Trail Log · Saturday, October 10, 2026

Moody Hill

UpUp Moody Hill2.6 mi
SpurSide spur1.7 mi
SideThree side roads1.0 mi
DownBack down2.7 mi

Out and back from the trailhead on Buckhorn Road

Roosevelt National Forest off Buckhorn Road (County Road 44H), west of Fort Collins. Out and back from the Moody Hill trailhead, on trail 9:24 to 11:37 AM in Sucia, a 2021 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sport.

Distance7.9 mi

Moving time1h 22m

Total time2h 12m

Climbing2,100 ft

High point8,130 ft

Steepest pitch28% uphill

onX track on a UTM zone 13N 1 km grid. The climb was driven up and back down and every side road out and back, so the track traces over itself. Hover the track to read elevation and time.

Elevation

Feet along the track, from onX’s elevations (USGS 10 m model)

Moody Hill
Side spur
Side roads

The day

9:24–11:37 AM · moving 1h 22m, stopped 50 min across 10 stops

Moody Hill
Side spur
Side roads
Stopped

Up the hill, out the spur, and three side roads

Moody Hill climbs from Buckhorn Road through switchbacks and over a rock ledge into pine forest and meadows. Sucia went 2.6 mi up to the junction where the side spur leaves, ran the spur out and back, and on the way down took three short side roads out and back before coming down to the trailhead the same way.

Moody Hill2.6 mi up from the trailhead at 6,563 ft to the side spur's junction at 8,071 ft, then back down the same way to the trailhead, with three side roads along the way.
Side spurA 1.7 mi out-and-back from the junction at 8,071 ft, between 7,961 and 8,130 ft, with a long stop near its far end.
Side roadsThree short out-and-backs on the way down: 0.21 mi just below the spur junction, 0.18 mi lower down, and 0.6 mi north on the lower part of the hill.

Our take

Take not written yet.

See this trip on the Trail Map

Trail review

From our run, the track, and the published guides

The trail

Moody Hill (Forest Road 513) leaves Buckhorn Road west of Fort Collins and climbs from about 6,570 ft through switchbacks into pine forest and open meadows, with views of the Larimer County foothills. onX rates it moderate at 5.1 miles. 4x4Explore calls a rock ledge in the first mile “the main obstacle for the Moody Hill road,” and FunTreks says the steep, rocky sections are easier with lockers but manageable for most short-wheelbase 4x4s driven by someone with some off-road experience. Near the top, the Rock Quarry is an open outcropping with several lines up it.

Our run

Saturday, October 10, back on Moody Hill after our July run. We aired down to 15 psi at the trailhead. From there, at 6,563 ft, Sucia climbed 2.6 miles to the junction where the side spur leaves, at 8,071 ft, and ran the spur out and back, 1.7 miles with a long stop near its far end. The steepest pitch of the day, 28% over 100 m, comes 0.4 miles in. On the way back down we explored three side roads, each out and back: 0.21 miles just below the spur junction, 0.18 miles lower down, and 0.6 miles north on the lower part of the hill. Back at the trailhead we aired back up to 35 psi with our twin compressor before the drive home. About 2,100 ft of climbing in all.

Good to know

Open June 15 to November 30, per FunTreks; 4x4Explore lists the closure as December 1 to June 14.
The Forest Service lists parking for 10 to 12 trailers on the north side of Buckhorn Road, across from the trailhead.
FunTreks notes the upper part of Forest Road 344 toward Crystal Mountain has been closed behind a locked gate since 2015, and that the road to Crystal Mountain crosses private land: “Stay on the route shown at all times.”

Leg by leg

Leg	Road	Time	Distance	Moving	Stopped	Elevation
Up Moody Hill to the side spur	Moody Hill Road, FS 513	9:24–9:50 AM	2.62 mi	26 min	0	6,563 → 8,071 ft
Side spur, out and back	Side road	9:50–10:48 AM	1.71 mi	17 min	40 min	8,071 ft, high 8,130 ft, low 7,961 ft
Side road just below the spur junction, out and back	Side road	10:48–10:50 AM	0.21 mi	2 min	0	8,055 → 8,038 ft
Down Moody Hill	Moody Hill Road, FS 513	10:50–11:01 AM	0.98 mi	8 min	3 min	8,038 → 7,869 ft
Side road, out and back	Side road	11:01–11:02 AM	0.18 mi	2 min	0	7,869 → 7,876 ft
Down Moody Hill	Moody Hill Road, FS 513	11:02–11:07 AM	0.50 mi	5 min	0	7,876 → 7,480 ft
Side road north, out and back	Side road	11:07–11:22 AM	0.58 mi	9 min	5 min	7,480 → 7,472 ft
Down to the trailhead	Moody Hill Road, FS 513	11:22–11:37 AM	1.17 mi	13 min	2 min	7,472 → 6,572 ft
Total		9:24–11:37 AM	7.9 mi	1h 22m	50 min	+2,100 ft

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