• Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser JourneysTwo to Travel
    We start the West Brush Creek Trail by the wetlands behind the dam — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.
    Beaver Lodge and Canada geese ... West Brush Creek Trail — Sylvan Lake State Park, COReflection ... West Brush Creek Trail — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.1Reflection ... West Brush Creek Trail — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.1West Brush Creek Trail — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.One of the meadows the West Brush Creek Trail goes through — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.A "making memories" selfie ... West Brush Creek Trail — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.West Brush Creek Trail — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.2Feeding frenzy (no idea what they are) ... West Brush Creek Trail — Sylvan Lake State Park, COColorful blooms on the West Brush Creek Trail — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.Crossing the creek at Bear Gulch ... West Brush Creek Trail — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.Crossing the creek ... West Brush Creek Trail — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.Scenery as we return via Forest Svc Road 400 — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.Ruins of the Upper Dice barn and shed from FSR400 — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.Scenery as we return via Forest Svc Road 400 — Sylvan Lake State Park, CO.

    West Brush Creek Trail

    June 7, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Pitter-patter … pitter-patter. The rain fell during the early part of last night. But by the time we went to bed, the rain was no more. Stars were twinkling in the sky.

    We woke up rested, and after an easy morning, we were ready to tackle at least a portion of the West Brush Creek Trail … definitely more of a hike than yesterday’s walk around Sylvan Lake.

    Technically, the trail starts at the day use area up by the visitor center. The 5.8-mile long trail ends at the Sylvan Lake Dam. We started in reverse and hiked 2.1 miles from the campground to Bear Gulch. There were some up and down portion. Some steps in the steeper sections. If one starts by the visitor center, there is an elevation change of some 1,000 feet. Starting at the dam, the section we did had an elevation change of just a few hundred feet. Overall, we felt it was an easy hike. And no bug swarms … which made the hike all the more enjoyable.

    Rather than returning the way we had come, at Bear Gulch we crossed the bridge and returned via Forest Service Road 400 … the hard-packed dirt road to the campground.

    11,093 steps later we were back at the campground … slightly weary … but happy to have made the most of a delightful blue-sky day with temps around 68F. Even more so, we were happy to be settled back at our place before the seriously gusting winds really picked up.    Read more