This 25.4 mile portion of the Colorado Trail (segments 1 & 2) follows a roller coaster route thru the burn area of the Buffalo Creek fire (1996), down into the valley of the South Platte River, then up and over a ridge above West Bear Creek and finally down past the Strontia Dam and out Waterton Canyon to the CT's Denver terminus. The trail is loose and rocky throughout, with an elevation gain of 1240' and and loss of 3160' along the way. There is a significant car shuttle involved to do this as a one-way ride. The length of the ride and the terrain covered make this a formidable outing that will take most of the day.

Park at the day use area.  There's a fee but it helps trail maintenance.