Galloping Goose Trail in South Fork Valley

The Galloping Goose Trail is a 21 mile route traveling from Lizard Head Pass to Telluride. It mostly follows the old rail bed of the historic train that served the southwest Colorado mountain area until the early 1950s.

The middle segments of the trail can be accessed near where the trail passes under Highway 145 through a tunnel There are several pull over places in the vicinity of the Ophir Road junction with Highway 145 a few miles south of Telluride.

An unmarked forest road a few hundred yards south of the Ophir Road connects to the trail and it is also possible to start at the east side of the tunnel. From this starting area it is 3.5 miles to Sunshine Road, where the route then continues on County Roads. In this area the jagged Ophir Needles towers overhead.

A short distance from this starting point there is an interpretive sign for the Silver Bell Tailings Impoundment, a cleanup project to protect the water resources. There are also views of the large pipes carrying high pressure water flow from Trout Lake and Hope Lake to energize the Ames power plant.

One of the streams that contribute to the South Fork of the San Miguel River and eventually the San Miguel River has a waterfall that is easily viewed.

There is a good foot bridge to get across this stream. In the vicinity of the bridge there are piles of very large old timbers, perhaps the materials of one of the many trestles that were needed by the Galloping Goose.

The old rail bed is hung along the side of this canyon and the views along this section are probably the most spectacular of the whole 21 mile route. To the west is a sheer vertical wall of stone towering over a large scree slope.

To the east is the intense green of the river valley with the dozen or so homes of the village of Ames lying below the Ophir Needles. The forest in this area is mostly Aspens and Spruce Fir Forest. In the valley below there is a Nature Conservancy Preserve with short trails and beaver dams visible.

This segment of the trail has several sections where the old rail ties seem to be still in place. There are also stacks of old ties along the trail.

Besides the many rail road ties and several poles that look like telegraph lines, there is a site that appears to be a water tank site. There are several lengths of old metal pipe and some masonry work.

The last mile of this 3.5 mile segment has several creeks to cross. In spring, these creeks may be running full and more, overflowing their banks and using the trail as a channel for a short section. The largest of these creeks appears to be located at a ruined trestle site as there are many collapsed timbers piled up along the steep slopes of the wide drainage area.

It is possible to detour down into Ames to see the somewhat famous power plant. This is the site of the world’s first alternating current power plant, the type of power that we all use now. The power from this plant was originally used at the nearby mining sites.

There are two water sources, Trout Lake and Hope Lake, both good hiking areas. The information I found about the plant output is 115,000 volts, and 3.75 megawatts, enough power for a town of 4000. From the power plant I hiked up the county roads back to my starting point.

My total hike time for about 7.0 miles was 3:15 hours. I hiked on a 70 F degree late August day and carried 3 liters of water. I saw 2 other hikers and 11 mountain bike riders during my hike.

Galloping Goose Trail at Lizard Head Pass

The Galloping Goose Trail follows an old railroad grade from Lizard Head Pass in the San Juan Mountains for 21 miles north toward Telluride in southwest Colorado. The segment from Lizard Head Pass to Trout Lake is very smooth and easy walking. It is about an 8 mile round trip from the pass to the west end of Trout Lake and back.

The trail head is on the east side of Highway 145 across from the view point area at the pass. This might be a more popular mountain bike route than a hiking trail. During my hike a group of 50 bikers passed by.

Near the trail head are historic sheep pens. Before 1951 the Galloping Goose was used to move livestock out of the mountain area before the onset of winter. The Lizard Head Pass at 10,225 ft. is a spectacular spot. Sheep Mountain, Vermilion Peak, and Yellow Mountain dominate the scene. The elevation at Trout Lake is 9710 feet.

In the 1890's a mining boom inspired the building of a rail system connecting Durango, Dolores, Telluride, and Ridgeway in southwest Colorado. The mining boom ended and the in the 1920s the transportation needs of the area were served by the Galloping Goose, an odd looking narrow gauge train.

The Goose ran until the early 1950s when the highways finally put it out of business. Three of the seven Geese were saved and are on display around the area. 

The route winds downhill through Spruce-Fir and Aspen forest and meadows. Only one of the old trestles from the Goose era still stands. This one is along the route from the pass down to Trout Lake.

Past the trestle is a forest road going up to the trail head for the Hope Lake Trail. Also past the trestle there will be a few more vehicles on the route.

There is an old water tank still standing, mixed in among the cabins on the hillside above Trout Lake. The cabins and homes in the area are an odd mix, some very luxurious and some very rustic. There aren't any stores or shops here. 

The Trout Lake is scenic and there were a number of canoes and row boats strung along the shore. In mid July, there were several fishing from the bank.

Trout Lake water is used to power the historic hydro-electric plant in nearby Ames. The Ames power plant was the first in the country to generate alternating current and provided power to the mining activity near Alta Lakes and the now Alta Ghost Town.

 It took me about 1:30 hours to walk downhill here from Lizard Head Pass. My return hike uphill took 1:35 hours for a total hike of 3:25 hours for about 8 miles. On a 70 F degree day I carried and drank 3 liters of water.

Lizard Head Pass in Winter

The Galloping Goose Trail is one of several that begin in the Lizard Head Pass area, south of Telluride in southwest Colorado. The 21 mile route mostly follows the old rail bed of the Galloping Goose line that served the mountain area until the early 1950s.

The 2.5 mile segment from the Lizard Head Pass to the Trout Lake Trestle has been groomed for easy cross country skiing and snow shoe hiking. There is a cleared space to park on the east side of Highway 145 across from the 10,222 feet elevation Lizard Head Pass rest area. At the trail head, there is a sign and map with information on the history of the trail.
 

 

The mountains along this segment of trail are Vermillion Peak, Yellow Mountain, and Sheep Mountain. The footing in late January was very firm for easy walking in snow shoes. During my hike I saw 5 cross country skiers using the wide groomed trail.

There are many artifacts of the rail era along the Galloping Goose Trail. The only trestle still standing is the Trout Lake Trestle, at the end of the groomed segment. It took me 1:00 hour of hiking to arrive at the trestle where I turned around.

At the end of my hike I looked around the historic sheep corrals that are visible in the pass area, the snow nearly covering them. The wide meadow areas in the pass area are also being used by snowmobiles and I could see that the first segment of the Lizard head Trail was getting some use from snow shoe hikers.

There were also a few vehicles parked near the Cross Mountain trail head where there is a better view of the iconic Lizard Head formation. My total hike was 2:10 hours for about 5 miles on a 25 F degree late January day.

Galloping Goose Trail-Telluride to South Fork Road

At the Telluride end, the 21 mile Galloping Goose Trail connects with the Telluride Bike Trail, a paved bike trail that runs from in town out to the west along the San Miguel River.

I started my hike at the Junction of Highway 145 and the road into Telluride Town. This is also the starting point for the Valley Floor River Trail.The Goose Trail loses the pavement and becomes a narrow single track that continues west down stream for a ways, then turns upstream at the junction with the South Fork, the snow melt water coming down from Sunshine Mountain and Wilson Peak.

There are three of the seven original Geese preserved and on display in the area. One is in Telluride and another in Dolores. There is a small museum associated with the Goose in Dolores. The third Goose is privately owned and can be sighted along Highway 491 about a mile north of Dove Creek, Colorado between Cortez, CO and Monticello, Utah.

(In the spring of 2012 I noticed that a Galloping Goose was visible along the highway in Ridgeway, Colorado. Beginning in 2008, there has been an effort to restore Goose No. 4 with the work done in Ridgeway. The plan is to return it to Telluride.)


The first part of this segment follows the rushing river downstream and is very scenic. This bridge appears to connect to a scenic overlook high above on Highway 145.

The forest here is aspen and spruce and the river bottom area has quite a few of the Colorado state tree, the Blue Spruce. I walked the trail for about 1:15 until I came to a junction with the South Fork Road that runs along the river. To continue you have to follow a side road north for a short distance to Ilium and then get on Sunshine Road to continue south.

The route segment from the Telluride Bike Trail to Ilium is about 3.0 miles. About 3.0 miles south along Sunshine Road there will be a trail head on the left that follows an obvious section of old rail bed. The segment from Sunshine Road toward Ames is very scenic.

The San Miguel is one of the few rivers feeding the Colorado River that doesn't have a dam on it, so the river bottom area is still in a very natural state here. There are a few ranches and private homes in the valley.

As this trail is very convenient for those living or visiting Telluride, it gets a fair amount of mountain bike traffic. I was about the only hiker and I was startled several times as the speedy bikers came flying down the trail around the blind curves, causing me to dive to the side, but with a smile on my face.

Galloping Goose Trail-Trout Lake to Ames

The Galloping Goose Trail in the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado runs about 21 miles and follows the old rail bed of an historic train that served the area until the early 1950s.

From the scenic Lizard Head Pass the trail runs north to Trout Lake, then to Ophir, past Ames, along the south fork of the San Miguel river and connects to the Telluride Bike Trail and the Valley Floor River Trail that go into Telluride.
I started this segment at Trout Lake, that Shangri-La spot nestled below Vermillion Peak and Yellow Mountain. The trail is as wide as a road until it gets to the Matterhorn campground area, then has different segments of narrow trails and gravel roads as it gets close to the Ophir area, a historic mining town.

There are views of the San Miguel range of mountains all around. The forest here is mostly Aspen and Englemann Spruce.

The Ophir Needles is one of the outstanding views along here. After crossing the highway through a tunnel, there is a mining reclamation project to view that was completed in 2000-01. Old piles of mine tailings from the area mines have been stabilized.
The trail goes above the village of Ames which is famous as the site of the first hydro alternating current power plant in history, an obscure place for an important development.

There was a technology battle between Nikolas Tesla's AC and Thomas Edison's DC and it was here that the winner was determined. Along the trail you can see parts of the large pipe that runs from Trout Lake and Hope Lake to power the plant.

I hiked on this segment for about 1:45 hours before being turned back by rain. My total hike was about 3:30 hours. The distance from Lizard head to the tunnel under Highway 145 is about 11.5 miles.