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COW CREEK TRAIL
A YEAR-ROUND TREK IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN
NATIONAL PARK
Cow Creek Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park is an easy walk any time of year.
The trail begins at McGraw Ranch, a former ranching property that the National Park Service bought in the late 1980s and is restoring as a research center.
The trail follows an old ranch road through pine-lined meadows, then gradually gains elevation when it reaches what used to be the ranch's upper boundary. It continues to wind through grassy meadows where, if you're
lucky, you might spot deer or elk. A herd of bighorn sheep used to live in this area, and hikers could sometimes see them grazing in trailside meadows. However, I haven't seen them for many years. It is possible that they suffered a disease die-off.
About a mile from the trailhead, a trail to Gem Lake branches to the south. But if you stay on the Cow Creek trail, you'll eventually stroll past old beaver ponds where I've seen people catch very small brook trout.
About two miles from the trailhead, the trail forks. If you take the less-traveled left fork, you'll climb a steep ridge. From the top, you can angle southward and
then eastward to the Lumpy Ridge parking area at MacGregor Ranch. From there, you can climb the ridge to Gem Lake, drop down the
ridge's north side, and complete a loop when you rejoin the Cow Creek Trail. This can be a very long, strenuous walk, so try it only if you get an early start and are carrying plenty of water.
If you decide against the loop route and take the right fork on the Cow Creek Trail, you'll be on your way to Bridal Veil Falls. After a short climb through a dense aspen forest, you'll find the falls crashing down into a pool at the base of a small cliff. You can cross the creek and scramble to the top of the falls, where smooth rocks provide a comfortable place to have lunch and take a nap.
The distance from McGraw Ranch to Bridal Veil Falls is about three miles (making a six-mile round trip). I'd rate much of the route as easy, although a few of the climbs near the falls are of moderate difficulty. The trail is heavily used, so don't expect a lot of solitude unless you go in bad weather during the off-season. In fact, the trail is so heavily used that the Park Service has built a brand new pit toilet near the trailhead. Pity.
To get there: From Estes Park, take Devil's Gulch Road east toward Glen Haven. A few miles from Estes Park, watch for the McGraw Ranch Road turnoff on the left. Follow the
winding dirt road for a couple of miles, taking care to observe the speed limit and not create too much dust for the neighbors to choke on. At the end of the road, you'll find McGraw Ranch. Park beside the road, observing the signs that tell you where you can and can't park.
-- By Bob Kretschman
-- Posted Jan. 15, 2001
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