Parking
Use the Poudre River Trailhead pull-offs along Trail Ridge Road near Poudre Lake and Milner Pass. Parking is limited; the actual trailhead is separate from the pass feature.
Overview
About Poudre River Trail from Milner Pass
Why go
- A rare walk near the Cache la Poudre's alpine headwaters
- Meadows and evergreen edges break up the valley walk
Heads up
- Marshy stretches can mean slow, wet footing
- There is no marked destination at the usual 3-mile turnaround
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Rocky Mountain map
Full mapElevation10,390–10,761 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Rocky Mountain alerts
- ClosureOld Fall River Road closed to vehiclesOld Fall River Road is closed to motor vehicles for the season.Official details
- ClosureSun Valley burn-area access remains closedThe area and trail west of Sun Valley Trail remain closed, including the route used for angler access to the Colorado River, because of impacts from the 2020 East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires;…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Rocky Mountain Tour Guide
Your drive to Poudre River Trail from Milner Pass, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Rocky Mountain National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Rocky Mountain audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Poudre River Trailhead: A High Meadow Walk0:00 / 0:25
“You're approaching Poudre River Trailhead, for a high meadow walk near the Cache la Poudre's source. Allow three to four hours for six miles round trip, with much of the path away from the water.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Rocky Mountain Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Milner Pass: A Crossing Beside Poudre Lake
- Lake Irene: A Lakeside Picnic Break
- Why Tundra Plants Hug the Ground
- Gore Range Overlook: A Volcanic Skyline
- 79 audio storiesacross Rocky Mountain’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Elk, Moose, Mountain Goat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 136 trails, 88 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…No cell service for majority of the day but had continuous access to the app - the maps, the tour guide as you drive is amazing. Highly recommend purchasing the subscription.”
Trail guide
Hiking Poudre River Trail from Milner Pass
The short headwaters walkThe Poudre River Trail from Milner Pass is a 6-mile out-and-back from the Poudre River…
The Poudre River Trail from Milner Pass is a 6-mile out-and-back from the Poudre River Trailhead through high meadows and patches of evergreen forest, following the Cache la Poudre near its source. Walk about 3 miles down-valley and return on the same trail. The trail continues north, but this version has no built destination at the usual turnaround; treat three miles as a plan, not a marker. Allow about 3 to 4 hours. The start is above 10,700 feet, so the small climbs take more effort than they look.
What the trail is likeThe path crosses the small headwaters stream soon after leaving the trailhead, then mostly…
The path crosses the small headwaters stream soon after leaving the trailhead, then mostly keeps away from the water until it comes within about 30 yards near mile 2.3. Short steep rises at little gullies make an otherwise gentle walk lumpy, and they can be slick when wet. Open meadows and evergreen edges alternate; soggy sections around miles 1.5 and 2.5 can be hard to bypass. Valley views open near mile 2.75, a good place to pause before the return.
Start and accessUse the Poudre River Trailhead pull-offs on Trail Ridge Road near Poudre Lake and Milner Pass;…
Use the Poudre River Trailhead pull-offs on Trail Ridge Road near Poudre Lake and Milner Pass; parking is limited. Trail Ridge Road usually closes to through travel from mid-October to late May, weather permitting, so check access before driving up. Dogs are prohibited on all park trails.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Rocky Mountain
3,124 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,601 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
19 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
19 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
30 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
270 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Rocky Mountain. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
