Goose Creek Trail and the Shafts (Lost Creek Wilderness)

Lost Creek Wilderness, Pike National Forest (Goose Creek Trailhead, south of Bailey)

The Lost Creek Wilderness is a landscape of granite domes and rock formations in the Pike National Forest, where Lost Creek runs underground for long stretches. The Goose Creek Trail is its most popular backpacking route, according to AllTrails, passing historic cabins and an old mine shafthouse on its way to the rock formations of Refrigerator Gulch. The Forest Service describes primitive camping, fishing in Goose Creek, and views of red Pikes Peak granite formations.

Permits are free and self-issued at the trailhead.

The hike

Wikipedia says the wilderness covers 119,790 acres in Park and Jefferson Counties, all inside the Pike National Forest, and was designated in 1980. It describes 130 miles of trails, including a section of the Colorado Trail, and notes the area was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1966.

The Forest Service describes the start: from the trailhead sign, follow the trail down to a wooden footbridge across Hankins Creek. Just across the bridge, the Hankins Pass Trail heads left and the Goose Creek Trail heads right. The trail soon climbs away from the creek, drops into Watkins Gulch, then climbs again to the McCurdy Park Trail junction on a high point overlooking the valley. It eventually ends at Wigwam Park.

Along the way are the historic buildings. AllTrails mentions historic cabins on the route, and Backcountry Sights describes passing a spur trail to the old shafthouse and peering into a few abandoned buildings. One AllTrails reviewer noted water near the old buildings, about 4 to 5 miles in.

Refrigerator Gulch is the standout. Backcountry Sights says trip reports call it one of the wilderness’s highlights, and describes dozens of granite domes and rock formations, with the trail winding among them. An AllTrails reviewer named Refrigerator Gulch and the high point between Bison Peak and McCurdy Peak as the trip’s highlights.

Wikipedia says the Colorado Trail crosses Lost Creek and then parallels the wilderness’s northeast boundary toward Kenosha Pass, and that part of the area was first protected in 1963 under the pre-Wilderness Act “U-Regulations.” Backcountry Sights compares the landscape to the Sierra Nevada, though with silver granite, and describes an off-trail scramble locals call “the Alphabetizer.” A SummitPost trip report notes that a big blowdown once made the trail near Lake Park impassable, a reminder to check conditions with the Forest Service.

Water is the main planning challenge. One reviewer says Goose Creek has water but Lost Creek is mostly underground or out of sight, hence the wilderness’s name. AllTrails warns that on the longer loop, the stretch between Bison Peak and McCurdy Mountain has little shade and no water. An August 2026 reviewer found the trail practically dry after leaving Lost Creek until the confluence of Goose Creek and Wigwam Creek.

The Forest Service suggests a longer multiday loop: Goose Creek Trail to the McCurdy Park Trail, then the Brookside-McCurdy Trail, the Lake Park Trail to Hankins Pass, and back east on the Hankins Pass Trail. AllTrails reviewers call the larger Lost Creek loop doable over three or four days. The Goose Creek area is also popular for rock climbing on its granite domes, according to AllTrails.

For another rock-filled Western trip, see the Wilderness of Rocks Loop in Arizona.

Tips

Fill out your permit at the trailhead. It’s free and self-issued.
Carry water between sources. Lost Creek runs underground in places, and the high stretch near Bison Peak is dry.
Secure food from bears. Use a hang or a canister.
Check fire restrictions. Rules vary by season in the Pike National Forest.
Plan time for Refrigerator Gulch. It’s the highlight of the area.

Camping

Camping is dispersed in the Lost Creek Wilderness with a free, self-issued permit, filled out at the trailhead. The Forest Service asks you to keep the permit with you and follow the wilderness regulations printed on its back. AllTrails says to pack out all waste and secure food from black bears with a hang or canister.

Inside Intel: Water decides where you camp. An August 2026 reviewer camped the first night at McCurdy Gulch with a good stream nearby, and the second at the confluence of Goose Creek and Wigwam Creek. A SummitPost trip report describes other hikers sharing good camping spots in the Refrigerator Gulch area, where the writer’s group found a nice site.

Trail facts

Distance: About 12.7 miles out and back on the Goose Creek Trail; about 26 to 28 miles for the full loop
Route type: Out and back, or multiday loop
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous. About 2,290 feet of gain on the Goose Creek Trail (AllTrails).
Campsites: Dispersed; established sites near creeks
Water: Goose Creek and side creeks; Lost Creek often underground. Treat all water.
Permits: Free self-issued wilderness permit at the trailhead
Bear and food storage: Hang or canister
Trailhead: Goose Creek Trailhead, via County Road 68 from Bailey
Last verified: October 2, 2026

The Lowdown

Granite domes by moonlight:

Camping among the rock formations of Lost Creek calls for a bag you can count on. See which sleeping bags testers rate.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.