White Ranch
LocationWhite Ranch East Trailhead
21827 West 56th Avenue Golden CO, 80403 White Ranch West Trailhead 25373 Belcher Hill Road Golden CO, 80403 |
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Trail Map
Park Fees
Free! All of Jefferson County's parks are free at this time, they are also super crowded on the weekend so get your parking spot early!
Trailer Parking
We parked in the West trail-head in the 2nd parking lot on Belcher Hill Road. It is before the road ends at a gate so it is pretty obvious on the left side of the road. We did go past the point at the first parking lot where google maps said we had arrived. So, yes there is "Oversized parking" but it was full of cars and two jeeps! I did see some ROTC boys park in these spots and tried to politely tell them they were parking in horse trailer spots. We parked on the side but made sure cars could get around us. When we had arrived back to the parking spot all of the cars were gone and there was plenty of room to park.
Bathrooms
Yes, there are bathrooms, picnic tables, water and horse corrals available. If you ride up Rawhide trail there are also bathrooms at the Sourdough Springs Campground.
Water
Yes.
Mounting
There were some very convenient rocks in the parking lot and also a picnic table up on a hill.
Footing
If you stick to my recommended trail the footing is either packed dirt with some mild rocks or a wide old service road with gravel. If you chose the wrong trail like I did, things get harry pretty quickly.
Horse Hazards
Besides the rocks on the fork of the Rawhide trail I do not recommend, there are a few bridges. The switchbacks are mild and have pretty good footing. I went on a Friday and saw zero bikers!
Chosen Trail
If you ride Rawhide heading east out of the parking lot to Wrangler's Run and then follow Rawhide again to walk around the Sourdough Springs Equestrian Campground, you will have a beautiful, pleasant, safe ride. I got to the fork of Wrangler's Run and Rawhide and headed right instead. This was a BAD idea. You can read my trail narrative and click on this "choose your own adventure trail" to read more about it. Please stick to the recommended trail unless you really want some adventure and have a bomb-proof Sam-worthy horse. We rode for 2 hours and covered 4.2 miles. We average about 3.5 miles per hour so we went pretty darn slow up our blue leg of Rawhide trail.
We started out on the eastern trail of the Rawhide trail from the parking lot. We passed a stone plaque and benches.
We took the Rawhide trail fork to the left instead of the Upper Longhorn trail.
It was really pretty and went downhill in switchbacks between the pine trees. It wasn't too rocky and I was thinking, "what a great place".
We went through a meadow and back and forth curving through the trees and over a bridge.
This part of the trail was wonderful and really beautiful and Sam ate a lot of mountain grass. We crossed another bridge. And crossed a water pipe/bridge.
This is where we made the WRONG choice.
Click HERE for the Adventure of the right fork of the Rawhide Trail.
Click HERE for the Adventure of the right fork of the Rawhide Trail.
You should go LEFT. This is Wrangler's Run.
Wranglers Run trail was nice and mostly flat and easy as a single-track.
Here is where Wrangler's Run hooks up with the service road Rawhide trail.
Go north or to the right to ride around the horse campsite. There are hitching posts, restrooms and corrals.
After checking out the campsites make your way south back on the wide gravel Rawhide Trail.
You can probably trot or canter this part of the trail. We did see a cow in the pasture on the west/right side.
Follow the dirt/gravel road back to the parking lot. At this trail-head I would encourage you only to do the recommended trail. The trails get steep, rocky and harry pretty quickly.
Trail Experience
I have a really amazing horse. Not all horses can handle what we rode at White Ranch. I had a really good time but recommend sticking with easy, predictable trails that you know well or have a good guide to follow.
Rating
Our recommended trail is moderately easy. The right branch of the Rawhide trail - Advanced only. I really think they should put a sign at the Wrangler's Run-Rawhide trail fork that tells equestrians to go left instead of right.