Ute Road

Ute Road is a popular dead-end access road off Peach Valley Road that leads to the Ute hiking trailhead on the edge of the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness. The road begins alongside a cattle ranch and climbs steadily toward the ridge, where hikers can access the trail descending into the gorge and reach non-motorized camping areas. The Ute Trailhead has plenty of room to park more than a dozen vehicles and includes a restroom, shade shelters, and picnic tables.

Most of the road is easy and fast-paced, traveling over hard-packed dirt with small golf ball to baseball-sized rocks sporadically scattered across the surface. Near the top of the ridge, one chunky slickrock section slows the pace and is best handled with low gearing. Outside of this 5-yard, rough section, the road remains manageable for most vehicles with decent ground clearance.

Along the road are three good-sized campsites with great views back toward Olathe. The sites have plenty of level ground and are suitable for most types of camp setups, including tents, vehicle camping, and small groups.