The Vallecito (which is Spanish for "little valley") Creek Trail
begins at the Vallecito Creek Campground of the National Forest Service.
The Vallecito Creek valley provides yet another magnificent hike, extending
17 miles to the Continental Divide Trail. It is 8.5 miles to Johnson Creek
and the Columbine Pass Trail which takes you to the Chicago Basin. The
first mile or so goes up somewhat steeply to get you over a ridge, but after
that, the trail is a pleasant uphill all the way to Johnson Creek.
Vallecito Creek gets numerous day fishermen and day hikers for its first
few miles, due to the easy access provided by the campground. Still, the
3 times I have been on the trail, I did not encounter the crowds of which
the guidebook warns. We did get hit by a violent, though thankfully brief,
thunderstorm on one trip, and a lightning strike killed a horse being ridden
by a wrangler who was escorting a group to the Divide.
Len surveys the terrain ahead as we achieve the high point of the ridge near the start of the trail. The trail reaches a height of 400 feet above the gorge, then returns to creek level.