Colorado Trail Access & Transportation: Getting From Denver To Breckenridge And Back(Segments 1–6)

Getting to and from the trailheads can often be one of the hardest parts of planning your Colorado Trail section hike. The hiking itself is straightforward. You pick a section, figure out your mileage, load up your gear and start walking. But getting back home afterward? That’s where things get complicated. If you’re section hiking the Colorado Trail instead of thru-hiking it, you’ll be dealing with transportation logistics every single year. You’ll need to figure out where to start, where to stop, how you’ll get picked up, and how you’ll return to Denver or the airport without leaving a vehicle somewhere on the trail.

If you’re flying into Colorado and trying to figure out how to get from Denver International Airport to the trailhead, where to stay, and where to buy last-minute supplies, check out my previous post: How to Get from Denver Airport to the Colorado Trail (Without Renting a Car)

That article covers the arrival logistics. This one focuses on what happens after you start hiking.

The stretch from Waterton Canyon to Breckenridge covers six segments and roughly 109 miles of trail. For section hikers, that means multiple trips, multiple endpoints, and a very different set of logistical challenges depending on where you start and stop. Some of these trailheads are easy to access and easy to escape. Others are genuinely remote, with no realistic transportation option unless you’ve planned ahead.

Before We Start: Getting to Waterton Canyon

This guide assumes you’re already at the Colorado Trail’s northern terminus at Waterton Canyon, and covers the first six official Colorado Trail segments, from Waterton Canyon to the Breckenridge area.

The first six segments break into two fairly distinct transportation zones. Segments 1 through 3 keep you relatively close to the Denver metro area, but the trailheads get progressively more remote and farther off paved roads as you move southwest. Town access along the way is limited, with some just being small general stores and post offices, not full resupply towns.

Segments 4 through 6 continue that trend mid-route, but the section ends at one of the most transportation-friendly spots on the entire Colorado Trail. Breckenridge is a resort town with full amenities, a free bus system, and multiple realistic options back to Denver. If you’re planning your first section hike and wondering where to stop, this matters a lot.

Not every road crossing on the Colorado Trail is equally useful for section hikers. For this guide, I’m using a simple rating system:

Trailhead by Trailhead: What to Expect

Waterton Canyon — CT Mile 0

Transportation Difficulty: Easy

Waterton Canyon is the official northern terminus of the Colorado Trail and one of the easiest places on the entire trail to reach.

Because it’s located on the edge of the Denver metro area, it’s an excellent starting point for out-of-state hikers. Rideshares, private shuttles, and friend pickups are all realistic options. Getting to Waterton Canyon is covered in detail in the previous article in this series, so I won’t repeat all of it here. The short version is that overnight parking isn’t allowed at the trailhead, so you’ll need to arrange a drop-off regardless of whether you’re driving or flying in. Rideshare is the most straightforward option for most section hikers.

South Platte River Trailhead – End of Segment 1 (CT Mile ~17)

Transportation Difficulty: Moderate

The South Platte River Trailhead sits at the end of Segment 1 and the beginning of Segment 2, at the intersection with Jefferson County Route 97. There’s a large parking lot, and day hikers commonly use it, so there’s more traffic here than you might expect for a spot this far from the city.

Despite that, this is still a remote trailhead, and there’s no town nearby worth walking to. Conifer is technically reachable from this area, but it’s a significant road walk and primarily worth knowing about for emergency resupply, not as a planned exit point.

If you need to exit here your realistic options are a pre-arranged shuttle or hitchhiking, and the volume of traffic on Jefferson County Route 97 is light enough that hitching is not something to count on. The trailhead is accessible by road, but there are no nearby services, no public transportation options, and no realistic rideshare availability.

If someone is meeting you here, it’s a perfectly workable pickup location. If you’re hoping to arrange transportation after arriving, you’ll likely have a much harder time.

Little Scraggy Trailhead – End of Segment 2 (CT Mile ~28)

Transportation Difficulty: Moderate

Little Scraggy marks the end of Segment 2 and the start of Segment 3, and is one of the first locations that begins to feel like a traditional Colorado Trail access point. The trailhead is located on the west side of Deckers Road at the intersection with Forest System Road 550, with a large parking area and a restroom. That said, it’s still a remote trailhead rather than a transportation hub.

Getting here from Denver requires driving Hwy 285 to Pine Junction, then taking Jefferson County Road 126 through the towns of Pine and Buffalo Creek, about 16 miles past Pine Junction on the left. It’s a paved drive, but a long one from the metro area, and rideshare almost certainly won’t reach this far. You should assume you’ll need a friend, family member, shuttle, or prearranged ride to leave from here.

If you’re finishing Segment 2 here and need to exit, Buffalo Creek is your nearest resupply option. It’s a long walk along the road to get into town, or you can try to hitch a ride. The town is very small, with a post office and a small general store. Don’t count on finding much else.

Buffalo Creek Area – Segments 3–4 (CT Mile ~39)

Transportation Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult

The Buffalo Creek area contains several road crossings and access points used by hikers and mountain bikers, but most of these roads are forest roads rather than major highways. Traffic can be limited, cell coverage can be inconsistent, and many access points are difficult for someone unfamiliar with the area to locate.

The Wellington Lake Road / FS-560 trailhead marks the end of Segment 3 and the start of Segment 4. It sits on a forest road, and outside of a personal vehicle or pre-arranged shuttle, there’s no realistic way in or out. Bailey is the closest resupply town from this area, and it’s a long walk along the road, or a hitch. Bailey is fairly small but has a few restaurants, a post office, and a hardware store. That’s more than Buffalo Creek, but still limited, and getting there isn’t easy from this trailhead without traffic on your side.

Long Gulch Trailhead – End of Segment 4 (CT Mile ~62)

Transportation Difficulty: Difficult

Long Gulch marks the end of Segment 4 and the start of Segment 5, and is one of the first places where transportation becomes a genuine challenge. Access runs from Highway 285 via Lost Park Road (Forest Road 56), approximately 11 miles in. This is a dirt road into the Pike National Forest, and it’s a long way from anywhere. There are no nearby towns, no transit options, and very little infrastructure to support hikers.

Like the Wellington Lake Road trailhead, there’s no practical rideshare access here. A personal vehicle or pre-arranged shuttle is the only realistic option. The trail through Segment 4 runs into the Lost Creek Wilderness, and the relative remoteness continues on both ends. Long Gulch is usually a place you plan to pass through rather than a place you intentionally target as a trip endpoint.

Kenosha Pass – End of Segment 5 (CT Mile ~76)

Transportation Difficulty: Easy

Kenosha Pass is where things get interesting. In my opinion, this is the first truly transportation-friendly endpoint on the Colorado Trail, the best mid-section exit point between Waterton and Breckenridge. The trail crosses directly at U.S. Highway 285, making it much easier to access than most of the earlier road crossings. Drivers can find it easily. Pickups are straightforward. And the location is well known among Colorado Trail hikers.

Because of that, Kenosha Pass becomes one of the most logical stopping points for section hikers who want to break the trail into manageable chunks. If you’re trying to decide where your first Colorado Trail trip should end, Kenosha Pass deserves serious consideration.

Parking is available on either side of U.S. Highway 285, approximately 50 miles southwest of Denver. US-285 carries real traffic, which makes hitchhiking genuinely viable here. Jefferson sits just 4.5 miles south of the pass along Highway 285, and hikers report the hitch is usually quick.

Jefferson itself is tiny. There’s a cafe, but don’t count on it for a full resupply. Fairplay is about 20 miles farther down 285, and offers a better resupply option with a grocery store, hotels, and a post office. But getting there requires either a longer hitch or a ride arranged in town.

If you’re doing Segments 1–5 and need to get back to Denver without a vehicle, Kenosha Pass is where you want to end. You can realistically walk out of the woods and find a ride without pre-planning every detail. For getting back to Denver from Kenosha Pass, a rideshare is feasible given the highway location, though coverage in this area should be verified before you count on it. The most reliable option is a hitch toward Bailey or Denver on 285, where traffic is consistent and hikers report short wait times.

Gold Hill Trailhead / Breckenridge & Frisco – Segment 6 (CT Mile ~109)

Transportation Difficulty: Moderate

If Kenosha Pass is the best mid-section exit, Breckenridge and Frisco are the best overall endpoints for this entire stretch. Segment 6 ends at the Gold Hill Trailhead, right off Highway 9 about 5 miles north of Breckenridge and a similar distance from Frisco.

(Georgia Pass is on Segment 6, but is not a practical pickup location. While it is one of the iconic landmarks of the first 100 miles, it sits high in the mountains and does not function as a transportation hub.)

The Summit Stage is free public transit that runs throughout Summit County, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It stops 0.2 miles south of the trailhead, at the intersection of Revett Drive and Highway 9. Northbound buses stop on the east side of the highway; southbound on the west side.

Why Breckenridge Makes Such a Great Section Endpoint

Transportation Difficulty: Easy

From the Gold Hill stop, you can ride directly into Breckenridge or Frisco, both full resort towns with lodging, restaurants, grocery stores, post offices, and everything else you might want after a week on trail. Once you’re in Breckenridge or Frisco, getting back to Denver is straightforward:

• Bustang West Line: CDOT’s intercity bus runs from the Frisco Transit Center along I-70 to Denver Union Station. From Union Station, the RTD A Line runs directly to Denver International Airport. This is the budget option.
• Epic Mountain Express: Shared shuttle service with door-to-door service to Denver Airport. Fares start around $59 at the time of this article.
• Rideshare: Uber and Lyft operate in Breckenridge. A direct ride to Denver Airport is expensive but available.

If I can hike all the way to Breckenridge/Frisco, I’m doing it. The transportation situation at the end of Segment 6 is dramatically better than anything else in this stretch. You step off the trail, catch a free bus, and an hour later you’re eating a real meal in a real town with multiple options home. I’ll also keep Kenosha Pass as my early bail-out option.

Towns Along This Section: Quick Reference

Town	Closest Trailhead	What’s There	How to Get There
Buffalo Creek	Little Scraggy	Post office, small general store	Road walk or hitch from Deckers Road
Conifer	South Platte River TH	Emergency resupply only	Road walk or hitch; not ideal
Bailey	Wellington Lake Road TH	Restaurants, post office, hardware store	Hitch from Hwy 285 corridor
Jefferson	Kenosha Pass	Cafe only (market closed)³	Easy hitch, 4.5 miles south on Hwy 285
Fairplay	Kenosha Pass	Grocery, hotels, post office	Longer hitch or ride from Jefferson
Breckenridge	Gold Hill TH	Full resort town	Free Summit Stage bus, 0.2 miles from TH
Frisco	Gold Hill TH	Full resort town	Free Summit Stage bus

Recommended Section Endpoints

If you’re flying into Colorado and need to get back to Denver without a car, here’s how I’d rank the stopping points along this stretch:

• Best: Gold Hill Trailhead / Breckenridge & Frisco (End of Segment 6) Free bus to town, multiple options back to Denver, full amenities. The clear winner.
• Second Best: Kenosha Pass (End of Segment 5) Direct highway access, realistic hitchhiking, multiple vehicles heading toward Denver on US-285. Works well as a stopping point if you’re not hiking all the way to Breckenridge.
• Not Recommended Without a Shuttle: South Platte River Trailhead, Little Scraggy Trailhead, Wellington Lake Road Trailhead, Long Gulch Trailhead. All four require either a personal vehicle or a pre-arranged shuttle to exit reliably.

What I’m Planning

My first section is Segments 1 through 6, Waterton Canyon to Breckenridge. I’ve already figured out how to get to Waterton (see the previous article), so the exit is what I’ve been focused on. My plan is to end at Gold Hill and catch the Summit Stage into Frisco. From there, I’ll either take the Bustang back to Denver, or splurge on Epic Mountain Express if I’m cutting it close on time. Either way, I’m not renting a car, and I’m not counting on hitchhiking out of the woods with a full pack.

As I continue planning my own Colorado Trail journey, I’ve found that choosing a convenient endpoint often matters just as much as choosing a scenic one. Don’t just plan your mileage, plan your exit. And if you’re trying to build a realistic multi-year Colorado Trail plan, that’s exactly the kind of thing worth thinking about before you ever step onto the trail.