Colorado River Trail to Lulu City

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Distance to Feature: 3.7 miles to City Site

Elevation: 300 ft.

Bathrooms: Yes

Dogs: Not Permitted

Pro Tip: The river and meadow areas along the trail are frequented by wildlife, so be on the lookout for fox, elk, moose, deer and bears.

Distance to Features: 1 Mile beyond Lulu City to Little Yellowstone Canyon

Lulu City Colorado River Trail map

The trek to the site of this abandoned mining town is easy and intriguing, with remnants of old cabins and relics scattered throughout the area. Time has erased most traces of Lulu City, a town briefly bustling during the Colorado silver boom in 1879, leaving only a few structural fragments and hints of its mining past among the trees. The trail is wide and flat most of the way as it follows the Colorado River for several miles, offering blissfully shady and cool conditions during the hot summer months. Once you reach Lulu City, you can continue one up a short but steep trail to Little Yellowstone canyon (about one more mile) where the trail opens up to beautiful, sweeping views of the Colorado River valley. Three more miles past Little Yellowstone is Poudre Pass, the geological headwaters of the Colorado River for which the trailhead is named.

Colorado River Trail to Lulu City