Colorado · Hiking

Darling Creek

Darling CreekPhoto: jtsmmm, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
10.5 mi
round trip
3,181 ft
climb
12,136 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Darling Creek open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.

As of · Source: USFS · Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Darling Creek is a 10.5-mile out-and-back hike in the Sulphur Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado. It starts at Darling Creek Trailhead, where parking bears the same name. The trail rises from about 8,951 feet to about 12,136 feet, a climb of 3,181 feet one way, and the Forest Service manages the land. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows both horses and bikes, so it works for riders and pack animals as well as hikers. It is open from June 1 to November 15, and the nearest town is South Fork, with South Fork Campground just 0.2 miles away. South Fork Campground and Sugarloaf Campground sit within half a mile, and the Williams Fork Boardwalk is about 0.3 miles off. A little farther afield, Williams Fork offers canoeing about 6 miles away, and the Equinox Gardens climbing area is about 7.5 miles out.

Go with a guide