Fourmile Canyon ยท Shaded creek walk

Anne U. White Trail

No permit or reservation is required for the Anne U. White Trail, but parking is the real limit: 28 car spaces plus one ADA space off Wagonwheel Gap Road, with street parking in designated areas only. The trail is open, 1.7 miles long, pedestrian only, and it crosses Fourmile Canyon Creek numerous times.

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Anne U. White quick facts

Distance
1.7 miles, as listed by Boulder County Parks & Open Space. Hiked as an out-and-back to the upper end and back, that's roughly 3.4 miles total.
Difficulty
Boulder County rates it moderate. The grade is gentle, but the footing is natural surface and the creek crossings are the hard part, not the climb.
Trailhead
Off Wagonwheel Gap Road in Fourmile Canyon, just west of north Boulder. Pedestrian use only.
Parking
No permit, no reservation, and no fee. There are 28 car spaces plus 1 ADA space at the trailhead, and street parking is limited to designated areas only. Parking is not allowed between sunset and sunrise, and vehicles left after dark can be ticketed or towed.
Dogs
Dogs are allowed and must be on leash and under physical control at all times. Pack out the waste. Boulder County's off-leash exceptions do not include this trail.
Creek crossings
The trail follows Fourmile Canyon Creek and crosses it numerous times. County crews built 28 stream crossings during the post-flood reconstruction, so expect wet feet in spring runoff.
Best season
Late spring through fall for the shade and the water. In spring runoff the crossings run high and cold, so plan on wet shoes or come later in the summer.

Parking and access: what you actually need to know

Start here, because it's the part that ruins days. Boulder County Parks & Open Space doesn't charge a fee for the Anne U. White Trail and doesn't require a permit or a reservation to hike it. What it does have is a small trailhead: 28 car spaces plus one ADA space, with a portable toilet nearby. The county's own guidance for this trail is blunt about the rest, limited street parking in designated areas only, and please respect the neighbors. Wagonwheel Gap Road is a narrow canyon road lined with houses, and the parking area was expanded from five spaces during the flood rebuild specifically because weekend demand was spilling into the neighborhood.

County-wide rules apply too: open space areas are open sunrise to sunset, parking is not allowed between sunset and sunrise, and unattended vehicles left after dark can be ticketed or towed. If the lot is full when you pull up, the right move is a backup plan, not a creative parking spot.

Is the Anne U. White Trail open?

Yes. This one confuses people because the trail spent six years closed. The September 2013 flood tore through Fourmile Canyon and wrecked both the trail and the road, and the trail stayed shut for restoration and reconstruction until December 2019. County trail crews and Youth Corps teams built 28 stream crossings, put in nearly 3,500 feet of new trail, and repaired about 2,500 more, all by hand. It's open now and listed as an active trail by Boulder County. Since the whole route sits in a creek bottom, it's still worth a glance at the county page after a big storm.

What the hike is like

It's 1.7 miles of natural-surface trail up a narrow canyon, following Fourmile Canyon Creek through dense riparian forest. The county rates it moderate, which surprises people who hear "creekside walk" and picture pavement. The grade is easy. The work is in the footing: rocks, roots, and all those crossings. What you get for it is shade, which is genuinely rare on Boulder's front-range trails, and the sound of running water the whole way up. On a hot July afternoon when the Flatirons are baking, this canyon is maybe fifteen degrees more pleasant.

Most people hike to the upper end and turn around, so figure roughly 3.4 miles round trip. There's no loop option and no summit payoff. The trail is the point.

The creek crossings

The county's own description is that the trail follows Fourmile Canyon Creek and crosses it numerous times, and the rebuild included 28 stream crossings. In May and early June, when snowmelt is running, that means cold water over your ankles more than once, so wear shoes you're willing to soak and give kids a hand at the wider crossings. By August it's mostly rock-hopping. Boots you're precious about are the wrong choice here in any season.

Rules: dogs, bikes, and the rest

Dogs are allowed, on leash, under physical control at all times, and you pack out the waste. Boulder County's off-leash exceptions don't include this trail, so this isn't the place for a Voice and Sight arrangement. Bikes, e-bikes, and horses are all prohibited; the county designated the Anne U. White Trail for pedestrian use only when it approved the rebuild. It's day use only, with no camping, no open fires, and no hunting or firearms.

Best time to go

Summer mornings are the sweet spot, early enough to get a parking space and cool enough that the shade feels like a bonus rather than a necessity. Fall is quieter and the crossings are at their easiest. Spring is beautiful and loud with runoff, but plan on wet feet. Winter is doable, though creek-bottom ice makes those same crossings the crux, and traction devices are worth carrying.

Who Anne U. White was

The trail is named for Anne U. White, an early member of the Boulder County Parks & Open Space Advisory Committee who served from 1976 to 1982. She and her husband Gilbert White, whose work shaped modern floodplain management, donated a portion of the land that made the trail possible. When a development plan for the canyon surfaced in 1983, public pushback led the county to buy easements and property to protect the corridor. There's a tidy irony in a trail tied to the Whites being closed for six years by a flood and rebuilt to survive the next one.

Nearby trails and guides

Anne U. White Trail FAQ

Do you need a permit or reservation for the Anne U. White Trail?

No. Boulder County Parks & Open Space does not list a permit, a reservation, or an entry fee for the Anne U. White Trail. What is restricted is parking: the trailhead has 28 car spaces plus 1 ADA space, and the county asks visitors to park in designated areas only and respect the neighbors on Wagonwheel Gap Road.

Where do you park for the Anne U. White Trail, and does the lot fill up?

Park at the trailhead lot off Wagonwheel Gap Road, which holds 28 cars plus one ADA space. Street parking nearby is limited to designated areas only. It's a small lot on a narrow canyon road, so on a nice weekend morning the sensible plan is to go early or have a backup trail in mind. Parking is not allowed between sunset and sunrise, and unattended vehicles left after dark can be ticketed or towed.

Is the Anne U. White Trail open now?

Yes. The trail was closed for years after the September 2013 flood and reopened in December 2019 following a full rebuild of the trail, the creek crossings, and the parking area. Boulder County lists it as an open, active trail. Because it sits in a creek bottom, check the county's trail page before you drive up if there's been heavy weather.

Are dogs allowed on the Anne U. White Trail?

Yes, on leash. Boulder County requires all pets in Parks & Open Space areas to be leashed and under the physical control of their owner at all times, and you have to pick up and carry out the waste. The county's off-leash areas are elsewhere, so a Voice and Sight tag does nothing here.

How many times does the trail cross the creek, and will I get wet?

Many times. The county says the trail follows Fourmile Canyon Creek and crosses it numerous times, and the rebuild included 28 stream crossings. In spring runoff, plan on wet feet or shoes you don't mind soaking. By late summer most crossings are an easy rock hop.

Sources

Facts on this page are drawn from these authoritative sources:

Last checked . We verify trail facts against the managing agency, and we say so when a figure isn't published.