| Difficulty: | Number: | Miles: | Altitude: | Obstacles: | Time: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy 2 | FR854 | 8.36 | 9,480 to 10,200 ft. | NA | 3-4 hours |
Closure:
July - Best
August - Best
September - Best
October - Early snows may close the road
From Gunnison, CO. head east on US-50 E/E Tomichi Ave toward N Iowa Street. Continue to follow US-50 E for 8.1 miles. Turn right onto CO-114 E and go 17.5 miles. Turn right onto a gravel road just before a bridge that crosses Cochetopa Creek. This road will become a two track and climb up a steep hill. Follow this road for 2.68 miles. (You will need to drive the main east-west part of the Mercury Mine road to get to the Homestead Forest Service road north end.)
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Homestead road north end photo by: Adam M |
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The road will drop to the bottom of the valley and cross the upper end of Alkali Creek, then climb up and around a hill crossing the upper end of the southern branch of Alkali Creek. After crossing the creek bed the road will come to an intersection. Turn right and head into the aspens. The road going left will head back to private property. As you enter into the aspens the road will get steep as it climbs up to the top of a long hill. You will come out into a small open meadow. The road will cross over the hill as the aspen change over to pine and then head down into Homestead Gulch.
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Road down into Homestead Gulch photo by: Adam M |
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After crossing the gulch you will come to another intersection. The left will go to a fence that is private property. Take the right and head up the gulch. You will come out into an open area and the road will climb up onto the the hill to the south of Homestead Gulch. The road drop down to the other side of the hill and head up Townsite Gulch.
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Road up Townsite Gulch photo by: Adam M |
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The road will continue up Townsite Gulch skirting the aspens. You will come to another intersection where the right turn off the main road will go to a camp site in the aspens. Stay with the main road. You will get closer to the gulch bottom and then cross to the other side. Here the aspen will give way to pine trees. There will be another intersection with the right going to another camp site in the pines. Staying with the main road you will climb up the south side of the gulch and head into the pine forest. When you come back out into an open area you will be crossing the upper part of Willow Creek. The road will head into the pines again and climb up and over the south side of Willow Creek gulch. You will come out into another opening, then head into the forest again, and very shortly come back you into and open meadow. Here there is another camp site to the right of the main road. The road will head to the southeast as it starts down Dry Gulch. the road will stay along the bottom of the gulch passing through aspen groves. At one point you will pass a large rock outcrop.
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Rock outcrop in Dry Gulch photo by: Adam M |
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Just over a half mile from this outcrop you will come to a fence. This is the end of the Homestead road and the start of the BLM Homestead Road.