Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance: Making beloved Grouse and Meadow Mountain trail systems even better

One of the most beloved trail systems in our community is Grouse and Meadow Mountain. Between the two trailheads, there are a plethora of trail options for hikers, runners, equestrians, and mountain bikers. 

The trail system is also well-loved by winter users for backcountry skiing and snowmobiling. On an annual basis, this trail system provides an awesome experience for well over 60,000 users. Please remember that some of the trails such as Everkrisp and Whiskey Creek have seasonal wildlife closures from Nov. 23 through June 20 to protect critical habitat for elk and deer.

Both of the trailheads fill up fast and often tend to overflow. We suggest having a backup plan if the parking lots are full. A great overflow parking option for Grouse is to park over at Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea in Minturn and grab some of their delicious coffee before/after your adventure. Please be aware that neither trailhead has restroom facilities. We have the tentative green light from the Forest Service to put portable toilets at these trailheads and all we need is funding.  Each trailhead portable toilet would cost upward of $10,000 per season, so reach out if you have an interest in sponsoring or donating toward this.

There are so many different and fun ways to enjoy this trail system it’s hard to choose from sometimes.  But a few of our favorites include:

Hiking and trail running

• Access the Holy Cross Wilderness by heading up West Grouse Creek or Grouse Lake. Both are demanding hikes so be prepared. Grouse Lake ends at a small but beautiful lake. West Grouse Creek provides overnight backpacking opportunities and options to connect to Beaver Creek or the Cross Creek area.
• Run or hike the “Grouse Figure 8” loops. Start at the Grouse trailhead and head up Haymeadow, across Full Nelson, over Half Nelson, up Meadow Mountain, halfway across Full Nelson, and then down West Grouse Creek to the trailhead (10 miles & 2,300’+/-).

Mountain biking

• Starting with the classic “WhiskeyKrisp” loop. Head up Meadow Mountain to the Line Shack, down Whiskey Creek, and then Everkrisp back to the Meadow Mountain trailhead (10 miles & 2,200’+/-).
• Looking for a big ride? Try the “Meadow Mountain Mega” which combines all the trails open to bikes in the Meadow Mountain and Grouse trail system. This big ride has tough climbs, great views, and awesome downhills (21 miles & 4,500’+/-).
• Quick Ride? An out-and-back on Everkrisp is also a solid choice. Also, all or portions of the “Grouse Figure 8” loops above are a short but fun option.

We hope you get out there and enjoy these trails! But as always, we want to ensure these trails are loved and sustainable for many generations to come. We’ve invested a lot of time and effort improving this trail system over the recent years. With our community’s support, we’ve completed projects including:

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• Building and opening the Everkrisp Trail in 2019
• Installed seasonal wildlife closure gates, signs, and launched our Trail Ambassador program
• Reroutes on Meadow Mountain
• Full Nelson and “The Ditch Trail” (officially part of Full Nelson) reroutes in 2022
• Barbed wire fence removal by our Trail Conservation Crew
• Heavy maintenance on Grouse Lake by our volunteer Wednesday Night Trail Crew and Ladies Trail Crew in 2023

Collectively, volunteers have put in thousands of hours of maintenance and stewardship projects into this trail system. Our Adopt A Trail teams on these trails such as Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea, Michael Dunahay & Associates, GOAT Training, The Steadman Clinic, Alpine Bank, Vail Valley Partnership, All Points North, and Minturn Residents have done an incredible job ensuring our trail experience and the surrounding environment are in tip-top shape!

We have high hopes for this trail system including improved parking, restrooms, bridges over creek crossings to support watershed health, a sustainable trail connection to downtown Minturn, and opportunities to continue to improve a diverse offering of trails for all users. But we couldn’t do any of this without you, our community of trail users and lovers. For complete routes, trail conditions and an update on all of our volunteer efforts, please visit VVMTA.org/news.

Ernest Saeger is the executive director of the Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance. The VVMTA’s mission is to connect our community to the outdoors through sustainable recreation. The VVMTA advocates for soft surface trails, manages trail stewardship programs, maintains and builds trails, coordinates and trains volunteers, educates outdoor recreational users, and creates opportunities to access the outdoors. Through trail access and experiences, our community will improve its mental and physical health, quality of life, and economic vitality.