Trail Update 06/12/2024: Trail cleared of downed trees for 4.5 miles from trailhead by the pagosa Ranger District Trail Crew. 53 trees cleared.
Please share trail update info in comment section below.
Length: 8.9-miles (one-way)
Elevation Stats: Starting elevation 8,252′, ending elevation 11,825′ (net gain in elevation of 3,573′)
Trailhead Facilities: None
Trail Uses: Hiking and Horseback Riding
Suggested Day Hike: To the lunch spot at 4.71 miles (9.41 miles round trip) with 1,423′ ascent and 183 descent. Altitude 8,252′ to 9,476′.
Trail Summary: This hike description is to the junction with the Little Blanco Trail No. 572.
The trailhead is located on private property. Please be respectful of the landowner and remain on the trail. The trail ascends very gently through the forest for the first 3 miles. There are numerous signs for the first mile to keep you on the trail and off private property. The trail begins as an old road bed. Follow this to a gate in 0.67 miles. Go through the gate and continue on the trail. Do not take the trail that takes off to the right before the gate. In 1.5 miles, there is a side trail to the right that leads down to the creek. In 1.7 miles, cross through the South San Juan Wilderness boundary. Around 3 miles in, there are a couple of nice overlooks just off the trail to the right. You will pass a couple of rock debris fields from spring water melt. After 4.71 miles, you will reach a nice lunch spot just before crossing Hondo Creek. There are nice views of the backside of Blackhead Peak and Quartz Ridge. After crossing Hondo Creek, the trail starts gaining elevation quickly through many switchbacks. The views keep getting better the farther you go. Tight rocky and eroding tread leads out of a drainage edge before reaching a small meadow where the trail disappears. Experienced hikers can make their way staying east of the two-peaked ridgeline to the gap where the Little Blanco Trail No. 572 passes through.
Directions: From US 160, turn south onto US 84. Travel 8-miles and turn northeast onto Blanco Basin Road (CR 326), a gravel road. After 12 miles, you will make a sharp right hand turn and cross a bridge, immediately after the bridge, turn left onto a dirt driveway with an address post marker 12130. Follow this road for about a half mile. There is a fork in the road, stay right. Very limited parking on the left before the trailhead sign. Do not drive past the gate and trailhead sign. Be considerate of the private property boundaries.
Nice trail with river and high mountain views. Relatively flat along river. Cleared of all fallen trees to our 4.75 mile turnaround. Access across private land and trailhead access much better marked than 2-3 years ago. 5-6 parking places off the county road at the trailhead.
There is avalanche debris covering Hondo Creek .
We hiked the lower part of this trail in June 2022. At that time there was a very confusing fallen tree along Rio Blanco that caused us to lose the trail for awhile, but it may have been cleared by now. As mentioned in other comments, there were some challenging trees to cross on the stretch to Hondo Creek. I don’t know how much of that is in the 4.75 miles alleged to now be cleared. The switchbacks after the creek crossing were just one fallen tree after another, and it appeared it had not been cleared in some time as the footway became very faint after the first big blockage. We only got up a few switchbacks before giving up in disgust at a very nice view of many scenic waterfalls.
As of July 2, 2022, there are still over a dozen spots between the wilderness boundary and Hondo Creek crossing with large trees down on trail (I didn’t go past Hondo Creek, so not sure beyond there, but I imagine lots more since trail less traveled past there).
Some of the blowdowns could be crawled over (or under), but some required acrobatic maneuvers (particularly tricky with a leashed dog), and one huge multi-tree tangle (about 2 miles) in required a confusing bushwhacking detour that took a while to figure out (easier on return leg as long as you remember where you bushwhacked).
There are wind toppled trees in at least dozen spots from the wilderness to the overlook at 3 miles. Several are big tangles that require significant scrambles/detours, will turn back many hikers
There is currently (May 16 2021) a fallen tree blocking the road before you reach the parking for the trailhead. Have to park on the left before the fork.