Trough Road

Trough Road is a wide, graded gravel route that stretches west from the small town of Kremmling, Colorado, and traces the Upper Colorado River through some of the state’s most scenic canyon country. Running for roughly 25 miles between Kremmling and State Highway 131, this straight-through route is both a practical backroad bypass and a popular gateway to rafting put-ins, camping pull-offs, and remote trailheads in the Upper Colorado River Recreation Area.

The terrain is primarily hard-packed dirt and gravel, with occasional washboarding, light ruts, and mild elevation changes as the road climbs and dips along the ridgeline. While it's generally passable in dry conditions by most passenger vehicles, it's recommended to use a vehicle with moderate ground clearance, especially during or after storms. Drivers will find themselves rewarded with expansive views of the Gore Range, deep river canyons, and scattered pine and sage landscapes that typify the high Colorado plateau.

Several designated access areas managed by the BLM, such as Radium, State Bridge, and Pumphouse Recreation Site, offer developed campgrounds with tables and fire pits, vault toilets, and river facilities. They charge a daily fee. The best dispersed camping can be found just north of Pumphouse, right before climbing out of the river valley. Here you will find several spur roads leading to a campsite tucked between the sagebrush.