Colorado Off-Road Trails

County Road 33 in Colorado is a scenic access trail ideal for beginners. Its calm terrain weaves through native landscapes, offering breathtaking mountain views. The road provides smooth access to popular trails like Manchester Road and Rule Ridge. There is no camping directly along the road since it is a county road, but there is plenty of camping on the aforementioned trails.

Sugarloaf Mountain (also known as the Powerline Trail) is a scenic, moderate connector trail between Hagerman Pass Road and Leadville that climbs over the ridge above Turquoise Lake. It would be great to combine with Hagerman Pass for those who would like to spend more time on dirt. The trail starts out as a Forest Service road before turning into a combination of county road and private road with public access after exiting the National Forest. This is the only public road in the area, as all connecting roads are either admin only or are private and gated.

Though the trail is mostly in the trees, several open sections near the western end provide panoramic views of Turquoise Lake and the surrounding peaks. Some mining ruins can be seen along the road, though they are not as plentiful as in the East Side Mining District on the other side of the Leadville Valley.

The trail is moderately difficult throughout, with the main challenge being some rocky and rutted sections near the middle. These rocky sections will require a high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle and could prove difficult for some stock 4x4s . Dispersed campsites are abundant along the trail, and one campsite at an overlook would be spectacular as long as it's not too windy. This road is heavily used by mountain bikers and is part of the Leadville 100 racecourse, so be sure to watch out for bikers and be courteous to them.

Williams Creek Road is a well-maintained dirt road that provides easy access to the San Isabel National Forest when traveling from the south on Colorado State Highway 69. The intersection is marked by Gardner Butte, a volcanic plug that reaches into the Colorado sky at an elevation of 7,274 feet. Gardner Butte was formed when hot magma flowed to the surface through a volcanic vent but quickly solidified at the surface in the form of a plug.

From Gardner Butte, you will travel north on Williams Creek Road, passing privately owned ranches. ATVs are not allowed along Williams Creek Road, but once you enter the national forest, you can head east on Turkey Creek to West Cisnero Trailhead or continue further north to Pole Creek Trailhead, where ATVs are allowed. Williams Creek Road is an easy trail that provides access to more challenging trails in the area. It ultimately ends at Gardner Road, where you can find even more trails in either direction.

There were no observed campsites on Williams Creek Road, but the other trails in the area for a variety of camping options.

Left Hand Reservoir is an easy dirt road that winds through Roosevelt National Forest. It has occasional rocky spots, undulations, and mildly steep sections that may pose some challenges for low-clearance 2WD vehicles.

The trail starts at Brainard Lake Road just before the fee collection hut and gradually climbs up to Left Hand Reservoir. Along the drive, there are a few hiking trail access points, including Little Raven Trail, Sourdough Trail, and Niwot Mountain. Once at the top of the trail, there are multiple large parking areas for the Left Hand Reservoir Day Use area, access to Left Hand Reservoir itself, and excellent views of the nearby Indian Peaks Wilderness.

Note that there is no camping along the trail or at the top in the Day Use area.

FS 611.3A connects Indiana Creek and Pennsylvania Creek. These trails, along with Boreas Pass can be combined into a fun, easy, half day trip for anyone looking for off-road exploration just outside of Breckenridge, Colorado.

West Brush Creek Road is a spectacular and varied road that provides excellent camping, off-roading, mountain biking, hiking, and dirt biking opportunities, all of which get to take in the beautiful scenery the area has to offer. The road is fairly rough, rutty, and rocky the entire length, with several muddy sections users should be cautious of. With careful line selection, most stock 4WD high clearance vehicles should be able to make it to the end of the trail without much issue. Camping along West Brush Creek Road is restricted to eight designated sites only, and all sites are clearly marked with numbered signage.

The road starts by branching off from Brush Creek Road/Pearl Pass and climbing up a sometimes steep shelf road with some rocky, rutted, and mild off-camber sections. Vehicles with moderate or high clearance will not struggle with this section but may need to consider the line selection carefully, depending on the capabilities of the vehicle. After climbing the shelf road, the first of several marked and designated campsites along this road (WB 1) is visible.

The road continues on rough dirt with some short rocky sections until it reaches a fork, with Deer Creek Road (FS 7582) branching off to the left and West Brush Creek Road continuing on to the right. Stay right at the fork and continue on until eventually reaching campsite WB 2. Shortly after WB 2, there is a rutted and muddy section of road that marks the hardest section of this road. If this section gives you pause, you are not advised to continue, as there are several other sections of the trail later on that have similar difficulty.

Shortly past the muddy section, a short spur road branches off to the right, heading down into a clearing near the river where campsites WB 3, 4, and 5 are located. Stay straight past the spur as the road descends gently towards the river. A small turnaround area marked with a no camping sign is where the road turns right and, depending on seasonal flow, may involve driving up the flowing creek bed for about one-tenth of a mile. While the creek bed is not particularly difficult or deep, this section is committing, with very little opportunity to turn around and short sight lines of where the creek goes. If water levels are high, exercise caution in this area and consider scouting on foot if safe to do so.

After exiting the creek, campsite WB 6 is directly to the right. From here on out, the road continues to climb past a variety of obstacles, including short, rocky climbs, mild off-camber rutted roads, muddy sections, and water crossings. Most obstacles are relatively short-lived and are similar in difficulty to the muddy section after WB 2. However, the frequency of obstacles progressively increases the further up the trail you go. There are also a couple of other designated campsites (WB 7 and 8) before the trail ends at the trailhead for the Teocalli Mountain Trail (No. 554). This trail is popular with mountain bikers and dirt bikers, many of whom will ride West Brush Creek Road as well. Please be considerate of the variety of trail users in this area.

Penrose Commons is a BLM OHV recreation area near Penrose, Colorado. The area is full of crisscrossing full-size and ATV trails of varying difficulty. BLM Route 6101 is the main route through the west side of the Penrose Common area. The trail is mostly rocky, with short dirt sections that may be muddy in the wet season. The trail becomes tighter and more rocky the farther west you travel, with a rocky climb out of a beautiful canyon. Near the end is a very rocky hill with ledges up to 12", which will require a careful choice of line, good clearance, and possibly a locker. This is an out-and-back trail, so be sure you can get back up this hill before heading down. The turnaround area at the end of the trail is fairly tight. Large groups would not be recommended. Camping within Penrose Commons is limited to designated sites only, which are marked with camping signs. No campsites can be found along this trail. Vault toilets are located at the entrance to the OHV area.

Lost Lake Road is an easy, dead-end spur road off of Kebler Pass. The road leads past a half dozen dispersed campsites or so, continues past the Lost Lake hiking trailhead, and comes to an end at Lost Lake Campground, with fantastic views of Lost Lake Slough. The road is well-maintained with some washboard and an occasional pothole, but suitable for any type of vehicle, as well as travel trailers and RVs. Lost Lake Campground is a first-come, first-serve improved Forest Service campground that charges a nightly fee. The campground and surrounding hiking trails are heavily used and charge a daily use fee to those not camping. This recreational area is known for jaw-dropping views of the Ruby Mountain Range, with phenomenal wildflower views in late July and early August, and vibrant fall colors in late September and early October.

Forest Service Road 372.1 is a rough dirt road around the south side of Gold Lake that serves many dispersed campsites in the area. The road starts out easy, with only a few spots of rough dirt and many campsites along the way. After about 1.25 miles, there is a notable water crossing that may be seasonal in nature and can be high enough to warrant needing a high clearance vehicle. Through and beyond the water crossing, the road difficulty increases to moderate with some protruding rock sections and muddy rutted sections for the last quarter of a mile to where the trail dead ends. Most of the area is wooded with pine and aspen trees, and camping is plentiful in the area.

The nearby Gold Lake is privately owned, and there is no public access. Please respect the private property boundaries in the area.