Colorado · Cross-country skiing · Near Leadville

Forest Queen Road

Forest Queen RoadPhoto: QKC, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.1 mi
distance
475 ft
climb
11,086 ft
high point

Is Forest Queen Road open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Forest Queen Road is a cross-country skiing route in the Dillon Ranger District of White River National Forest in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. The road runs about a mile long, from a low point of roughly 10,600 feet to a high of about 11,100 feet, with a total climb of about 475 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.35 miles in, where the grade reaches 20%. Winter is the natural season for skiing here. Typical averages from the nearby Climax weather station show January highs around 27°F with lows near 3°F and about 15 snow days. By June, the station records highs near 61°F and almost no snow days. Lincoln Park Road, another cross-country ski route, starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Governor King Trail for mountain biking is the same distance off. The Swan River, about 2.4 miles away, offers canoeing, and Lowry Campground, about 7.6 miles away, is the closest place to camp.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Breckenridge Area

    Campground

    Campground · 2.9 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Traverse Restaurant and Bar

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 3 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Jeremy Olson, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)

More in Leadville

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go

    Best time to visit Forest Queen Road

    No month here meets our mild-weather rule. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      27° / 3°

      15 wet · 15 snow

    2. Feb

      29° / 3°

      15 wet · 15 snow

    3. Mar

      35° / 8°

      14 wet · 14 snow

    4. Apr

      40° / 15°

      13 wet · 13 snow

    5. May

      49° / 25°

      10 wet · 8 snow

    6. Jun

      61° / 34°

      8 wet · 2 snow

    7. Jul

      67° / 40°

      13 wet

    8. Aug

      64° / 39°

      15 wet

    9. Sep

      58° / 32°

      11 wet · 2 snow

    10. Oct

      47° / 21°

      9 wet · 7 snow

    11. Nov

      35° / 11°

      12 wet · 12 snow

    12. Dec

      27° / 3°

      15 wet · 15 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Climax, CO, 13.9 mi away at 11,344 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive

TurksPhoto: QKC, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Turks

Next door

Short, beginner-friendly Colorado ski trail perfect for quick winter outings.

Southern Cross TrailPhoto: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Southern Cross Trail

~2 min drive

Southern Cross Trail is a 0.94-mile route in Colorado with 407 feet of elevation gain.

Hoo Doo Voo DooPhoto: Pbritti, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Hoo Doo Voo Doo

~4 min drive

1.67-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 472 ft of elevation gain.

Prize BoxPhoto: xpda, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Prize Box

~6 min drive

0.87-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 54 ft of elevation gain.

Mount Baldy RoadPhoto: QKC, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mount Baldy Road

~3 min drive

Moderate 2.74-mile road-based ski tour in Colorado with steady climbing.

BreckenridgePhoto: 좀비 브렌다, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Breckenridge

~9 min drive

Breckenridge is a ski area in Colorado with 35 lifts, 128 runs, and 3,256 ft vertical drop.

Upper TurksPhoto: QKC, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Upper Turks

Next door

0.62-mile route in Colorado with 34 feet of elevation gain.

Preston Way RoadPhoto: Pbritti, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Preston Way Road

~3 min drive

Preston Way Road is a 0.68-mile route in Colorado with 148 feet of elevation gain.

Shock HillPhoto: Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0 au (via Wikimedia Commons)

Shock Hill

~6 min drive

0.61-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 215 ft of elevation gain.

Buffalo FlatsPhoto: Juan Ortega, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Buffalo Flats

~6 min drive

0.42-mile ski trail in Colorado with 35 ft of elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors