Divide Forks Cutoff Trail #639

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The northern trailhead is along Divide Road just west of the Divide Forks Campground. There are trail markers at both ends of the trail. Divide Road is a good graded gravel road, so that end of the trail can be reached in a passenger car. However, there is very limited parking at the northern trailhead but there is space for at least one vehicle on the grass. The trail is open to motorized dirt bikes, so it is important not to block the trail with your vehicle as the dirt bike riders can drive straight from the trail onto Divide Road.

The trail alternates between pleasant meadows and airy aspen forests. The green-topped tall aspens give nice shade to the trail while still allowing distant views into their depths. Below the trees is a carpet of green shrubs and in places a wide variety of wildflowers. Birds chatter away all around you. A babbling creek adds to the serenity of the area.

But you are sharing the trail with the occasional motorcycle. At least they tend to pass by quickly and the natural sounds soon return. Be alert to their approach so that you can find low impact spots to safely step off the trail.

If you set up a car shuttle this hike can be combined with Telephone Trail by hiking a stretch of very quiet FS #406 two-track road, also called Smith Point Road.

In early July you'll find vast patches of Columbine, Wild Rose, Round-leaf Snowberry as well as a wide variety of other wildflowers along stretches of the trail. The aspen forests are home to deer and elk. Elk calves have been spotted along the trail in early spring. In early July the south end of the trail may be a riot of spiky Hera Buckmoth caterpillars making their burrows along the trail to do their metamorphosis magic and later emerge as moths.