Deerfield Trail Ride

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

This trail is a picturesque, grassy valley ride through the bottom of Slate Creek that ends up at Jenny Gulch. This is only a section of the Deerfield Trail which connects Deerfield Lake to Pactola Reservoir. This ride starts at the Slate Creek Trailhead and ends at Jenny Gulch Road with an opportunity to cool down in the reservoir.

The trail is difficult to rate properly. The way I rode it it is mainly downhill, and generally gentle, flat, and smooth. There are challenges though that make it tough. There are many, many stream crossings. Trail crews have put in basic bridges. But they are designed 24"-36" up so you cannot hop or ride onto them. So either you ride through the steam and get wet or you dismount and try and walk beside your bike on a narrow plank.

There was downed timber in a few areas that needed to be ridden around. A section in the middle is un-rideable. You have to hike-a-bike.The valley gets cliffed-out on both sides, and the trail gets rocky, and wet. There are also multiple stream crossings every 50' or so. The trail builders have put in some bailed rock to make a trail next to the river. A few bridges may be washed away, so crossing the river can be challenging.

Past this, it gets nice again through a pretty valley and some areas that seem almost tropical with plant growth. Towards the bottom of the trail, the stream turns into a river. Fortunately, there are larger bridges in this section. The trail comes out onto a paved road near Silver City. This is Silver City Road. After a bit, another section of singletrack cuts off the road, and will deposit you on the Jenny Gulch Road. Ride down that, and take a dip in Lake Pactola. Good times!