Hewlett Gulch: Nature recovers quickly

Just a short drive up the poudre canyon, Hewlett Gulch offers a great chance to explore the areas affected by the fires this summer. The Hewlett Gulch area was affected by both the Hewlett Gulch fire and the High Park fire and may have downed trees or other hazards that riders need to watch out for. The pictures accompanying this article are from a trail ride through the area several years ago.

Just 11 miles up the canyon from Ted’s Place, the turn off for Hewlett Gulch is on the right over a narrow bridge. This turn can be tricky for longer horse trailers, so drivers need to plan ahead and drive carefully. The parking lot is not large and may be difficult for larger vehicles to use especially during high use times such as weekends or holidays. There is no designated trailer parking, so be courteous and park so that others can use the parking area as well. 

For the difficulty in getting there, riders are hugely rewarded. The trail heads northwest following an old road bed and creek. In this area there are remains of old homesteads from the Poudre Park settlement in the early 1900s. The trail crosses the creek several times then heads up west up the hill. The official trail at the private property fence, but trail users still use the area past this point. In fact, if you get permission from the private property owners, riders can continue to ride all the way into the deer meadows or glacier view areas. This ride will take most of the day, so riders should plan ahead to have their trailers meet them at the other end of the ride. 

The trail takes riders through narrow canyons, up steep hills, and through beautiful open  meadows. The views and terrain are beautiful and rewarding. The pictures are from a ride in 2007, so the vegetation will look very different. This ride though is a great chance for riders to see how fire affects the land and to watch as nature, the unstoppable force, reclaims the land. Already in the fire area grass and bushes are growing back and by next summer there will be small stands of aspen and sapling pine trees starting to sprout. Riders should use caution, especially if riding off trail, as the land may be unstable in places where the fire burned hot or completely burned the roots of the trees out of the ground.  

Happy Trails!