

Crowded. Everyone uses that trail access straight to lakes. Lots hikers in September

 

[el_jefe_pescado]

I live on Seedhouse road about 6 miles from the Slavonia Trailhead (google Zirkel Circle). Whether you are hunting or hiking I think it is important to be aware that you will have a lot of company. On a Saturday in July you can expect upwards of 50-60 vehicles at the larger trailheads. There is still quite a bit of snow at 9500-12k but most areas should be more accessible by the time you get out here in mid-July.

There are plenty of critters and lots of country to explore but you will not be alone. I say this not to deter you from visiting but rather to make sure that you have realistic expectations for your trip. Have fun and be safe!


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[RCB]

I don't know the area well, but I did a backpacking + fishing trip in the area for a few days last August. We didn't see any elk (weren't looking for them), but on one day we hiked up North Fork Mad Creek drainage (which feeds into Luna Lake from the continental divide). Saw lots of fresh elk tracks and droppings in this drainage as we hiked up to the pass at about 11.4k feet and crossed over to the east side. After crossing the pass we followed the topo lines north toward the little unnamed ponds and lakes just South of Mount Ethel. Elk were surely in that area very recently, because there were a few spots where we caught a strong elky stench.

 

[bigredxlt]

This is some great info. I will heading out there this weekend for an early scouting trip. The Tower Snotel sensor info is great. Thank you.

I'll report back on current conditions.