Trail Log · Saturday, July 18, 2026
Middle St. Vrain
- 1Middle St. Vrain3.8 mi
- 2Coney Flats5.7 mi
Trails in order, from Peaceful Valley
In the Roosevelt National Forest west of Ward, Colorado. Up Middle St. Vrain from Peaceful Valley and back east over Coney Flats, on trail 8:14 to 11:18 AM in Sucia, a 2021 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sport.
Elevation
Feet along the track, from onX’s elevations (USGS 10 m model)
- Middle St. Vrain
- Coney Flats
The day
8:14–11:18 AM · moving 2h 02m, stopped 1h 01m across 7 stops
- Middle St. Vrain
- Coney Flats
- Stopped
Trail review
From our run, the track, and the published guides
The trail
Middle St. Vrain leaves Peaceful Valley and follows the creek west through pine and aspen toward the Indian Peaks Wilderness; Trails Offroad gives it 4.7 stars from 127 reviews for “rocky terrain and numerous stream crossings.” Near its upper end, the Coney Flats Cutoff turns south to Coney Flats, where the Coney Flats road heads back east to Beaver Reservoir. FunTreks rates the loop difficult and calls it a “popular loop separated by deep water crossing,” and 4x4Explore notes views of Sawtooth Mountain and Mount Audubon from Coney Flats.
Our run
Saturday, July 18, a week after we ran these two at the end of our four-trail day, with family along this time. From Peaceful Valley at 8,701 ft, Sucia climbed 3.8 miles up Middle St. Vrain to the Coney Flats Cutoff at 9,617 ft. A second recording starts there at 9:37 AM and runs 5.7 miles over Coney Flats, topping out at 9,884 ft, and east to the end of the recording at 9,153 ft. About 1,400 ft of climbing in all.
Good to know
- 4x4Explore warns that Coney Creek “can be deep in the spring during run off,” and says the Coney Flats gates may not open until late June or early July.
- FunTreks says “only the most aggressive stock vehicles should consider” the difficult stretch of the loop.
- Trails Offroad lists Middle St. Vrain as open June 15 to October 15, and calls it “a popular artery to recreation” for hiking and fishing in the Indian Peaks Wilderness.
Leg by leg
| Leg | Road | Time | Distance | Moving | Stopped | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle St. Vrain, west from Peaceful Valley | Middle St. Vrain road, FS 114 | 8:14–9:37 AM | 3.84 mi | 52 min | 31 min | 8,701 → 9,617 ft |
| Coney Flats, east toward Beaver Reservoir | Coney Flats Cutoff and FS 507 | 9:37–11:18 AM | 5.74 mi | 1h 10m | 30 min | 9,617 → 9,153 ft, high 9,884 ft |
| Total | 8:14–11:18 AM | 9.6 mi | 2h 02m | 1h 01m | +1,400 ft |