Colorado: Weminuche Wilderness
Goose Creek-Trout Creek Loop
Note: This is not a closed loop. You will need two cars and
a short car shuttle is required.
Map: Trails Illustrated #140, Weminuche Wilderness
Best time to go: July through September
This is a trip that combines wonderful fishing, terrific scenery, and hiking the spine of
the Rockies along the Continental Divide Trail.
Getting There: Go to Creede, Colorado. From Creede, head South West on Colo 149 (Silver
Thread Scenic Byway) About 5 and a half miles out of town, turn South on CR 523 (Middle Creek Road) Continue
along CR 523 to its terminus at the Trout Creek Trailhead. Leave one of your cars there (don’t forget to take your car
keys) and drive back to the junction of CR 523 and CR 528. Follow CR 528 East past Spar City (a mining ghost
town) and continue East to the North Lime Trail Head. This is the beginning of the hike.
Hike South East on the Roaring Fork Trail, which provides access to the
Goose Creek Trail. Goose Creek has terrific fishing. In fact, just downstream from where you’ve hiked to is the
luxurious 4UR guest ranch, where you’ll pay $2500 for the privilege of fishing for trout along Goose Creek. Don’t
let the small dimensions of the creek fool you. There are some good sized fish in this water.
| Goose Creek |
 |
Follow the Goose Creek Trail South, then West, then North up some steep
switchbacks to Little Goose Lake. You can camp here and explore the well-named Fishers Creek.
When you’ve recharged your energy, head SouthWest and join the Continental
Divide Trail, heading West.
| Moose on upper Goose Creek |
 |
The Continental Divide Trail is a beautiful section of this trip.
Lots of amazing scenery packed into this part of the hike. Follow the Continental Divide Trail West to its junction
with the Trout Creek Trail, then take the Trout Creek Trail North, dropping down the drainage. The upper section of
this trail is pretty faint in places, and there is a lot of deadfall and brush on the trail. However, the fishing in
section more than makes up for the routefinding struggles you may face here. The creek is small, but is filled
with thick, healthy fish that in most cases have probably never seen a fish-hook in their lives. The water is pretty
shallow, and the fish will come up for any well presented fly. This is a great opportunity to catch big, agressive fish
on dry flies.
| Trout Creek |
 |
Your car is parked North of you, at the end of the Trout Creek Trail.
However, it will likely take longer than you might think to get there. For one thing, the temptation to stop and fish
along Trout Creek can be irrestible. The other impediment to moving quickly is that this section of the hike has a lot
of stream crossings. Some can be negotiated by rock hopping or downed logs, but many will require wading.
An interesting highlight of this portion of the trip are the mining ruins
at the sulpher tunnel.
Follow the creek North until you intersect a (not very well marked) turn
off to the uphill section that leads you back to your car. (If you get to some private property signs, you’ve gone too
far.)
Once back at the car, it’s a short drive back to the North Lime trailhead
to retrieve your other car, and then it’s off to Creede for pizza.