Deadman Gulch Trail - FS 420

Deadman Gulch Trail is a fun and relatively easy single track in the Gunnison National Forest near Crested Butte. The Crested Butte Trail Riders Association requests that motorcyclists ride the switchbacks downhill only (south to north), but this is not a requirement by the Forest Service, just a courtesy requested by the local riding groups to maintain respectful interactions with the many mountain bikers that ride this trail. Starting on the south end, the trail is a narrow dirt single track riding through scenic high elevation meadows, cutting across sagebrush-covered hillsides along the Bear Creek, with a short shallow stream crossing. The trail is very fast and flowy, mostly being smooth dirt, with only a few minor rocky sections. It is narrow with mild exposure as it side-hills through the rolling hills of the Elk Mountains. It starts its descent through the switchbacks after the intersection with Reno Ridge Trail, descending on a wider path through a forest of aspens and pines. The majority of the 30+ switchbacks are wide, sweeping, banked corners that are very easy to ride down. A few of the switchbacks have some bigger rock or root drop-offs that make the trail more of a moderate difficulty, but are still not overly difficult to ride in the downhill direction. Expect a lot of slick roots, ruts, and a few rockier sections throughout the descent. It ends at a bridge crossing over Cement Creek, and ends at the Deadman Gulch Parking Area.