Trail Overview
One of the most beautiful trails in the area, Alta Dry Fork will challenge beginners and offer some fun for intermediates. Ford low water crossings and navigate your way through pines, aspens, and verdant alpine meadows. Wildflowers trace the trail that follows the Alta Dry Fork Creek, which, depending on the time of year and weather conditions, may not be dry at all. The cost of this adventure could be a few pinstripes you hadn't planned on. The trail is narrow most of the time with few to no places to pass. Camping is very limited, and cell service is practically non-existent. Expect low-hanging branches, trees across the trail, and several low-water crossings depending on the time of the year. At an elevation of 8,910 feet, Alta Dry Fork ends where the Ridge Hiking Trail begins, giving you access to Lake Catherine, Mount Tuscarora, and a network of backcountry alpine hiking trails.
Difficulty
The trail is uneven and narrow in places. Some inclines are covered in loose, baseball-sized rocks. Water crossings aren't deep, but, in late spring and early summer, the trail may be quite wet. Watch out for erosion at water crossings where the trail is on a ledge, creating a small waterfall to your side. Expect a few large rocks, sometimes next to deep ruts on off-camber portions of the trail.
