14ers.com • Trailhead Info and Status (Buffalo Peaks Road Trailhead)

Buffalo Peaks Road Trailhead

Location

Mosquito Range
39.02558° N, -106.09754° W

Road Difficulty

2 (0=Paved, 6=Very Difficult 4WD)

Driving Directions

From the intersection of CO 9 and U.S. 285, in Fairplay, drive south for 13 miles and turn right (west) onto Buffalo Peaks road (FS 431). Reset your tripometer and start down the 431 road. Stay left at 3.25 miles and the road becomes a bit more rough. The unmarked "trailhead" is at 8.3 miles and there is parking for a few cars, plus a car-camp spot to the left. If you get to the junction of the 431/4312D roads, you've gone 0.1 mile too far.

Winter Access

I think the entire 431 road is closed in winter.

Status Updates
2020-09-26 Posted By: angry Info: Dry to th.
2020-09-20 Posted By: madmattd Info: No issues to the trailhead. Limited trailhead parking but enough on this day. Road should be passable to any highway vehicle, low clearance might need to take care in one or two spots but overall the road is in good shape.
2020-06-17 Posted By: JosephG Info: FS 431 open and snow free.
2020-05-19 Posted By: Ptglhs Info: Road is closed 200m off the highway from 1 Jan to 15 Jun every year.
2020-01-24 Posted By: Dad Mike Info: This is actually for Fourmile TH on the south side of the peaks. I was able to drive within 1/4 mile of the winter gate closure. This was right around 8900’. The road had a packed down track until the 375 / 377 intersection, then it was all untouched.	1
2019-08-11 Posted By: Bombay2Boulder Info: The TH is open and dry. Any 2 WD car can make it up there.
2019-07-01 Posted By: madmattd Info: Road is still closed. The USFS site shows as much (links below, updated April 4 2019), and I was speaking to another hiker this weekend who had tried to access the Buffalo Peaks from the Fairplay side last weekend and he showed me a picture of the road closure sign that he found. It looked like the same sign I remember from last summer. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd620135.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd620134.pdf		1
2018-06-30 Posted By: Flips Info: We were greeted with a closed gate to the road this morning. The is most probably because of the Weston Pass fire which is now encroaching the area. We were thankful at the end of the day that it was closed, forcing us to hike elsewhere.	2
2018-06-18 Posted By: SolarAlex Info: dry. any car can make it
2017-09-13 Posted By: JasonKline Info: Road is clear. My Elantra had no problem getting to the trailhead.
2015-07-28 Posted By: BillMiddlebrook Info: Dry to the "trailhead." The road can be done by almost any kind of 2wd vehicle as long as it has a bit of clearance.