Holly's Horse Tales and Trails: October 2025

Friday, October 3, 2025

Dark Canyon Trailhead, Erickson Springs Recreation Area, Colorado

After my last trip got cut a little bit short I decided to leave everything in the trailer and head back out after a day or so, but weather and another situation delayed things for about a week.

The Raggeds.

Finally I drove over to the Erickson Springs Recreation Area, getting there late in the afternoon. This is on Kebler Pass Rd. on the north side coming in from Somerset. I visited Horse Ranch Park earlier in the summer from the other side of this pass, via Crested Butte. As you drive in to this area, which is about 6 miles off of the main highway, on a good dirt road, there is a large ATV parking lot, with one very big dispersed camping spot to it's left, then you pass Erickson Springs Campground, and then the road dead ends at the Dark Canyon Trailhead.

Dark Canyon Trailhead.

This trailhead has a bathroom, a map, five horse feeders, three actual spots where you can pull off of the main loop, or you can park and camp directly in the middle of the loop if need be. There is water from Anthracite Creek, that is close and easy to get to. Also there is a small muddy stream on the right side of the road down in a ditch area. It's low elevation, about 6800 feet, so it would be very hot in the middle of summer. I did not have cell service there.

The next day my first ride was on the Dark Canyon Trail which leaves the trailhead, crosses a bridge and continues through the very shady, and chilly, at this time of year, canyon until you reach a junction where you can go three different ways. The bridge is solid, but there is a layer of wood over top of more wood and the top layer currently has some holes in it, probably from horse's hooves. This trail crosses over several boulder fields and can be quite rocky, but once you reach the junction the rocks disappear.

The holey bridge over Anthracite Creek.

On the Dark Canyon Trail.

Tall cliffs on either side: on the Dark Canyon Trail.

On the Dark Canyon Trail.

Fall colors!

I ended up riding from 9 AM to 5 PM, doing a section of all three options starting with the North Anthracite Trail, which follows along another creek for many miles. It was cleared but kind of brushy and eventually I decided to go back and try the Munsey-Ruby Stock Trail for awhile instead. I knew it might not be maintained and it climbs steeply, straight up, which is not something I felt like doing to my senior pony, right at the hottest part of the day. So I went just high enough to get some better mountain views and then turned back. This could be done as a loop with the Dark Canyon Trail and there is a tie trail between the two, back near the trailhead.

On the North Anthracite Trail.

Blendy ferns: on the North Anthracite Trail.

Views from Munsey-Ruby Stock Trail.

Lastly I decided to go farther along the Dark Canyon Trail and follow it up to the top of the Devil's Stairway, where there are more great views. Obviously I knew this trail continues on to Horse Ranch Park and I had ridden it from the other direction, so at this point there is only a small section I haven't done, right in the middle. The Devil's Stairway is not as bad as it sounds, actually just a nice set of switchbacks on good dirt. Much easier than the steep climb up Munsey-Ruby.

Back on the Dark Canyon Trail.

Riding up the Devil's Stairway.

On the Dark Canyon Trail/Devil's Stairway.

At the top of the Devil's Stairway, Dark Canyon continues to Horse Ranch Park.

Marcellina Mt.

On the Dark Canyon Trail.

I saw a bear on the way back but it ran off quickly, unlike the last bear I saw while out riding, who was not scared in the least. I also ran into some fisherman along the creek who were on a narrow section of trail and wanted to get by me, but proceeded to walk straight towards me with their long rods, so to speak, pointing right at my horse. I explained that it is generally not a great idea to wave that kind of thing in a horse's face. My pony is older, and wise enough now not to react to the strange things that humans do. They were nice guys, but clueless about what could have been a bad situation with a different horse.

On the Dark Canyon Trail.

At this point there wasn't anything else I wanted to explore from that trailhead, but on the map it showed that just north on Kebler Pass Rd. there is another access into the mountains that leads to the Raggeds Trail and the Deep Creek Lakes Trail. So the next day I got tacked up early and rode just over half a mile away to the dirt road that goes up into this area.

Riding up the dirt road towards The Raggeds.

On the dirt road towards The Raggeds.

The other side of the Munsey-Ruby Stock Trail also branches off from this road, so instead of going up the other side that was really steep, you could attempt it from the north side instead. The map showed the main road eventually splitting and Deep Creek Lakes Trail going off to the right, so when I got to a split I went right. This did not end up being the correct way, however I'm glad I meandered around on this trail, because it was really beautiful out there. It's one of those areas where it used to be a real road or trail but it's all overgrown now and cows are it's main users. I went in as far as I could, after awhile it got too difficult, and then I returned to the junction.

On the random trail I found.

The Raggeds.

More fall colors.

Still following the random unnamed trail.

Came across a couple of these green ponds.

I Googled it and I think this is Watermeal in the ponds.

Continuing up the main road I finally got to the area where it turns into a narrower ATV trail and then after climbing that for awhile I got to a sign for Deep Creek Lakes which said it was another two miles before I got to the wilderness. I stopped there and as I was looking around a large elk went crashing through the woods right near me. Ironic, since there were so many hunters out and about.

I had to drive home that day, so I did not go any further up from there, but I will likely return some day.