Sand Creek
- 20.1 mi
- round trip
- 1,312 ft
- climb
- 11,141 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 2 h ago
Is Sand Creek open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
Access Impact: Big Creek Lakes Dam Project
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
Trail & Access Impact: Stillwater Reservoir Project
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
Snowy Range - 2026 Active Vegetation Operations
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Sand Creek is a hard hike on the Forest Service trail network in the Yampa Ranger District of Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in Colorado. The route is 20.1 miles long and rises from 9,723 feet to 11,141 feet, an elevation gain of 1,312 feet, on an out-and-back course. The trail is not accessible and has natural surface, and it allows horses and bikes. The trail starts at Sheriff Reservoir Trailhead, which offers year-round access. Plan for a long day on foot, with the climb to about 11,100 feet at the top of the route. Nearby, the Sawtooth hike is about 1.4 miles away, and Mandall Lakes and Bear Lake Campground are each about 3.1 miles off. The Bear River, a canoeing destination, is roughly 4.2 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Flat Tops Wilderness Guides20 mi away
- Rancho Del Rio28 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Mandall Lakes
~5 min drive
10.55-mile out-and-back trail to Mandall Lakes in Colorado with 1,565 ft gain.
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Smith Lake
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1.44-mile out-and-back hike to Smith Lake in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
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West Lost Lake
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3.14-mile out-and-back hike to West Lost Lake in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
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Black Mtn Creek
~9 min drive
11.27-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest with 2,578 ft gain.
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)North Derby
~10 min drive
4.35-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 757 ft gain and 11,197 ft max elevation.
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Arthur H. Carhart
~18 min drive
5.35-mile loop in Colorado's White River National Forest with 175 ft gain.
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East Fork
~10 min drive
29.75-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest with 5,832 ft gain.
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Allen Basin Trail
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1.8-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado with 407 ft gain and 8,988 ft max elevation.
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Derby Ridge
~19 min drive
7.14-mile out-and-back hike on Derby Ridge in Colorado's White River National Forest.
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Hooper Lake
~12 min drive
11.04-mile out-and-back trail to Hooper Lake in Colorado's White River National Forest
