FR 139 (Crooked Creek / Keyser Creek Rds)

Those with a penchant for exploration should enjoy this area, off the beaten path in the high country west of Fraser. Once the road enters the national forest, it traverses some beautiful aspen stands where one might find western Warbling Vireos, Red-naped Sapsuckers, and Violet-green Swallows. Farther up, the forest transitions into high-elevation lodgepole pine and spruce-fir, with a few mountain meadows and burn areas mixed in. The ascending spirals of Swainson’s Thrush songs can be heard at most of the willow-lined stream crossings, and the accelerating drums of American Three-toed Woodpeckers echo off the spruce trunks early in the summer. Elk can be seen in some of the high meadows, along with yellow-bellied marmots and golden-mantled ground-squirrels. The network of roads includes some interesting dead ends and some connections with the roads in the upper Williams Fork area, but a good map is needed to navigate them all. Visit the USFS office in Granby for the latest information on access, routes, and road conditions.

Restrictions: None

County: Grand

Directions:

Alternate Directions: From US 40 in Fraser, at the stoplight in front of the Safeway Center, go west on CR 72. Head south under a railroad bridge and keep right at the 'Y'. Continue to a 'T' with CR 73 and go left 0.8 miles, then right on CR 50 S, which becomes CR 50, Crooked Creek Road.

Dates of Access: Open June - October, closed during the winter.
Hours: 24 hours
Ownership: US Forest Service
Admission or Fees: Free

Parking: Gravel pullouts

Lodging: Primitive camping

Handicapped: No
Handicapped Access: Birding from car

Latitude: 39.93768706
Longitude: -105.8989193