East River Trail
| Trail Features: | Outstanding Views, Wildflowers, Fall Aspens |  |
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| Trail Location: | Brush Creek Trailhead | ||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 4.3 Miles | ||||
| Trailhead Elevation: | 8954 Feet | ||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 330 Feet | ||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 153 Feet | ||||
| Highest Elevation: | 9090 Feet | ||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 4.96 (easy) | ||||
| Parking Lot Latitude | 38.8653 | ||||
| Parking Lot Longitude | -106.91379 | ||||
Trail Description:
The hike along the East River Trail begins from the Brush Creek Trailhead, located just south of the town of Crested Butte. To reach the trailhead, turn east onto Brush Creek Road, located roughly two miles south of town, and almost halfway between miles 25 and 26 on Highway 135. After driving 1.1 miles, Brush Creek Road turns into a dirt road suitable for 2-wheel drive vehicles. At 2.4 miles from Highway 135 you’ll reach the Brush Creek Trailhead. There’s a fairly large parking area located here, and is a popular starting point for both hikers and mountain bikers.
The hike begins at the far end of the parking lot, and follows along the East River Trail #634, which is actually an old jeep road. The route travels along the lower slopes of 12,153-foot Crested Butte, just above the East River valley floor. The trail offers expansive views as it travels through prime ranch land. During the early-to-mid summer period the hillsides are typically covered in wildflowers. In the fall, aspens will steal the show.
At roughly six-tenths of a mile, hikers will pass through a gate. Shortly afterwards you’ll cross over a small creek. At just over 1.3 miles you’ll pass over another creek. Just upstream from the path here is a small cascading waterfall.
The trail begins to meander down towards the valley bottom, and eventually ends at an indistinct “Y” junction in the road. Though you can continue in either direction, both end at fences after walking a very short distance.
Except for two short sections that pass through small aspen groves, the trail is completely exposed to the sun. With its gentle grades, this is a great hike for families or anyone looking for an easy hike. It’s also an outstanding option for hikers wishing to get acclimated before hitting the higher elevations.
Additional Resources:
* Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests
* Trails Illustrated Map for Crested Butte area