Colorado Trip Advice

[Jeeper479]

Looking for some advice on short notice trip to Colorado the first or second week of September. Would be roughly 5-6 days long, with my wife and a 3 & 1.5 year old. Would like some scenic trails in the backcountry, but nothing too extreme for this trip! Would also plan to do a mixture of dispersed camping and a few nights in a hotel. The trouble I'm having is trying to find some trails to run and camp out, but also need to have something in town for the kiddos and the wife to enjoy for a break from the trails. We will be coming from Arkansas, so it would be awesome to find some stuff on the east side of the state, but it looks like the best wheeling is on the southwest side?

Thanks for your help

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[Randonexplosion]

There is quite a bit up around the Denver and outlying areas but the destination area is usually in the Southwest Ouray/Telluride area. Not much on the Eastern slope.

Denver is going to have more stuff for the wife and kids to take a break from the trail, mostly small towns down here in the Southwest.

Durango is only about an hour from Silverton/Ouray and is a decent size town that has a train that runs up to Silverton for the wife and kids.

 

[Andy29847]

Salida would be a good location. The town is big enough to have a downtown shopping area that is interesting. There are tons of trails nearby, most of them are not too hard. The funteck website is a good source for trails nearby. A good place to camp and first time wheel is the 4-mile area north of Bunea Vista. Aspen Ridge Rd is an easy and scenic dirt road drive between Salida dn Buena Vista.

Colorado Off Road Trails - FunTreks

COTREX is another great source for trail info.
Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX)

I'm going to be in the area at the same time. If you want to go out together one day or if you need more specific info I cna help. My 2020 trip was with my TJ, not myu gladiator. It was in the San Juans where most of the big name 4wd trails are. Here is report on that ride.

Colorado 2020 | Adventure Rider (advrider.com)

 

[bd100]

It's almost all west of I25, but both north and south. Get some books: Guide to Colorado Backroads and 4-Wheel-Drive Trails, and also another book Guide to Northern Colorado Backroads and 4-Wheel-Drive Trails, both by Charles A. Well and Matt Peterson. If you have time, there is also one for the Moab area which is close to SW Colorado.

 

[Jeeper479]

Salida would be a good location. The town is big enough to have a downtown shopping area that is interesting. There are tons of trails nearby, most of them are not too hard. The funteck website is a good source for trails nearby. A good place to camp and first time wheel is the 4-mile area north of Bunea Vista. Aspen Ridge Rd is an easy and scenic dirt road drive between Salida dn Buena Vista.

Colorado Off Road Trails - FunTreks

COTREX is another great source for trail info.
Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX)

I'm going to be in the area at the same time. If you want to go out together one day or if you need more specific info I cna help. My 2020 trip was with my TJ, not myu gladiator. It was in the San Juans where most of the big name 4wd trails are. Here is report on that ride.

Colorado 2020 | Adventure Rider (advrider.com)

Thanks for the info. I'll start looking through it today! And I may take you up on that offer. Seems like there is just so much out there it almost makes my head spin lol

 

[Jeeper479]

It's almost all west of I25, but both north and south. Get some books: Guide to Colorado Backroads and 4-Wheel-Drive Trails, and also another book Guide to Northern Colorado Backroads and 4-Wheel-Drive Trails, both by Charles A. Well and Matt Peterson. If you have time, there is also one for the Moab area which is close to SW Colorado.

I have seem this booked listed before and will be ordering one tonight or downloading it to my computer! Thanks for the info!

 

[MaysvilleStig]

TrailsOffRoad.com is by far the most useful IMO.

 

[DenverBob]

Looking for some advice on short notice trip to Colorado the first or second week of September. Would be roughly 5-6 days long, with my wife and a 3 & 1.5 year old. Would like some scenic trails in the backcountry, but nothing too extreme for this trip! Would also plan to do a mixture of dispersed camping and a few nights in a hotel. The trouble I'm having is trying to find some trails to run and camp out, but also need to have something in town for the kiddos and the wife to enjoy for a break from the trails. We will be coming from Arkansas, so it would be awesome to find some stuff on the east side of the state, but it looks like the best wheeling is on the southwest side?

Thanks for your help

It is astounding the quality of wheeling trails and wilderness so near Denver. Check out...the Coloradomallcrawlers channel on Youtube. They have great trail videos. I use FunTreks- there are 2 versions;north and south of I70, OnX, COTREX and Trails OffRoad. Best to follow a couple of FB groups for real up-to-date trail reports. (San Juan Mountains Trails Group, Colorado Off-Road Trails, CO & Rocky Mtn Region Off-Road Trail Reports) Research and triangulate info to include weather reports. Some trails get downright dangerous or close due to heavy rain/washouts etc. Some wheelers were stranded up on Black Bear last week due to a serious storm washout.
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/ne...closed-after-saturdays-mudslides-sheriff-says

I just ran 2 ‘moderate’ trails near Denver and they were awesome.

Argentine Pass Road 248.1 up, 248.1B down
Yankee Hill-Kingston Peak-St Mary's Glacier

Doing Middle St.Vrain/Coney Flats this weekend. PM me if you want more info.

Heading to Telluride/Ouray for Black Bear Pass and the Alpine loop 8/27-9/5. If the timing works and you are in the area I would be happy to do a day trip with you from there or Denver in early Sept.

 

[sass JT]

Kingston peak… great trail. Redcone, saint John’s , deer creek

 

[azmojave]

Jeep the USA is another source I use.
https://www.jeeptheusa.com/colorado-jeep-trails.html

 

[dajudge]

Kingston peak… great trail. Redcone, saint John’s , deer creek

If you are not used to heights and really steep trails, Redcone is probably not a good idea for your first mountain wheeling experience.

 

[aqcjeepGlad]

Just got back from Colorado trip. I'd say watch the weather and stay away from the southwest if the rain continues. Tried to do Black Bear and it was closed and saw many other trials where washouts were very evident and it was pretty wet.

I would recommend Tincup pass out of St Elmo and you can camp at mirror lake on the west side of the pass. Gorgeous lake. I would also recommend Paradise Divide road (374 out of Crested Butte) no off-roading but a beautiful drive up a valley and across a high divide. Lots of dispersed camping along this route, but READ the sign when you start out so you know the process, it is not your normal free dispersed National Forest camping. Paradise divide is a gravel road that can get a little narrow at times and it climbs the edge of the mountain pretty quickly. DO NOT go left when you get to the top and the T in the road. Right will take you back to Crested Butte. Left will take you to Devils Punchbowl (a very cool Difficult off road narrow squeeze along the crystal river canyon, it is tough, scary and in the middle of no where, but it was so awesome). Tincup is a rough enough road to make you feel like you needed the Gladiator but the reality is the Glady just makes it really easy. But a fun road and nice view from the top. Lots of people will be on Tincup on the weekend and lots of side by sides.

Met some people on Tincup who really like the Breckenridge area for trails, sorry no names but all the links others have provided should help you locate them. Also drove the the upper most southeastern trail head for Mt Elbert. Rough road that makes you feel like you're off-roading and need your truck, but nothing difficult, scary or technical. It's about 1.7 miles long and you can hike around many places at the top. Also, lots of dispersed camping along this road, but busier on weekends.

 

[Jglad15]

When does black bear pass typically open after winter?

 

[Ward]

When does black bear pass typically open after winter?

Naturally it varies depending on the winter & snow accumulation. The county tends to clear as soon as practicable providing for safety.

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