Bruno Gulch Campground
Location
Bruno Gulch Rd.Grant, CO 80448
I clicked on the public horse corral when I set my google map directions. Make sure to download the area map so you can still get directions if you are off-line. Driving on Hwy 62 take a left on Bruno Gulch Road before you reach the Duck Creek Picnic Area or Geneva Park Campground. It is a very rough washboardy dirt road. Follow this road for 0.5 miles to the public Horse Corral. The first 200 yards of the road are the roughest and then it gets better as you get closer to the horse corrals.
I clicked on the public horse corral when I set my google map directions. Make sure to download the area map so you can still get directions if you are off-line. Driving on Hwy 62 take a left on Bruno Gulch Road before you reach the Duck Creek Picnic Area or Geneva Park Campground. It is a very rough washboardy dirt road. Follow this road for 0.5 miles to the public Horse Corral. The first 200 yards of the road are the roughest and then it gets better as you get closer to the horse corrals.
This picture shows some of the washboard divots in the dirt road leading to the horse corrals.
Website
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/psicc/recarea/?recid=12408
So, there is not a great official website for Bruno Gulch. There are numbered campsites but everything is first come, first serve.
So, there is not a great official website for Bruno Gulch. There are numbered campsites but everything is first come, first serve.
Trail Map
It is hard to find great trail maps on-line. This map is from the paid version of All Trails. We rode on a trail that is not included on this map on the 2nd day of riding.
The Gaia app was pretty helpful. It also did not show the smaller trails but at least we could figure out where we had gone and how to get back. Jon Lind told me not to ride the north fork of South Park Trail #600. He said you go up a lot of shale to the point where you need to get off and walk your horse. He also said that going south on South Park Trail, go to the tree-line then come back, again there is a lot of shale to walk over to cross the top of the mountain.
Park Fees and Amenities
Free to camp, no reservations possible. All sites are first come, first serve. We arrived on a Wednesday in August of 2020 and were lucky enough that a group with horses was just leaving. The campsite was crowded and pretty full for a weekday. There is no water and no trash or toilets. You need an RV, living quarters trailer to really be comfortable. I put a lid on a bucket to make a toilet and packed in a rain barrel full of water.
Horse and Human Accommodations
As you drive into the campground stay right to pull up by the horse corrals. Site #7 is in the meadow by the corrals. For our trip we fit 3 large living quarter trailers or Rvs in the meadow. This trip took place during August of 2020 during the coronavirus crisis and the forest service had removed 1/2 of the campsites to spread out campers.
The corrals were made of wood posts with steel pipes with panel gates. The 4 corrals were probably 24 x 12 feet, larger than most corrals at horse campsites. Sam laid down at night and had enough room to sleep. The corral fence between Sam and Echo on the left was broken and fixed with twine. There was a pointy screw that was exposed that Sam cut himself on and I covered it with duct tape to prevent further injuries. There was a pile of composting manure behind the pens. You can pack out your manure or leave it behind the pens to compost.
The other campers in my group pulled up to the right of the corral. I pulled up on the left side of the corrals and could see Sam from my bed in the back of my truck. There are no amenities at this campground. No water, no toilets, no trash.
Mounting
No great rocks or stumps. We mounted from our trailer.
Footing
Moderately rocky. The footing is pretty typical of Colorado mountain trails. The South Park #600 trail does have areas of bogs if you are riding in the spring. Riding in August the bogs were dried up. I do not recommend riding here in the spring.
Horse Hazards
The biggest horse hazard was avoiding the rocky trails and a lot of flies in August. South Park Trail #600 is rumored to be extremely rocky with a short section of shale you should dismount your horse to walk over. The other hazard is getting lost or going too far on a trail that becomes too rocky to continue. Research your trail options carefully before riding out and make sure you have a GPS that works offline.