Ute Trail at Austrian & Fish Creeks

One of the Ute Indian Trails from winter camps near the White River Agency area -- near Meeker, Colorado -- to the summer camps near Steamboat Springs, Colorado -- passed through this area. Following Austrian Creek to Fish Creek and on east & north to Middle Creek and on into the Steamboat area.

Austrian Creek enters Fish Creek approx 200' west of the cache site. It is very overgrown and hard to pick out at this time however any GPS will show you it's location.

Even 30 years ago, this trail was well etched into the landscape. Now, it is overgrown and barely detectable. In this area, only those who grew up here, and knew where it was, can still point it out in places, although we're sure the actual trail is still traveled by wildlife of all types. My husband's family used the trail for years to access some favorite Sunday afternoon fishing spots!

Incidentally, you arrived at this location on County Road 29 -- which is the oldest actual road in this entire area. The road originally ran from the Egeria Park (Yampa) area to the Hamilton, Colorado area. It's now broken up and renumbered in many areas.

To reach this site -- DO NOT ATTEMPT WHEN THE ROAD MIGHT BE WET! -- which would only be accessible in the summertime when the road is NOT wet, by any vehicle you choose, including the family car -- although you can get here on a snowmachine in the winter, you probably won't find the cache -- Take Twenty-mile road from Oak Creek, Steamboat or Hayden. Coming from Oak Creek, take CR 27 (twenty-mile) to CR 29. Coming from Hayden (CR 27) or Steamboat (CR 33 to CR 27), west of Twenty-mile mine, take RCR 37 to RCR 37D. 37D ends on County Road 29 on a sharp corner on a hill. Go southeast (down the hill) on County Road 29 to the cache site.

MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THE CACHE INFO AS YOU WILL HAVE NO CELL SERVICE AT THE CACHE SITE, OR ALONG MOST OF THE ROUTE!!! However, there are several caches on this loop (including one within .10 mile), or within a very short distance of this loop, so make a great afternoon drive and enjoy the area and caches along the way! Make sure you have a full tank of fuel – you shouldn't end up on a dead end road anywhere – but some of the loops back to civilization could be longer than others! You could come out at Meeker, Hamilton, Hayden, Steamboat, Oak Creek, or Yampa depending on which roads you choose!