Colorado · Trail 2703

Coal Creek Basin

Coal Creek Basin Trail is a 4.6 miles trail in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end38.9954, -108.1865 · Directions ↗
Other end38.9629, -108.2300 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length4.6 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers2703
ForestGrand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (unit 0204)
StatesColorado
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Coal Creek Basin Trail30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.61 inches of precipitation, 4.1 inches of snowFebruary: 0.65 inches of precipitation, 2.5 inches of snowMarch: 0.85 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowApril: 1.11 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowMay: 1.10 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.55 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.68 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.88 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.36 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.30 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowNovember: 0.79 inches of precipitation, 1.0 inches of snowDecember: 0.59 inches of precipitation, 3.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.3°F averageFebruary: 36.8°F averageMarch: 46.5°F averageApril: 53.0°F averageMay: 62.6°F averageJune: 72.9°F averageJuly: 78.7°F averageAugust: 76.3°F averageSeptember: 67.8°F averageOctober: 54.5°F averageNovember: 41.9°F averageDecember: 31.0°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Palisade, 12 miles from the trail midpoint at 4,751 feet, station USC00056266 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 10 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 13 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 2,400 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 06/01 to 10/31 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 06/01 to 10/31 (month/day)
Mountain bikingAllowed 06/01 to 09/14 (month/day)

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Coal Creek Basin Trail?

4.6 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Coal Creek Basin Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Coal Creek Basin Trail start?

The line begins at 38.9954, -108.1865 and ends at 38.9629, -108.2300. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Coal Creek Basin Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Coal Creek Basin Trail?

Raber Cow Camp Interpretive Hike (3 mi) is within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Coal Creek Basin Trail?

Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Coal Creek Basin Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Coal Creek Basin Trail?

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, Forest Service unit 0204. The trail is in Colorado.

Source: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests official page

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named COAL CREEK BASIN in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0204. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.