Coulson Gulch Trail #916

Even as an out-and-back, this trail provides a quieter, more secluded option from Johnny Park Road down to North St. Vrain Creek. It can be a little misleading as it's almost entirely downhill from the start, so keep in mind whatever you go down, you'll also come back up. Along the way, the trail winds through trees and crosses a seasonal creek that flows toward the North St. Vrain. Near the end, the trail switchbacks a few times, passing an old rusty shack and some barbed wire fencing before coming out into a large meadow. At around 1.8 miles from the trailhead, the Johnny Park Connector heads east toward Button Rock Preserve (no dogs allowed). Continue south as the trail descends for another mile through trees and brush until it terminates at the creek. This is a neat area with large boulders and the creek itself changes dramatically throughout the year, with high flows in the spring and early summer, and low flows in the fall and winter (depending on precipitation and snow pack).