Colorado Off-Road Trails

Located a short distance north of Leadville, FSR 189 is a straight-through connecting road that offers good Fall color viewing and ideal basecamp locations for hunters. This road snakes its way through dense forest and aspen groves for a short 2 miles. Combine FSR 189 with Mount Zion and give yourself easy access to or from Highway 24 without traveling the same section twice.

Emerald Valley Road is a tranquil and effortless drive that takes you through the heart of the Pike National Forest. This picturesque trail winds gently through dense and diverse forests, allowing you to soak up the natural beauty surrounding you. There are plenty of places to park along the way if you're looking to go hiking in the area. While dispersed camping is allowed in this area, no established sites were seen.

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 6102A is a rocky trail that winds through the juniper trees. This trail is the access road for Liberty, Independence, and Patriot Rock Crawling Trails and follows the canyon's rim above Liberty. There are some parking areas for trailers near the beginning of the rock crawling trails. 6102A continues across 6102 and into another valley with views into a canyon and additional ATV trails to the east. The loop at the east end is a little tight through the trees and may give some light pinstripes. Camping within Penrose Commons is limited to designated sites only, which are marked with camping signs. Do not make new fire rings. 6102A offers several designated clusters near the south end, close to the vault toilets, which are located at the entrance to the OHV area.

Deer Peak Road runs between Ophir Creek Road on the south and Little Froze on the north. The trail begins by offering views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains before entering the dense mixed conifers of the San Isabel Forest. The trail passes just below the 11,500-foot summit of Deer Peak, home to two cellphone towers. Coming down from the peak is slightly more difficult than the climb up. The Forest Service is removing trees that could change the trail's dynamics. Overall the trail is not very ascetically pleasing, but if combined with the other trails in the area, it could make for a full day of trail riding through the San Isabel National Forest. The MVUM states it's open from 05/01 - 12/01.

There are a few campsites along the trail. The sites are relatively small, with enough room for 2-3 vehicles.

This short, rocky connector 4WD trail offers excellent views of the Ten Mile Range. It also serves as quick access to or a quick escape from American Gulch/Humbug Hill. Thanks to the aspen trees growing all along the route, this would make a great spot to take some pictures of Breckenridge during the fall colors.

Thirty-Nine Mile Road winds through Pike National Forest, following what's left of the original miners' wagon road from the late 1800s. It rewards visitors with stunning views of the remnants of ancient volcanic activity, such as the Pikes Peak Granite formation and the nearby Tarryall Mountains. The trail passes through forests of pine and aspen trees and large open meadows with wildflowers in summer, making it a popular destination for offroaders seeking a mildly challenging and scenic adventure.

Chukar Road leaves Peach Valley Road, eventually bisecting the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness Area and leading to a popular hiking trail named "Chukar." One can also drive only a portion of the road to connect to Elephant Skin Road and skip the out and back. Once on the road, the landscape turns more intense within the unique adobe hill landscape. Past its intersection with Elephant Skin Road, it elevates to a crest before entering the wilderness area. It turns into a pinyon upland, and the road becomes rougher, calling for high clearance and potentially 4WD. A few dispersed campsites exist along the route, and at the end, there are four covered picnic tables and a vault toilet, which the BLM has approved for camping. Avoid when wet and soggy, as the clay portions will become incredibly slick and slippery.

Lower John's Gulch (FS Road 345) is located within the Pike National Forest approximately 25 miles northwest of Colorado Springs and nine miles north of Woodland Park. The Pike National Forest contains hundreds of trails which provide a broad spectrum of outdoor recreational opportunities. This area is popular among OHV users, mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians. The trail network includes mild trails suitable for stock vehicles (it is not uncommon to see ordinary passenger sedans and minivans on some trails) in addition to genuine 4WD tracks such as Balanced Rock Road (FS 322), Hotel Gulch (FS 346), and Missouri Gulch (FS 347). Accessibility and panoramic mountain views are the greatest attractions to this area.

Near Loma, Colorado, Hawkeye Road serves as the Colorado terminus of the renowned Kokopelli Trail. Spanning 142 miles, the Kokopelli Trail stretches from just outside Grand Junction all the way to Moab, Utah. This gentle dirt connector has picturesque views of the high-desert landscape, verdant farms in the Grand Valley, and the striking Book Cliffs to the north, offering a more scenic and relaxed alternative to the nearby I-70.

Hefferman Gulch is a short out-and-back trail that provides access to the South Chicago Creek Trail. At the start of the trail, you’re greeted with a large designated camping area. This is the only area where camping is allowed along Hefferman Gulch. The campsites are suited for tent camping as it’s surrounded by large boulders, which forces you to park and offload your camping gear. The rest of the trail is easy and suited for all vehicles. As you drive along Hefferman Gulch, you almost teleport back in time as you drive past a dozen rustic cabins nestled amongst the pine and aspen trees of the Arapaho National Forest.  

East Tennessee is a seasonal hunting and winter road, only open 9/1-5/1. The road is just over 4 miles long and ends at the bottom of the Little Horse chair lift, part of Cooper Ski Resort. The official route ends in what seems like a random location at an open grass clearing in the forest, with no signage. Although a well-traveled road does continue up the hill, that road is not part of the Forest Service MVUM. The road is only one vehicle wide and is very narrow through sections of dense willow brush that threaten to scratch your paint and give you pinstriping. The road starts very smooth and well-maintained and gradually gets rougher and rockier the farther into the trail you go. You will need a high-clearance vehicle for this road, but a 2WD high-clearance vehicle is sufficient. Dispersed camping is allowed along the route, and a handful of sites can be found in the first 2 miles. Most of the sites are large and level, good for hunting groups.

Sweeping south around the west side of Sylvan Lake, Brush-Gypsum Road is an all dirt connecting route between the towns of Gypsum and Thomasville, located along section 4 of the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route (COBDR). The Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route is a mostly dirt route across Colorado connecting Wyoming and New Mexico. Created primarily around motorcycles, the entire route follows mainly 4wd roads and two tracks over the course of about a week. This road treks through thick tree cover and has a number of large, mature aspen groves making it a great place to see fall colors.

Trail Gulch Road, otherwise known as County Road 51, is a mellow dirt road north of the town of Gypsum, traveling through mostly BLM land and a short section of private land. Popular with adventure motorcycle enthusiasts, this road connects I-70 with the Colorado River Road between Dotsero and Burns and is recognized as a portion of section 5 of the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route (COBDR). Other than the occasional pothole and an extremely dusty environment, the road has no obstacles to contend with and can easily be driven by just about any vehicle. Concerns to be aware of while traveling the road include short sections where the road is only 1-1.5 vehicles wide next to a shallow ravine, washouts along the road, and several blind corners. Additionally, OHV users are often encountered traveling at a high rate of speed. Trail Gulch Road is generally a laid-back access road to the Dry Lake Motocross Park and an ideal place for bird watching in the densely populated sage habitat.

Although several spur roads offer dispersed camping options, no suitable campsites can be found along Trail Gulch Road.

Jack's Spring is a 9-mile, in-and-out spur off of Coffee Pot Road, located near Deep Creek Lake in the Flat Tops Mountain Range. The first mile of Jack's Spring is the most heavily trafficked part of the trail and offers several dispersed camping options ranging in size from a single tent to large group sites. Only the first two campsites, overlooking Deep Creek Lake, are suitable for trailers. It is advised not to tow a trailer down this road unless you are certain one of those campsites is open for use, as there is nowhere else to turn around safely if you cannot use the first two campsites.

The second mile of the trail is the roughest, with many deep ruts carved into the soil from prior use during wet periods. The ruts will only be a problem if conditions are wet when they can suck your tires in and potentially high center your vehicle. After 2.5 miles, the trail flats out and travels along the edge of several large, open meadows, eventually peaking and offering amazing views of the Elk Mountain Range far in the distance. The open, alpine vistas will surely leave you wanting to bust out in song to "The Sound of Music".

The last half mile of the trail can be extremely soggy, even late into the summer, as you pass through a soft, marshy area next to a shallow seasonal lake. Be cautious in this marshy area as you may never see another vehicle for help, and the closest rescue will be hours away. Cell Service is spotty but possible near the end of the trail.

This trail is suitable for any high clearance vehicle, and 4-wheel drive is highly recommended for travel due to the possibility of rain creating impassable conditions.

Bocco Mountain is primarily a motorcycle or mountain bike adventure area. This 4WD trail bisects the moto trails and summits the main feature, Bocco Mountain, with views of I-70 snaking east toward Beaver Creek. Load up your bike and drive into the heart of the single-track maze. Bring a small tent or string up a hammock, and you've got yourself a nice weekend adventure.

Beaver Bog is a moderately rough dirt road within Roosevelt National Forest with some short sections of steep, rutted climbing and rocky, narrow roads. The very end of the road passes through the namesake Beaver Bog, which has muddy sections of trail that may pose a notable challenge. You can park before the muddy sections and walk the short remaining distance to get a better view of Beaver Reservoir if desired. 4WD and high clearance are recommended for driving this road, and most of the road is quite narrow, with limited spots for passing or turning around. Additionally, the road ends immediately adjacent to private property, so please be mindful of where you decide to camp or recreate if near Beaver Reservoir.

Along the road, there are a handful of camping spots, most of which are suited for one or possibly two vehicles and tucked into the trees. The trail also passes the Beaver Bog Trailhead, which has access to the Sourdough Trail.

Take a short detour off the interstate for a camping experience you've never had before. This easy out & back dirt trail will have you winding through a narrow canyon before opening into a beautiful pasture among the cliffs. The trail allows access to numerous hiking and biking trails that crisscross the area bluffs. The highlight is the epic campground right above the Colorado River. The campsites are immaculate, level, and reasonably plentiful for those willing to drive there. Before the campground, there is a scenic out and back that leads to a new camping area. Be sure to go out to the end to catch a glimpse of the river.

Parachute Hill is a moderate, rough dirt road with sections of steep climbing and some short rocky sections that pose a small challenge, albeit short-lived. 4WD and high clearance are necessary for this trail due to the fact that there are a few sections with larger rocks on steeper sections of climbing. Towards the very end of the trail, just past a rocky overlook, the road begins to descend, and the trail narrows significantly more than anything up to that point. The road then begins to climb again before finally dead-ending at a gate with a very small area to turn around. There is no camping or points of interest past the rocky overlook, so continuing beyond that is not recommended.

There are many areas for dispersed camping along Parachute Hill and the short connected spurs in the middle section of the trail. Some areas have a bit of a view of the nearby valley and surrounding mountains to the east.

Dakota Hill North is a delightful connection from the extensive network of trails around Dakota Hill and Oregon Hill to Moon Gulch, which runs between Rollinsville and Apex. The steep, loose hills provide a little more challenge than many other trails in the area, and the open hillside allows spectacular views of the James Peak and Indian Peaks Wilderness Areas to the west and north. Wildflowers are abundant from late spring to early summer. Although no structures are still standing, there is plenty of evidence of the trail's mining history. This 4x4 trail can be a nice way to extend your adventure after exploring the trails around Oregon Hill and Dakota Hill, or it can be an alternate route to enter or exit the area. Combining Dakota Hill north with a half-mile segment of Moon Gulch and then Dakota Hill Spur makes a fun little side loop off either the Dakota Hill or Moon Gulch trail.