Champion Mine

The Champion Mine trail is a continuation of the Halfmoon Gulch trail that takes users to the Champion Mine site perched high on the slopes of Mount Champion, looking down on Independence Pass. This spectacular trail has long been a local favorite but was technically only made legal when the portion of the road on Forest Service land was added to the MVUM in the 2022 travel management decision. The upper part of the road is on private land, but the landowners have always allowed public use.

This trail is more challenging than the main Halfmoon Gulch trail but less challenging than the South Halfmoon trail. As you travel up an exposed, single-lane, rutty trail with several passing opportunities, you will encounter a series of small rock obstacles while ascending to the saddle between Mount Champion and French Mountain. These obstacles could be difficult for stock SUVs, and skid plates are highly recommended for stock vehicles as they are nearly guaranteed to scrape the underbelly more than once during the trek. As the trail wraps around the south side of Mount Champion, you are rewarded with amazing panoramic views down the valley toward Independence Pass. The trail comes to an end at the Champion mine site, with a precariously standing old bunkhouse, collapsed tram house ruins, and two adits.

It is not uncommon for lingering snow to keep this trail impassable well into the summer months. Snow blocks the trail at inconvenient locations, making it difficult to turn around. Users are encouraged to scout the trail for snow before attempting and reminded to always stay on the trail and not attempt to drive around snow drifts.

Since most of this trail is on steep slopes above the timberline, suitable camping is practically non-existent, but plenty of campsites can be found lower down along the Halfmoon Gulch trail.