Colorado · Cross-country skiing · Near Leadville

French Gulch Road

French Gulch RoadPhoto: QKC, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.6 mi
distance
332 ft
climb
10,769 ft
high point

Is French Gulch 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.

French Gulch Road is a cross-country skiing route in Colorado's White River National Forest, within the Dillon Ranger District and the Upper French Gulch area. The land is managed as county land, and the route is about 1.6 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 332 feet. The climb is gentle overall, with the steepest stretch at about 1 mile in, where the grade reaches 11%. The road starts at roughly 10,431 feet and rises to about 10,769 feet. 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 snow on about 15 days that month. By June, highs reach about 61°F with only a couple of snow days. Humbug Hill Road, another cross-country ski route, lies about 0.3 miles away, and Little French Flume is a hike about half a mile off. For paddling, the Swan River is about 3 miles away, and Michigan Creek Campground is about 7 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Breckenridge Area

    Campground

    Campground · 3.8 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Traverse Restaurant and Bar

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 4 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 French Gulch 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, 14.3 mi away at 11,344 ft. The station sits about 600 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive

Humbug Hill RoadPhoto: QKC, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Humbug Hill Road

Next door

Humbug Hill Road is a 0.78-mile route in Colorado with 129 feet of elevation gain.

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

Southern Cross Trail

~4 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

~6 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

~7 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

~10 min drive

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

Little French FlumePhoto: QKC, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Little French Flume

Next door

Little French Flume is a 1.09-mile route in Colorado with 767 feet of elevation gain.

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

Preston Way Road

~5 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

~8 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

~8 min drive

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

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors