Great Pagosa Springs Trails:
Pagosa Country Nordic Skiing and Snowshoeing Trails

by Norm Vance

The Pagosa Country area is a real paradise for Nordic or cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Not only is it blessed with nice snow even during most drought years, it has many trails that snowmobilers are not likely or allowed to use. Some of these are skied often enough that nice tracks are set and a couple of trails are “smoothed” by snow machines and a smoothing drag. The local snowmobile club grooms several trails that are also used for skiing/shoeing.

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The Lobo Trail

This trail is located at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass, (see article Playground at the Top of the World and map). The main trail is legal for snowmobiles and is smoothed by a snow machine with a drag in an effort to take the snowmobile damage out of the trail. Most snowmobile use is snowboarders being taken to the top so this traffic is not too great.

There are alternate trails used by skiers and shoers only. One exits directly from the parking lot just behind the large sign and is easy to find. This trail is steeper and more difficult and is best used by intermediate and better skiers.

The West Fork Ski Trail

This trail is located just west of Treasure Falls on Hwy 160, east of Pagosa Springs by about a dozen miles. It is not seen from the highway so watch for the West Fork Campground and Bruce Spruce Guest Ranch signs. The road is plowed down a short hill and parking is available. In poor weather conditions two-wheel drive vehicles should be parked along the highway and skiers walk or ski down to the trailhead. There is plowed parking beside the highway.

The main trail is on the road serving three National Forest Campgrounds. Several loops are skied through the campgrounds and picnic tables and restrooms are found along these trails (bring your own paper). All of the main trail and camp loops are nice and flat and great for beginners. Past the bridge a trail goes uphill to a trailhead. Skiing beyond the trailhead is only for better skiers and avalanche conditions can be dangerous. A left turn just beyond the bridge is also for better skiers. It is a roller coaster-like trail uphill and a dead-end.

On the main trail just beyond the second camp is a sharp turn to the left. A secondary trail turns right here and is for better skiers after the first half mile. It goes along the old highway bed for a mile and is mostly uphill and a dead-end.

There is skiing in the bottom of the valley but can only be accessed when very deep snow allows skiing across the river. Be very careful when attempting to make the crossing.

Turkey Springs Play Area

A lot of skiing is done north of the Fairfield/Pagosa Lakes development in the Turkey Springs Road area. This area also gets a lot of snowmobile traffic so care must be taken. The trails follow several forest roads, as well as others at random through the trees. This is a flat area and good for beginners.

Good skiing and remember, keep the waxed side down!

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