Gunny Loop - Little Park to Snakeskin, CO

Warning
Mountain biking can be dangerous - please know your skill level and be appropriately prepared with PPE before starting any trail.

Overview
The Gunnison (Gunny) Loop is one of the most popular hiking and biking trails in the Little Park area. This portion of the loop has the highest starting elevation for any of the Gunny Loop trailheads and is a popular starting point for folks biking this as part of a shuttle.

Hike
The hike starts at the lower trailhead for the Ribbon Trail (described elsewhere). After crossing the Little Park Road, the trail quickly switchbacks up the eastern embankment of the road before starting to curve around the north point of the same hill. At this point, the trail splits, with the Gunny Loop continuing in both directions. This hike covers the hike heading to the right at this point.

After making a right at this junction, the trail climbs slightly before coming to another signed junction. Turning right would lead you to the Little Park staging area/trailhead along the North Little Park cutoff (described elsewhere), so stay left here.

The trail continues, providing views into the Grand Valley between the pinyon and juniper trees. The trail is not challenging and it provides easy-going, aside from the occasional loose rock. In the second half of the trail, you can easily see (and occasionally come close to) the Little Park to Gunny Loop Trail, but avoid making any of the social trails in the area worse by cutting across the meadow.

Eventually, you come to a four-way intersection. This is where the Little Park to Gunny Loop trail comes in on the right, and the Gunny Cutoff starts on the left. You can take either route or continue straight at this point to stay on the Gunny Loop. Roughly a quarter-mile past this point a trail will come in from the right as you approach a canyon rim, and the trail you are on begins to bend to the left. This is the Snakeskin Trail coming in from the right, and the end of this section of the Gunny Loop. Continue to the left to hike the Snakeskin to Big Hill section of the Gunny Loop, turn right to take the Snakeskin Trail, or return the way you came.

Water Sources
None, bring all you need.

Camping
No.

Note
This trail is rated Intermediate (Blue) for mountain bikers up to the North Little Park cutoff. After this point, it is rated Difficult (Black).

Check out the Official Route and Triplogs.

Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.

2020-05-16 PaleoRob