Beckwith Bench Trail #845
The Beckwith Bench Trail #845 starts just below Beckwith Pass and the West Elk Wilderness boundary at the intersection with the Cliff Creek Trail #840. It is a 3.2 mile trail with contours along the south side of the East and West Beckwiths. The trail begins with views of the Castles and winds through a mixture of open meadows and spruce-fir stands until it drops into an area of beaver ponds. It continues past the ponds, entering into an area of talus stone until the returns again to high meadows with small stands of timber. The trail dies out as the high meadows end and begin to transition down into the thick aspen stands on the back of the Beckwiths. The Beckwith Bench Trail offers great vistas of Storm ridge, the Castles and the deep drainages of Cliff Creek as well as the south face of East Beckwith Mountain.
General Information
June
Open to Hiking and Horseback.
Getting There
Elevation
10,250
Directions
From Paonia: Travel east on Hwy 133 for 15 miles to Gunnison County Road 12, Kebler Pass Road. Follow CR12 for approximately 14.5 miles to Forest Road #706, Lost Lake Road. The Beckwith Pass Trailhead is located just before the entrance to the Lost Lake Campground on the east side FR#706. Follow the Beckwith Pass Trail #842 for about 2.5 miles to the intersection with the Cliff Creek Trail #840. Follow the Cliff Creek Trail for about 0.5 miles to the Beckwith Bench Trail.
From Crested Butte: travel west approximately 12 miles on Gunnison County Road 12, Kebler Pass Road, to the Cliff Creek Trailhead across from Horse Ranch Park. Follow the Cliff Creek Trail #840 for approximately 1.5 miles until it intersects with Beckwith Pass and the Beckwith Bench Trail.
Facility and Amenity Information
Restrooms
Restroom information is not available for this site.
Water
Potable water is not available at this site.
