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From US 285 and Poncha Springs, drive south on US285 over Poncha Pass to Villa Grove. - 21.6 miles. About 1,200 feet before/north of Villa Grove, turn west (right) onto LL-56 - a county road designation. The road is paved for the first 5 miles or so and then turns to a well-maintained, graded, gravel road all the way to Bonanza (15.4 miles), which is mostly a collection of ramshackle, aging cabins, most of which appear occupied. Do not turn left onto HH50, about seven miles in from US285. Once you arrive at Bonanza, continue straight through town onto what becomes FR862. About a mile beyond the town at a fork in the road, conditions deteriorate somewhat and the road to the left which continues as FR862, becomes more of a single track affair that is not too slow or difficult. This Forest Road 862, as it begins to swing to the west, also begins to gain elevation through aspen and conifer forest. Continue gaining elevation and you will come to a brief switchback to the right, then back to the left. Ignore the road that turns off to the right at the second switchback. Less than a mile later you will come to a junction of FR861 which is sharply to the left or FR862.2D around a curve to the right which leads to Mosquito Lake. Park where parking is available at this intersection just before the road curves to the right. This serves as the trailhead.
After the village of Bonanza there will be some at-large primitive places to pull off onto for the night. You could even camp or car camp at the proposed trailhead. There are no designated Forest Service campgrounds anywhere in this area. Much of the land along LL56 is BLM so there may be other permissible, primitive sites. The nearest FS campground is back around Poncha Pass. About 2 miles north of the pass, turn off to the west onto FR200 and follow it to the O'Haver Lake CG. This campground at 9,200 feet has 28 sites and basic facilities.