| Difficulty: | Number: | Miles: | Altitude: | Obstacles: | Time: |
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| Easy 1-3 | GH road network | 23.69 | 9,440 to 11,080 ft. | Varied | 5-6 hours |
Dillon Ranger District
Silverthorne, CO 80498
Closure:
July - Best
August - Best
September - Best
October - Look for early snows
Accessed:
From Breckenridge, CO head north on North Main Street and go 0.6 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto CO-9 N and go 0.3 miles. Turn right onto Huron Road and go 0.4 miles. Turn right onto Reiling Road and go 0.7 miles. Turn left onto French Gulch Road and go 2.3 miles. Turn left onto Rich Gulch Road, GH62, to access the network.
From Breckenridge, CO head north on North Main Street and go 0.6 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto CO-9 N and go 0.3 miles. Turn right onto Huron Road and go 0.4 miles. Turn right onto Reiling Road and go 0.7 miles. Turn left onto French Gulch Road and go 2.8 miles. Turn left onto Humbug Hill Road, GH61, to access the network.
North Access:
From Frisco, CO. head south on Summit Blvd toward Granite Street and go 0.1 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto CO-9/Summit Blvd and go 0.4 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto CO-9 and go 4.7 miles. Turn left onto Tiger Road and go 1.5 miles. Turn right onto Gold Run Gulch Road and go 1.0 miles. Turn left to access the Peabody Placer Road, GH21, to access the network.
From Frisco, CO. head south on Summit Blvd toward Granite Street and go 0.1 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto CO-9/Summit Blvd and go 0.4 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto CO-9 and go 4.7 miles. Turn left onto Tiger Road and go 2.5 miles. Turn right to access the Summit Gulch Road, GH74, to access the network.
From Frisco, CO. head south on Summit Blvd toward Granite Street and go 0.1 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto CO-9/Summit Blvd and go 0.4 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto CO-9 and go 4.7 miles. Turn left onto Tiger Road and go 4.7 miles. Turn right to access the Rock Island Road, GH87, to access the network.
From Frisco, CO. head south on Summit Blvd toward Granite Street and go 0.1 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto CO-9/Summit Blvd and go 0.4 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto CO-9 and go 4.7 miles. Turn left onto Tiger Road and go 6.2 miles. Turn right onto Forest Road 355.1B and go 0.9 miles. Turn right to access the American Gulch Road, GH93, to access the network.
Parkville was below Georgia Pass on the Swan River where Georgia Gulch intersects the Swan and was one of the best mining camps in Summit County. Georgia Gulch was named by a Georgian prospector named Highfred, who made the first discovery in 1859. Within the year miners cabins dotted the mouth of Georgia Gulch and the side of the Swan River. The discovery turned out to be one the richest in Colorado history with people panning out $300 to $500 a day when wages were $2 a day. Quickly the population grew to an estimated 1,800. By 1860 Parkville was made county seat, but by 1864 the county seat had moved to Breckenridge, due to Parkville not having the proper facilities. Between 1860 and 1862 an estimated three million dollars in gold was produced in the mines around Parkville. With the Civil War taking place, the Union Army camped near Parkville to drum up recruits, in the process, Lieutenant Roath raised the first United States flag in the area. The Frist Regiment, Colorado Volunteers, did daily drills to the disgust of the areas Confederate sympathizers.
Parkville had a meat market, drug store, saddle shop, the Chapin Hotel, which could seat fifty for dinner, and a brewery. Henry Weiss started the brewery and claimed he made more than the miners working the gold deposits. The town also hosted its share of saloons open day and night to pull the gold dust and nuggets from the miners. A mint was soon established by J.J. Conway and Company which produced $2.50, $5, and $10 gold pieces. Parkville also had the first Masonic Temple on the west slope. Parson John Chivington dedicated the temple. Chivington would later go down in history for the Sand Creek Massacre on the plains east of Pueblo, Colorado. After the placer gold was played out, lode mining began. Once it pinched out hydraulics were used to wash the gold from the hill sides. All of this activity in the narrow valley that housed Parkville became the towns demise. By 1880 the tailings from all the mining activities had buried the town. Only the cemetary east of the town was spared.
Lincoln City (Paige City)
Harry Farcomb was the discoverer of pure twisted strands of crystalized gold in French Creek east of Breckenridge. While others were searching the surrounding areas, Farcomb started claiming the lands around and above his placer claim. The claim up above French Creek became know as the "Wire Patch". No one cared about French Creek until Harry deposited a sack of almost pure wire gold in a Denver bank. When the discovery got out, the prospectors that headed up French Creek found that Farcomb had claimed all the lands in the area. Farcomb's claims were not done by accepted mining practices, so the miners, backed by Denver capitalists decided to wage war on Farcomb to get access to the rich properties. They started in the courts, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. When legal means failed, the Denver group resorted to force and a seven hour shoot-out by forty men along French Creek ended with three dead and many wounded. The matter was finally settled when Farcomb was bought out by a third party, but he was already a very rich man.
Lincoln City was founded during this "war" in French Creek in 1861. Lincoln City got its post office in the same year, lasting until 1894. During the towns life large amounts of gold and silver galena were taken from the surrounding area. In 1869 a miner picked a solid gold nugget off the ground that weighed nine and one half ounces. The town peaked in 1885 with a store, the Perkins hotel and the Wheeler hotel, several smelters and a stamp mill.
In the early days miners use to take turns walking to Breckenridge carrying the mail. One day the postmistress in Lincoln City had been drying some wire gold in the oven when a miner came for the mail. With her back turned the miner grabbed the wire gold from the counter and put it in his shirt. Before he could get it back out he had burned a perminent reminder that crime does not pay. By 1893 the population had dropped to 25, and by 1895 it was no longer listed in the Colorado business directory. After the placer and lode mining ended French Creek was dredged, leaving large piles of sterile gravel.
Preston
Preston was a small mining town between Breckenridge and Gold Run Gulch on the north side of Gibson Hill. The town existed by at least 1875, when the first post office was moved there from the nearby Delaware Flats. The post office was briefly closed in January 1884, reopening after a month, before its 1889 move back towards Delaware Flats to the town of Braddockville, where in 1881 there had been an ore discovery. In 1893-1894, the Jessie mine was constructed to extract gold, silver, zinc, and lead. The Jumbo Mine was northwest of town within a short walk. At its peak, the town was home to roughly 150 miners and their families, as well as a millinery and boarding house. The town hosted the offices of three mining companies and two stamp mills. By 1888 it was down to 50 residents, and by 1890 just 10. It was depopulated completely by the late 1930s.
Wapiti
Wapiti, meaning "elk" to the native americans, was the office settlement of the Wapiti Mining Company. In 1893 John Campion, of Leadville fame and wealth, hired Ben Stanley Revett to manage the sprawling hydraulic mining operation for Wapiti.
Eberhart, Parry Guide to Colorado Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, 4th ed. Athens, Ohio: Swallow Press, 1987. Print.
Jessen, Kenneth Ghost Towns Colorado Style, Volumn 1, 1st ed. Loveland, Colorado: J.V. Publications, 1998. Print.
The Peabody Placer, GH-21, is just over a half mile long road that runs along the east side of Gold Gun Gulch. It leaves the paved CR300 among the houses that surround the Breckenridge Golf Course and becomes a ledge road above Gold Run Gulch. The road will drop down and cross the gulch, tying in to the Gold Run road. At this connection point the remains of the Jessie Mill are back across the creek.
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Jessie Mill in 2000 photo by: Adam M |
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Sawmill Road, GH22 - 1.44 miles (Driven)
Starting from the east end of Preston Way, GH23, at an intersection, you will head right through the forest. You will come to an intersection with Draw Road, GH24, coming in on your right. Just past this intersection you will cross the head of Gold Run Gulch at a small opening in the trees. On the right will be the Fuller Trail, GH44, which is a motorcycle trail. The road will head up the other side of the gulch and back into the forest.
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GH22 Road section photo by: Adam M |
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As the road makes a left turn you will pass the Fuller Trail, GH44, again on the right side of the road. The road will level out a bit and you will come to another intersection with the Sidewinder Road, GH35, to the right. Stay left and continue through the forest. The road will come to the top of a rise and another intersection with Summit Gulch, GH74, on the left and Spruce Road, GH72, to the right.
Preston Way, GH23 - 0.71 miles (Google Earth description)
Starting from the Gold Run, CR300, road near the site of Preston you will head across the south side of the old town site. The road will be wide and maintained. You will cross above the Extension Mill and cross the Extension Mill, GH25, road crossing an open area and going under a high power line. The road will enter back into the forest going a short distance coming to an intersection. The left becomes a non-motorized trail. The right is the Sawmill Road, GH22.
Draw Road, GH24 - 0.92 miles (Driven)
Starting from an intersection with the Extension Mill, GH25, road you will be unter a high power line. You will head into the forest on a two track that is a bit of a ledge road in the trees.
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GH24 Road section photo by: Adam M |
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The road continues through the trees for just under a mile. You will finally come to an intersection with the Sawmill Road, GH22, near the head of Gold Run Gulch.
Extension Mill, GH25 - 1.10 miles (Driven, part)
Starting from the Gold Run, CR300, road near the site of Preston you will climb up along side the Extension Mill.
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Extension Mill (2000) photo by: Adam M |
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Extension Mill (2020) photo by: Adam M |
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Extension Mill (2020) photo by: Adam M |
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The road will cross Preston Way, GH23, and continue uphill through an open area. The road will be a wide two track that will head into the trees along the east side of Gibson Hill. You will come out into a small open area and then head back into the trees again. Near a high power line you will pass the Draw Road, GH24, on your left, continue uphill to the right. You will pass under the high power line and come to a spur road to the right which goes to the remains of the Standard Number One Mine on top of Gibson Hill.
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Standard Number One Mine (2000) photo by: Adam M |
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Standard Number One Mine (2000) photo by: Adam M |
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Continuing left over the saddle and you will come to an intersection. The road to the right is the Detroit Placer, GH26, road, the road to the left is the Prospect Hill, GH38, road.
Detroit Placer, GH26 - 0.31 miles (Google Earth description)
Starting from the paved Gold Run Road (There seem to be a lot of roads called Gold Run around Gibson Hill) on the south side of Gibson hill at the entrance gate to a large home on top of Gibson Hill, you will be on a wide dirt road that passes under a high power line. You will come to and intersection, stay left, coming around a curve. You will then come to another intersection with the Extension Mill, GH25, road to the left up hill, and the Prospect Hill, GH38, road continuing right.
Sidewinder Road, GH35 - 0.28 miles (Driven)
Starting from the Sawmill Road, GH22, you will head through the forest south toward Mineral Hill. The road is a wide single lane that stays in the forest.
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GH35 Road section photo by: Adam M |
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Shortly you will come to an intersection with the Golden Gate Loop, GH39, road going both left and right.
Prospect Hill, GH38 - 2.12 miles (Driven, part)
Starting from the intersection of the Detroit Placer, GH26, road and the Extension Mill, GH25, road you will head east on a bit of a ledge road. The road will be over a lane wide and maintained. You will come out into an open area crossing a little saddle and passing a spur road on the right that is not on the maps. From here you will continue left and start to climb five switchback to get you to the top of Prospect Hill. The road will narrow a bit as it heads along the open ridge between Prospect Hill and Mineral Hill. As you get close to the trees again you will come to an intersection. The Golden Gate Loop, GH39, road will be to the left, while right will continue the Prospect Hill road. You will head into the trees passing some tailing piles and a cabin on the right side of the road. You will continue through the trees for a bit before coming to a second cabin on the left.
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GH38 Cabin photo by: Adam M |
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GH38 Cabin photo by: Adam M |
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GH38 Cabin outhouse photo by: Adam M |
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GH38 Cabin interior photo by: Adam M |
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Past the cabin you will come to a wide intersection. The road coming in from the left is the other end of the Golden Gate Loop, GH39, road. Stay right here and continue along the wide maintained road. You will pass a connection on the right with the Half Pipe, GH65, motorcycle trail. Continue left through the trees. You will come out into Lincoln Park and come to an intersection. The road to the left is Lincoln Park, GH66, road, the road to the right is Rich Gulch, GH62 road.
Golden Gate Loop, GH39 - 0.89 miles (Driven, part)
Starting from the west end off of the Prospect Hill, GH38, road you will head into the thick forest. The one lane road will come to an intersection with the Sidewinder Road, GH35, on the left going down hill. Stay to the right and you will come to a small cabin on the left side of the road.
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GH39 Cabin photo by: Adam M |
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GH39 Cabin photo by: Adam M |
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Spring behind GH39 Cabin photo by: Adam M |
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Continuing on past the cabin you will pass the non-motorized Harum Trail, GH73, on your left. Past this you will come to the large intersection tying back in with the Prospect Hill, GH38, road.
Humbug Hill, GH61 - 0.80 miles (Driven)
Humbug Hill is one of the access roads to the Golden Horseshoe network. Starting from the French Gulch Road, CR2, you will pass a small parking area on your left. The two track road will now climb up the side of the valley through aspen trees to a saddle below Humbug Hill.
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Looking down the Humbug Hill road with Breckenridge Ski slopes in the background photo by: Adam M |
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At the saddle the road to the left is Lincoln Park, GH66, the road to the right is American Gulch, GH93, and there is a motorcycle trail, Farncomb Hill, GH70, to the immediate right.
Rich Gulch, GH62 - 0.43 miles (Google Earth description)
Rich Gulch is one of the access roads to the Golden Horseshoe network. Starting from the French Gulch Road, CR2, you will climb above a large home and then follow Rich Gulch up to an intersection at the side of Lincoln Park. At the intersection the road to the left is Prospect Hill, GH38, road, the road to the right is Lincoln Park, GH66.
Lincoln Park, GH66 - 1.76 miles (Driven, part)
Starting from the intersection of Rich Gulch, GH62, and Prospect Hill, GH38, the Lincoln Park road heads across the south end of Lincoln Park. Immediately you will pass a road on the right which is the Forest Queen, GH79 road. Continue straight along Lincoln Park until you come into the trees. You will pass the motorcycle trail Golden Rule, GH71, on your left continue straight again and head into the trees. The road will be about a lane wide. Shortly you will come to another intersection. The road to the left is the Rock Island, GH87, road. Stay right here as you head through the forest passing through an area that has been thinned. Next you will come to a small open area with a faint road to the left in front of an old cabin frame on the left side of the road. This is Georgia Gulch, GH90, road. Stay right here and you will pass a short spur on the left that goes to some tailings. Continue on the main road heading south. Next you will come to another road coming in from the right. This is the other end of the Forest Queen, GH79, road. Continue straight and you will come out into an open area on the ridge above French Creek. The road to the right is Humbug Hill, GH61, road which heads down to CR2. The road to the left is American Gulch, GH93.
Spruce Road, GH72 - 1.07 miles (Google Earth description)
Starting on the west side where Sawmill Road, GH22, and Summit Gulch, GH74, road come together the Spruce Road, GH72 will head south. Immediately you will pass the Fuller Trail, GH44, motorcycle trail on your left. Just around a slight bend in the road you will cross the Golden Rule, GH71, motorcycle trail. After heading through the forest for a bit you will come to a sharp left turn in the road. Here you will be just in the trees at the top of Lincoln Park, which will be off to your right. After making the turn you will cross the Golden Rule, GH71, motorcycle trail again. From here the single lane road will head northeast in the forest and then make a broad left turn to head north. After a while you will connect with the Summit Gulch, GH74, road north of where you started.
Summit Gulch, GH74 - 2.41 miles (Google Earth description)
Starting from the Tiger Road, CR6, you will be on a wide maintained dirt road. You will follow along under a high power line coming to an intersection. The road to the right is Galena Gulch, GH77, road. Stay left to make a hairpin turn, crossing the creek, and pass a private home. Past the private home you will pass two more private drives before heading up Summit Gulch. The road will become narrower as it heads up the gulch and crosses to the east side of the gulch. After crossing back to the west side of the gulch the road will do two switchbacks as it climbs to a low saddle. Here you will come to another intersection. Your immediate right will be a motorcycle trail the Bookcase, GH78. The road to the right is Galena-Summit Connect, GH75, stay to the left to continue on Summit Gulch road. You will head across the top of the ridge through the forest. After a while you will come to another intersection. The road on the left is Spruce Road, GH72, stay to the right to continue on Summit Gulch road. Shortly you will come to another intersection the road on the left is the other end of the Spruce Road, GH72, the road on the right is the Sawmill Road, GH22.
Galena-Summit Connect, GH75 - 0.52 miles (Google Earth description)
At a spot in Galena Gulch where the Galena Gulch, GH77, road ends, near where an old closed road branches right, the Galena-Summit Connect, GH75, road starts. The two track road continues up Galena Gulch along an open area for a short distance before crossing the gulch and making a broad left curve and climbing up through the forest to a low saddle between Galena Gulch and Summit Gulch. At the saddle you will intersect with the Summit Gulch, GH74, road.
Galena Gulch, GH77 - 0.66 miles (Google Earth description)
Starting from the Summit Gulch, GH74, road you will continue to head down Galena Gulch on a single lane road. You will head through the trees for a ways before coming out into a small open area. Here the motorcycle trail Bookcase, GH78, will be on your left crossing the gulch. Continue up the gulch and you will cross under some high power lines and head back into the trees. Where it opens up a bit you will come to an old Y intersection. The road on the right is closed and has revegetated. The road to the left that continues is the Galena-Summit Connect, GH75, road.
Forest Queen, GH79 - 1.15 miles (Google Earth description)
Starting from the south end of Lincoln Park off of the Lincoln Park, GH66, road, the Forest Queen road will head south toward the rim of the valley above French Creek. After heading through the trees on the narrow two track a short distance you will pass the non-motorized hiking trail Yellowbrick, GH64, on the right and the motorcycle trail Governor King, GH67, on the left. The road will turn and head east through the forest up the gradual slope of Humbug Hill. You will pass a few small openings that will not afford any views as you continue through the forest. After crossing over Humbug Hill you will T into the Lincoln Park, GH66, road.
Rock Island, GH87 - 2.70 miles (Google Earth description)
Starting from the Tiger Road, CR6, you will be on a wide maintained dirt road passing a gravel company entrance on the left. As you cross the old dredge gravel tailings you will make a right turn and head up into the forest. As the road makes a sweeping left you will cross the non-motorized trail Galena Ditch, GH82. You will make a left hand switchback and climb up along a ridge through the forest with Rock Island Gulch on your left and Brown Gulch on your right. As you continue through the forest the road will run along the west side of Brewery Hill above Brown Gulch. After the long run through the forest you will connect with the Lincoln Park, GH66, road.
Georgia Gulch, GH90 - 1.48 miles (Driven)
Starting from the Lincoln Park, GH66, road you will pass a small cabin on your left. The road is faint here, but keep heading southeast through the trees.
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Upper Georgia Gulch photo by: Adam M |
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The road will be a narrow two track with some rocky sections. After a while as you drop into Georgia Gulch you will come to a sharp hairpin turn.
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Looking around the hairpin turn photo by: Adam M |
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After the turn the road will become more of a ledge and level out heading northeast for a while.
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Ledge section after hairpin turn photo by: Adam M |
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The road will make a turn to the right and head down hill through some rocky sections, turning again to the right to head back southeast. The road will continue through the trees.
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Down hill through the trees photo by: Adam M |
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You will come out of the trees and cross a large open area, heading toward Georgia Gulch.
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Open area before crossing Georgia Gulch photo by: Adam M |
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As you enter the trees you will come to the American Gulch Spur, GH94, road that goes left a short distance to a gate. The right will head up out of Georgia Gulch.
American Gulch, GH93 - 2.12 miles (Driven)
Starting from FR355.1B your will drive through a large impacted area. There are a few campsites among the trees here. You will head north, away from Amarican Gulch, and cross over the ridge that separates it from Georgia Gulch. The road will end up climbing along the south side of Georgia Gulch until it makes a hairpin turn and climb higher onto the ridge between the two gulches. The road will be a lane and a half wide and a bit rocky as it climbs.
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Rocky road bed of American Gulch road photo by: Adam M |
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You will climb two switchbacks and then come around a sweeping right hand curve leveling out a bit. The road will continue to climb up the ridge making sweeping curves to the left and right through the trees. Finally you will come to the remains of the Wapiti Mining Company office on the left side of the road. There is a pull off on the left side of the road as well.
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Older log part of the Wapiti office, south side. Note the blow down trees photo by: Adam M |
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Southeast side of Wapiti office photo by: Adam M |
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Northeast side of Wapiti office showing the newer roof and remains of the false front laying on the ground photo by: Adam M |
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Northheast side of Wapiti office photo by: Adam M |
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At this site the building use to be part log and part milled lumber with a false front. Probably the wind event that blew down the trees, in 2021 possibly, also blew the newer frame building over laying the roof on the ground. From here the road climbs two more switchbacks before a final steep section toping out at a saddle east of Humbug Hill. Here the Humbug Hill, GH61, road is on the left coming up from French Creek and the Lincoln Park, GH66, road is on the right.
American Gulch Spur, GH94 - 0.24 miles (Driven)
Starting from the end of the Georgia Gulch, GH90, road you will climb up the south side of Georgia Gulch through the forest on a two track connecting with the American Gulch, GH93, road at the Wapiti site.