| Difficulty: | Number: | Miles: | Altitude: | Obstacles: | Time: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy 2 | BLM 8380 | 12.88 | 6,690 to 8,690 ft. | NA | 4-5 hours |
Closure:
July - Best
August - Best
September - Best
October - Early snows possible
Accessed:
BLM Trail 8394 - Hike, Equestrian, Bike
BLM Trail 8384J - Hike, Equestrian, Bike
BLM Trail 8380E - Hike, Equestrian, Bike
BLM Trail 8380F - Hike, Equestrian, Bike
Dead Cow, BLM Trail 8397 - Hike, Equestrian, Bike
Abrams Gulch, BLM Trail 8386 - Hike, Equestrian, Bike
The Maze, BLM Trail 8380 - Hike, Equestrian, Bike, Motorcycle
BLM Trail 8380MA - Hike, Equestrian, Bike, Motorcycle
BLM Trail 8380P - Hike, Equestrian, Bike, Motorcycle
Easy Rider, BLM Trail 8386 - Hike, Equestrian, Bike, Motorcycle
BLM Trail 8395 - Hike, Equestrian, Bike, Motorcycle
Catwalk, BLM Trail 8380C - Hike, Equestrian, Bike, Motorcycle
From Gypsum, CO. head south on Valley Road toward US-6 E for 0.5 miles. Turn left onto Cooley Mesa Road and go 1.8 miles. Turn right onto Spring Creek Road and go 1.0 mile. Turn left onto BLM8380.
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Lower section of BLM8380 photo by: Adam M |
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In this maze of spurs you will pass the start of The Maze motorcycle trail system on your left. The road will turn east and pass through more dispersed campsites. Just before you come under some power lines, spur road BLM8380A will be on your left. It will go about a quarter of a mile following the power lines. The road continues, but leaves BLM managed lands. After crossing under the power lines you will climb a short hill and come to the intersection with spur road BLM8380DA to the left. This spur is 0.61 miles long and ends on the hills to the east. Just around the next bend is the short spur road BLM8380EA on the left. It is a short section that parallels the main road and will tie back in. The main road will head south along a flat ridge toward a saddle. You will pass another entrance to The Maze motorcycle trail on your right, then the BLM Motorized Trail 8380MA on your left. You will cross over the saddle and come to a large Y in the road. Stay to your left and follow the main road along the top of a large meadow off to the west. The trail at the intersection to the right is BLM8380B for horses and hikers.
The road will start up a shallow wash and then head east to climb up into the hills to cross under the power lines again. The road will continue up into the hills coming out into a small opening where spur road BLM8380BA will be on your left. This is a short spur that ties back into the main road. Continue on the main road around a switchback and then you will come out onto a large treeless open area to your east. The road will become more of a two track having less maintenance. You will follow the power lines that will be to your west and head south along the edge of this open area. At a shallow gully that the road crosses you will come to an intersection. The road to the left is less used. It is BLM8380CB which goes about a quarter of a mile paralleling the main road and connecting back in. Stay to the right and head back into the trees. Near a power pole you will come to another intersection. The more traveled road to the left is BLM8380CA which heads back out toward the open area and then connects back with the main road, BLM8380. The right at the intersection is the main road which heads down to another meadow to your west. It will pass an intersection with a road to the right that ends at private property. The main road will head back up onto the higher open area and pass under the powerlines to connect with BLM8380CA.
Along BLM8380CA, which is more traveled, you will come to an intersection with BLM8380CB on your left, then another intersection with BLM8380N to your left that crosses the open area for 0.32 miles to a fenceline where motorcycle trail BLM Trail 8380P starts. Stay to the right at these two intersections and tie back into the main road, BLM8380. The road will head southest across the large open area to the scrub oak where you will come to an intersection. The road to the right is Hardscrabble Saddle, BLM8383. Stay to the left on the main road.
Note: I have not driven the rest of BLM8380. The description is based on Google Earth.
The road will head west as a two track. It will cross a small creek near a spring, the head of McHatten Creek, where the Easy Rider motorcycle trail crosses the road. The road will head south, then north, to loop around a deep gully coming of of North Hardscrabble Mountain. The road will head southest toward the head of Alkali Creek where you will come to an intersection with a road on your right that is not on the BLM map, but heads back to the Hardscrabble Saddle road. After crossing the gully you will pass the intersection with the mountain bike trail, BLM8394, on your right. Just beyond this intersection is a large Y intersection. The road to the left is BLM8384G. Staying to the right on BLM8380 you will pass the mountain bike trail BLM8384J on your left. The road continues east across this open area and then passes the motorcycle trail BLM8395 on your right. You will head into the trees again and pass mountain bike trail BLM8380E on your left, then the Catwalk mountain bike trail on the right. Just before dropping down into Abrams Creek gulch you will pass mountain bike trail BLM8380F on your left. The road will head down into Abrams Creek and at the bottom pass the Dead Cow mountain bike trail, then head back northeast following the the creek through the trees. The road will then climb up the side of the gulch to the east. At the top of the ridge you will pass the Abrams Gulch mountain bike trail on the left and then come to a switchback. There will be a road to the left that is BLM8387B. Stay to the right and continue to another switchback as you climb the back side of The Seven Hermits. The road will now climb following Hernage Creek. You will come out into an open area and pass two short spurs to the right then dropping down to Hernage Creek to pass through one of the valleys in The Seven Hermits. You will come to another intersection where BLM8380 is on your left and BLM8380I is to the right. Both of these routes are also part of the Fire Box, FR461, 4WD road managed by the Forest Service.