Soap Creek and Woods Lake Horse Camps, Colorado

Well on the way to my last camping trip I had stopped and changed out the fuel filter in my truck, but even though it was driving fine for three weeks after the fact, that was not the actual problem. So fully loaded and heading off to go camping again I got about 13 miles out of town when the truck was unable to continue, and I was stuck on the highway with cars whizzing past. Turned out to be a simple fuel pump, but on a Sunday I had to find a tow truck company that could tow my truck, and my LQ, separately. Then the truck needed a second tow the following day to get it to a shop. I spent a long and fairly impatient wait back at home, and I was finally back on the road a week later.

At this point I changed plans about where I was even going and decided to go to Soap Creek Horse Camp, near Blue Mesa Reservoir first, and then I drove back through Montrose, and went to Woods Lake second.

On the Navajo Lake Trail.

I had driven into Soap Creek last October in my car, so I knew the road was good, by Colorado standards. Right as you reach the national forest boundary there is a cattle guard that I sincerely hope gets fixed sometime soon. Hugging the extreme left side of it is necessary, since the rest of it is just trashed. The last three miles are more narrow and windy, but once you get to camp, it is a big open flat area, with plenty of room. 

Soap Creek Horse Corral.

Soap Creek is at about 7700 feet, so it can get hot, but you ride up in elevation from there. It has four fire rings, but no picnic tables, and three feeders set up, as well as a grid of four steel horse corrals. You can park and camp anywhere. There is a nice pull through spot that is right across from where the trail crosses the creek, which has the best access to water, but it was taken by a non horse person when I was there. I parked next to the corrals instead. There are several easy ways to take your horse to the creek to drink, or you can tote it over to the corral area, which is a bit of a walk.

There is a small bathroom and the camp is free. I had minimal sporadic cell service right at camp, but there is full service just up the hill on the road. There was an assortment of rigs parked in the area, but there was no one else camped there, except a group dispersed farther afield with four horses. There is also a people campground a short walk away, where there is a map of the trails, and even though they have potable water spigots, they are not currently in working order.

Soap Creek.

Once I arrived I started out on the Coal Mesa Trail, the map shows this could be a loop with the Cow Creek Trail, but I noticed at the lower junction that the Cow Creek Trail didn't look as well used. The Coal Mesa Trail climbs steadily, then you go over a ridge and you are in a lovely grassy area. I found the upper junction to do the loop, and it was definitely not cleared. Just past that there is a meadow with a spring, and an outfitter has a tent and highlines up there. After that I did not see the trail continuing any further.

On the Coal Mesa Trail.

On the Coal Mesa Trail.

On the Coal Mesa Trail.

On the Coal Mesa Trail.

Near the top, on the Coal Mesa Trail.

The spring, where the outfitters have their set up.

I went back the same way since I didn't have a choice. There are a lot of very interesting rock formations in this area. I took a side trail up on the ridge to look at the view, and I came across a memorial for a horse lady. 

On the way back down.

Lots of rock formations in the area.

Looking back towards the camp.

On the Coal Mesa Trail.

Once back at camp I tried to figure out if it was worth it to even attempt the Cow Creek Trail the next day from the bottom, Colorado maps are notorious for lacking a lot of info, not being accurate, leaving out trails etc. so I figured it might be worth a try. So the next day that is what I did, but it was short lived. It wasn't cleared, but more importantly there was a beaver dam built directly across the trail not too far up, that I could not get around. On the way back my horse put her head down to itch, and right at that moment a grouse burst out of the bushes right beside her head, she's not a jumpy horse, but that surprised even her.

 Plan B was to ride the jeep road 721, over to Big Soap Park.

The beaver dam across the Cow Creek Trail.

On the jeep road.

As I was riding along the road a guy named Harry pulled up and I learned that he was staying out in Big Soap Park with his cows, mules and horse. He's been doing that for 8 years and he also has a sheepherder hut parked at camp.

On the jeep road.

More rock formations.

I passed Little Soap Park first along the creek, and then I got to Big Soap Park, which is a beautiful area. I would have liked to have explored that area more, there are trailheads out there, but after my foray up Cow Creek, I didn't have enough time. I ran into Harry again on the way back, it seemed he was keen on either riding with me the next day, or cooking me dinner that night, but I politely declined both. I did ask him some questions about the trails, and he also told me about a short cut on the way back, to cut off about half a mile.

Big Soap Park.

Harry's critters.

Big Soap Park.

Soap Creek at Soap Creek Horse Camp.

That was all the riding I was going to find there, at least at this time of year, there's other stuff by the reservoir, but I will return in the spring when it is not so hot. The next day I drove over to Woods Lake.

Woods Lake is a lovely camp set in an Aspen grove, and it is $22.00 a night. The road getting there is ok for the first bunch of miles but the last few are rough, mostly rocky, and one corner in particular has some large humps from people spinning out on their way around it. There are five spots, 32 through 36. I drove around the loop three times trying to figure out which one I wanted. I picked 35 which is the only back- in spot and the only one that is actually level. This camp was obviously built when no one had LQ's. There are tent pads in each site, picnic tables and fire rings. 32, and 33 are the largest spots and can accommodate larger rigs, or more than one rig, but they are on a hill, and the loop road is one way, so unless you drive in backwards, which people do, you would be facing downhill. 34 is a decent size as well and then 35 and 36 are smaller.

Spot #35, the only back in spot.

Rina doing some mowing at spot # 34.

There is a grid with five corrals on a hill in the middle of the camp, with a path from each spot to get up to your horse. Four of the corrals have a gate in the middle which can be left open if you are wanting a bigger sized corral, which is what I did. The corrals have feeders in them and there is a water trough and frost free up on the hill as well. Each camp spot has a steel highline, they are very short, more like a high tie, for one horse only. 

The corrals at Woods Lake Horse Camp.

The highline or high tie in each spot.

This camp is under some construction currently, new bathrooms are being put in, in both campgrounds.  So at the moment the new bathrooms are not useable yet, but there are porta potties set up. There is a large day use area with hitching rails and feeders, plenty of parking room, and they are putting in a water spigot. There used to be small garbage receptacles throughout the camp, but now they have a dumpster. I had no cell service at camp, but had some while riding.

When I went to pay my fee, the pay tube was broken but there was a note saying to pay at the people campground. I did so, but later on the camp host came by because he needed my drivers license number. That's the only place I have ever camped where they asked for that. The camp host was younger than most I've met, but sadly he did not offer to cook me dinner...ha ha!

The day use area at Woods Lake.

The next day I wanted to do a large loop along several different trails, but I noticed that the Rock of Ages Trail had a small section of private land where they do not allow horses, so I did a smaller loop instead. At the Woods Lake Trailhead there is a map with mileage. I took the tie trail over to the Wilson Mesa Trail, which is not in the wilderness, and consequently is shared by motorcycles. It's a pretty quiet area during the week and I didn't see any. Then I took the Rock of Ages Trail to the Elk Creek Trail and then back down the Woods Lake Trail. 

Morning reflections on Woods Lake.

On the Wilson Mesa Tie Trail.

On the Wilson Mesa Trail.

A mini waterfall on the Wilson Mesa Trail.

The Rock of Ages Trail.

I'm glad I did the Elk Creek Trail because it runs along the base of the mountains and is really beautiful. There is one boggy area in a meadow, which has an easy way to get around it now, but it would probably be a lot worse earlier in the year. At the junction with the Woods Lake Trail there is a spring that becomes a stream, appearing out of the side of the hill.

On the Elk Creek Trail.

Entering the Lizard Head Wilderness.

On the Elk Creek Trail.

Looking back over at the Rock of Ages Trail.

On the Elk Creek Trail.

On the Elk Creek Trail.

On the Elk Creek Trail.

Views back down to the valley, on the Elk Creek Trail.

Woods Lake from above.

Found this old structure on the Woods Lake Trail.

Almost back, on the Woods Lake Trail.

The horse camp was empty the entire time I was there and I took an evening stroll through the people campground which has at least 30 spots and only one was taken. People were arriving to spend some time at the lake though, paddle boarding or what not. Speaking of the lake, since I had gotten back from my ride earlier than expected, and it was hot, I jumped into Woods Lake. At just over 9300 feet I figured it might be chilly, and it was, but I stayed in for awhile and swam around. 

I went back up the Woods Lake Trail the following day and then took the Navajo Lake Trail. This a wonderful ride, which drops back down steeply in elevation to get to the lake. Once there, I saw a couple of backpackers tents, but otherwise it was just me and the pikas.

A map with mileage.

On the Woods Lake Trail.

On the Woods Lake Trail.

On the Navajo Lake Trail.

On the Navajo Lake Trail.

On the Navajo Lake Trail.

Navajo Lake.

Navajo Lake.

When the sun hits it, the water is green.

Pikas everywhere.

I could have added the trip to this lake into my ride from the day before, but I am glad I did it separately, took my time and really enjoyed the area and scenery. 

Mine hole.

On the Woods Lake Trail.

On the Woods Lake Trail.

That evening I was wandering through the people campground and I saw a lady with a jeep, who mistook me for the camp host briefly. She was thinking about staying overnight but the campground was so quiet it was weirding her out. I told her it was peaceful, but later I noticed she did not end up staying. 

After I got back from my walk I was getting my horse some hay and I stepped out of the trailer without seeing where my foot was going. Because I had backed up partially over top of the concrete barrier, in order to fit in the spot, it was right underneath me. My foot hit it, instead of the ground, and I fell down hard with my back hitting the concrete and knocking the wind out of me. After assessing the damage I realized I was mostly okay, except for my ankle which had gotten bent in a weird way. So I hobbled around wondering if I would be able to ride the next day. I had a steak in the freezer I used as an ice pack.

Mountain views from the people campground.

Woods Lake.

I didn't sleep well that night, not just from the throbbing ankle, but because some critter was making a racket, I think it was a fox, they make a strange screaming noise. That probably would have scared the crap out of that jeep lady, so it's a good thing she did not stay!

In the morning I decided I could ride, so I set off on the Lone Cone Trail. This trail leaves from the people campground and climbs to a saddle, at which point it drops down into Beaver Park. I only went a little ways down the other side, looking for a view of Lone Cone.

On the Lone Cone Trail.

On the Lone Cone Trail.

On the Lone Cone Trail.

A little bit of a view of Lone Cone.

It is a cleared trail until it hits the wilderness boundary and then it is not, although it was obviously cleared last year, and I was able to get around, or over the few downed trees. There is a boggy area, but I poked it with a stick and it was solid underneath so we went through it. Since the ride was fairly short I went back a slightly different way, there is a 2.6 mile Shoreline Trail around Woods Lake, so I did part of that as well.

On the Lone Cone Trail.

On the Lone Cone Trail.

Woods Lake.

Woods Lake.

When I got off my horse back at camp, my ankle was actually a lot better. It healed very quickly, although as we speak it still has a green bruise along the side. Could have been worse!

GPS COORDINATES TO SOAP CREEK

GPS COORDINATES TO WOODS LAKE