⚠️Trail Alert: Cache la Poudre River Ford
Cache la Poudre River - Big South Trail - Washed out bridge location - July 2, 2025
Who: For those planning on hiking the second half of the Rocky Mountain National Park Bypass (formerly the Mummy Pass Bypass) after passing the Tom Bennett Campground
or
For those planning on hiking the Comanche Peak Alternate (High Route).
Where: RMNP Bypass (formerly Mummy Pass Bypass) - Mile 27.7 (SOBO)
and
Comanche Peak Alternate (High Route) - Mile 11.3 (SOBO)
Where the Flowers Trail (#939) and the Big South Trail (#944) intersect, hikers are required to ford the Cache la Poudre River.
What: It was originally published on the Northern Colorado Trail Guides that there was a bridge to to cross the Cache la Poudre River. It turns out this bridge was washed out years ago and was never rebuilt. The river runs quite high throughout the season from seasonal runoff to the flow control from the Long Draw Reservoir. This poses a serious risk to backpackers hiking these routes. This is a major river ford and should not be underestimated.