North Teller Farm - East Boulder -White Rocks Trail
LocationParking for Teller Farms and White Rocks Trails
Boulder, CO 80301 |
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Park Fees
Free!
Trailer Parking
Parking at the North Teller Farm trail-head there is plenty of space for horse trailers in the middle of the parking lot. You really have to pull in and claim your space. I like to circle and face outward so I can be sure I can pull out of the parking lot without being blocked in. Taking some cones and placing them in front and in back of your trailer might also help keep you from being blocked in.
BathroomsNone available
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WaterNone available
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Mounting
I walked Sam along the part of the trail that parallels Valmont. We crossed Valmont then mounted from the rocks in the little round about at the beginning of the East Boulder Trail.
Footing
Nice soft packed dirt or crushed gravel. Sam had front shoes and was barefoot behind and seemed comfortable on the trail. There were parts of the trail going down hill that were pretty muddy from a recent snow.
Horse Hazards
The first bridge we had to cross was pretty scary for Sam. It was pretty arched and I needed to dismount to persuade him to cross it behind me. We passed a lot of ponds and saw ducks and birds. We also had a group of deer jump out of the brush right in front of us. Sam, luckily did not move but this could have cause a big spook for any other horse. Walking parallel to Valmont then crossing Valmont was not too bad but we were riding mid-morning on a weekday. We rode this trail in March, if you ride later in the season I would be prepared for a lot of bugs.
Chosen Trail
Sam and I rode North on the East Boulder -White Rocks Trail then retraced our steps back. It was 2.2 miles each way. We rode a total of 4.4 miles in about 1 hour and 30 minutes. We walked the whole time as there was a lot of up-hill.
Trail Experience
We started out from the west side of the parking lot. The trail paralleled Valmont then crossed Valmont to join the main trail. We hand-walked this part of the trail.
The street crossing at Valmont wasn't too bad.
We passed some t-posts then continued on a really nice pretty trail flanked by a fence and a creek.
There were some gently curves with good footing. We passed some ponds. A group of deer jumped out of the bushes right in front of us. Sam was a rockstar.
We passed some logs and stationary objects. Sam was not a fan of this bridge! I had to dismount him and give him lots of treats after we crossed.
And up a gradual hill. This is a pretty good work-out and Sam was pretty tired by the top.
We went up and down some more hills then crossed Phillips Drive.
The trail started to get really muddy. At the fork we headed left. This trail was really terrible. There were big tracks that were uneven and the whole trail was a muddy soup. Sam and I turned around before getting to the water tower.
Headed back home the views were prettier with the mountains in the background.
Headed back down-hill we enjoyed the views and some grass.
Rating
Moderately Easy. I would keep in mind you do have to cross Valmont. Also, if you horse is ok with bridges this may be easy, for us I had to dismount. I would ride this trail in the winter but allow at least a week after a snow to make sure the trail has dried up.