more stats
8.1 miles
Distance
1,202 ft
Climb
-2,099 ft
Descent
01:32:56
Avg time
-900 ft
Altitude change
9,687 ft
Altitude min
11,350 ft
Altitude max
10,720 ft
Altitude start
9,820 ft
Altitude end
-2.1%
Grade
-42.7%
Grade max
30%
Grade min
3 miles
Distance climb
5 miles
Distance down
2,723 ft
Distance flat
01:32:56
Avg time

Trail 401 Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Gothic
    Crested Butte, Colorado
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (3 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 65 in Trail Running
    • 85 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #94 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #67 in Trail Running
    • #419 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Exposure
    Normal
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    may-november
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Rock Face, Rock Garden
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes
  • Lighting
    No
  • Land Owner
    USFS

Dirt road climb to top of pass, and single track becky clive to top of 401 and great descend into gothic valley.

Trail Supporters
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 12 rides
  • 31.0 km average
6 Months
  • 262 rides
  • 28.3 km avg distance
All
  • 1,138 rides
  • Last: Sep 22, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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update trails status or condition

Trail 401 Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Sep 2, 2026 @ 10:02am (America/Denver)
Sep 2, 2026
Jul 5, 2026 @ 9:58pm (America/Denver)
Jul 5, 2026
 Powder dry
Jul 5, 2026 @ 9:57pm (America/Denver)
Jul 5, 2026
 Powder dry
Jun 28, 2026 @ 7:22am (America/Denver)
Jun 28, 2026
 Rode on June 23, 2026. Very dry. No snow. No downed trees. Near the start of the descent, in one of the ravines there's a section that is washed...
Jun 11, 2026 @ 1:07pm (America/Denver)
Jun 11, 2026
 There is very little snow and just a few downed trees. All very manageable. Definitely good to go.
more »
Status:
on Sep 2, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 4.48 (67 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to trail-401 trailhead (39.015240, -107.047060)
      View on Discover Map

      Photos

      235 more »
      mtb
      1,282 |
      Aug 13, 2018 @ 2:15pm
      Aug 13, 2018
      mtb
      1,434 |
      Nov 21, 2015 @ 7:41am
      Nov 21, 2015
      mtb
      1,245 |
      Dec 28, 2016 @ 9:49am
      Dec 28, 2016
      mtb
      966 |
      Jan 18, 2017 @ 2:45pm
      Jan 18, 2017

      Videos

      22 more »
      youtuber Mountain Biking Crested Butte
      mtb
      3:38 | 692 | Sep 7, 2023 , Crested Butte
      youtuber Mountain Biking the Iconic Trail 401 in...
      mtb
      9:31 | 1158 | Oct 18, 2018 , Crested Butte
      youtuber The 401 Trail // MTB For The View
      mtb
      18:31 | 865 | Aug 16, 2020 , Crested Butte
      youtuber CO MTB Wildflowers galore on Crested Butte's...
      mtb
      23:48 | 902 | Aug 7, 2020 , Crested Butte

      Technical Trail Features (TTF)

      Routes with this trail

      235
      Trail 401 Loop
      ★ 4.0 • 14 miles • 2,283 ft • 1 •
      Trail Riders 401 trail is Crested Butte's most famous trail for good reason. Lots of intermediate mountain...
      432
      CB Classic
      ★ 5.0 • 102 miles • 16,878 ft • 19 • Loop •
      Originally, this trail was ridden by Crested Butte locals each year at the end of the season. This is the...
      249
      403 and 401 to Crested Butte Mountain
      22 miles • 2,961 ft • 2 • Point to Point •
      Start at 403 on the Washington Gulch side, go up the groovy new singletrack start that CBMBA re-routed in...
      4.5 ★★★★★
      67 Ratings
      5 ★ 73%
      4 ★ 15%
      3 ★ 6%
      2 ★ 3%
      1 ★ 3%

      26 Reviews & Comments

      metAKlima
      Beautiful? Unbelievably so. Hard on the lungs at over 11,000'? Yep. Top-rated trail for the riding itself? No way. The super-scenic top part is downright blah with high-speed off camber while you are gawking at scenery. As someone that was riding the loop, not shuttling, I was wishing it used all that hard-earned elevation on something other than braking. Got better in the trees, but ran into a lot of hikers there. Don't know that I ever need to do that one again unless I just know I'm going for the scenery and a shuttle. If you really want a good RIDE, do something else.
      1989ebikes
      If you ride the road up instead of shuttling, be prepared to eat and breathe dust the entire way up while all the shuttlers and looky-loos drive by. Seriously consider a mask and goggles if you're doing it on a busy weekend.
      Asbury
      Any thoughts on opening this year with the low snowpack?

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      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Trail 401 located?
      Trail 401 is located in Gothic, Crested Butte, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Gothic trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 39.01524, -107.04706.
      ▼ How hard is Trail 401?
      Trail 401 is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 2.1%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Trail 401?
      Trail 401 has 1,202 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 2,099 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 9,687 ft to 11,350 ft.
      ▼ Is Trail 401 a point to point trail?
      Trail 401 is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Trail 401?
      Trail 401 is 8.1 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Trail 401?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Trail 401. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Trail 401?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Trail 401 are:
      • July (216 activities)
      • August (191 activities)
      • September (148 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Trail 401? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Trail 401 are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Trail 401?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 1 hour 39 minutes to ride Trail 401. The trail is 8.1 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Trail 401?
      Trail 401 is a very popular trail. There have been 5,525 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 5,353 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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