Crested Butte Mountain Biking: Wagon Trail

The Wagon Trail starts or ends on CR12, 3 miles from the town of Crested Butte. The trail travels just over 6 miles in length, ending 9 miles from town. The route which is combined of singletrack and dirt road was made as an alternative to Kebler Pass Road. A nice detour considering the traffic the road sees in the summer and fall. Finding the trail is simple, travel up Kebler Road for 3 miles and look for a piece of singletrack to your right. It will be after a right bend in the road.

Once you hop on the singletrack you will quickly be greeted by two switchbacks, and a steep section of the trail. Once you turn back west the trail will bring you in and out of some trees while you follow Kebler Road. After a few rocky section and another little climb you will drop down to the level of the road, eventually filtering you to the pavement.

The trail continues across the road on a dirt road just to the left. The road veers left, and eventually you will see a marked wagon trail sign that brings you back on to some singletrack. From here you will ride through an open meadow before crossing Ohio Creek Pass Road (dirt) and Kebler Pass Road again (pavement).

The singletrack trail will start to climb and weave through a thick forest, highlighting the beauty and somewhat remote nature of the trail. You will also encounter another steep climb, and a handfull of root and down tree obsticles. You will soon hit a stright-a-way, where the trail filters you to a primitive campsite and Irwin Road. From here you can take Irwin road up to Lake Irwin, back down Kebler Pass Road, or continue on a piece of two track that veers left of the above mentioned options.

If you continue, you will descend the two track until it dead ends near a fire ring. From here the singletrack will start back up with another marked sign. You will start to descend what was an old switchbacked road down to the paved switchback section of Kebler Pass Road. From here climb up the road to the top of the pass, where you can hop back on a section of the Wagon Trail you took prior.

Dyke Trail extender or opposite direction: If you intend on riding the wagon trail in the opposite direction, as a shuttle or maybe you just finished the Dyke Trail and want to continue on singletrack, you will want to keep an eye out for a typically overgrown trailhead in the summer. You will know you are in the right spot on Kebler Pass Road when you see two paved switch backs with guard rails. On the 2nd bend (most northerly) you will see a faint forest service sign with a orange PBC pipe sticking up from it. Here is where you can pick up the 2nd half of the Wagon Trail and ride it to the Irwin Road junction.

Like many trails in CB, this trail is typically under snow for a good while. If the Dyke Trail is closed, the Wagon trail will likely be closed. The closest section from town to the the first pavement crossing is the easiest portion of the trail. If you think it is too easy, continue on up to the Irwin Road junction.