Colorado Off-Road Trails

Radium connects Highway 134 on the north to Trough Road in the south. The majority of the road is hard-packed dirt with no obstacles. However, the climb down into, or up out of, the town of Radium near Trough Road includes a short section of shelf road with blind corners and little to no room for passing. High clearance is a must, and 4WD is desirable.

Dispersed camping is limited to a checkerboard of private land, but on the southern end of the Colorado River is the Radium Recreation Area, which has a campground and boat launch.

Thorpe Road is a serene offroad trail, once an artery in a bustling mining district, now a gateway to abundant camping opportunities. It gently meanders through the Puma Hills of the Tarryall Mountains, offering a tranquil retreat from the crowds along County Road 31. Breathtaking mountain vistas unfurl along the journey, setting the stage for intimate and larger group camping experiences, perfect for a weekend getaway. Open throughout the year, Thorpe Road transforms with the seasons, becoming a snow-wheeling haven in winter. Incorporating Burns Park Road and Puma Road can extend your adventure, making for a full day of picturesque exploration in any season.

Red Mountain Creek Road is an easy, 3.4-mile out-and-back road that offers abundant camping options. The road is a simple dirt road, 2+ vehicles wide the entire way, and can easily be traveled by any vehicle. Red Mountain Creek begins at Lime Creek and travels south, passing 6-8 dispersed campsites and Ivy Creek Road. These first campsites all vary in size. Some sites are large grassy sites good for groups or trailers, while others are small, rough, and rocky to enter and only suitable for a single vehicle and a small ground tent. Views at every campsite are breathtaking. As you get closer to the trail's end, you will approach the Ivy Creek Campground, an improved Forest Service campground with a pit toilet and four campsites. The first two are less than 20 feet long and are only suitable for tenters or small trailers like popups. The last two campsites in the campground are hike-in tent sites only. This campground has an extremely small turnaround endpoint. Thus, large trailers should avoid entering it.

Beyond Ivy Creek Campground, there's one small dispersed campsite good for a single tent or vehicle, followed by a large, grassy campsite next to the creek, suitable for groups or trailers. The road ends at a private ranch gate shortly after the last campsite.

Granite Burn is a short, steep trail that climbs 2000 feet above the town of Granite to the edge of the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness. This trail ends at a small Hayden Gulch hiking trail parking area.

There are no notable obstacles on this trail; however, several steep sections reach a maximum of 15 degrees incline. The last third of this trail also has limited passing spots for opposing traffic, so look ahead and keep track of any spots suitable for passing.

Camping is limited to about three small spots on this trail.

25 Road connects Escalante Canyon Road to Brushy Ridge. It is entirely different than of those roads. It climbs 1,600' to higher elevations and provides excellent views of steep canyon walls. Towards its northern end, a longer steep grade is filled with rocks from baseball to softball-sized. A few dispersed campsites are available, but the road does weave in and out of private property. The trail is suitable for any stock four-wheel drive vehicle.

West Nine-J is a dead-end, graded dirt road trail just outside Westcreek. It starts at County Road 33 and offers a few campsites and access to the Four Mile State Wildlife Area before ending at a gated private property with ample space for turning around.

Road conditions are generally smooth and suitable for most vehicles with typical all-season tires. The road travels northwest through the edge of the forest and into the Hayman burn scar, offering stunning close-up views of Sheep Nose and Thunder Butte. Camping along the road is restricted to designated sites only and clearly marked with signage. Some of the campsites along the road are suitable for larger groups and smaller teardrop campers.

The road passes several clearly labeled private offshoots and areas labeled for parking only. Towards the end of the road, you will pass a sign indicating further travel into the wildlife area where camping and fires are prohibited, and access to areas beyond the road's edge is restricted to foot or horseback only. There is a parking area for access to the wildlife area, but no other facilities can be found here.

Plum Creek is one of the many spurs off Rampart Range Road. The easy trail is a great place to camp with no reservations or fees. The nature of the trail and its relative obscurity to the main road make it a great place to escape the crowds.

Pass Creek BR is part of a relatively easy and quiet trail network between Cumberland Pass and Cottonwood Pass. Most of the trail is surrounded by trees, but the southern end does pop out of the trees to provide a view into the Taylor Park area.

This trail is relatively easy but has one or two sections that change each season depending on conditions. When there is more precipitation, these spots can become muddy. During normal, dry times, they can be rutted out. However, there is usually enough room to drive around the mud or ruts. Under normal conditions, any vehicle with clearance can easily drive this trail.

There are a few obvious camping sites along the length of this trail, mainly in the trees.

Miners Creek is an easy, dead-end gravel road. The trail begins at Highway 149 and travels north to the Miners Creek Trailhead, a hiking, equestrian, and single-track only trail. On the way to the large parking area, you pass several old mining structures and make your way through sections of private property. Around 2.5 miles in, the trail enters Rio Grand National Forest with a half dozen campsites that vary in size and accessibility. Some sites are large, flat, and grassy, suitable for groups or large trailers and RVs, while other sites are tucked into the trees next to the creek and only suitable for tents and vehicle camping. Camping is not allowed at the trailhead parking area. The road is hard-packed gravel and multiple vehicles wide the entire way, making it suitable for any vehicle.

Saint Louis Creek Road is an easy, hard-packed dirt road with occasional shallow washboards, periodic potholes, and small rocks no larger than chicken eggs. The road is very well-maintained, starting as a county road just west of Fraser before transitioning into a Forest Service road with a seasonal winter and spring closure. Although easy and suitable for any vehicle, trailers and large RVs are not recommended to travel beyond the FS 159 intersection and the Leland Creek staging area, as the road narrows substantially and offers no turn-around spots. Users will encounter several blind corners along the road's southern end and are encouraged to watch their speed. The road passes many hiking trails and other road intersections before dead-ending at a gate and a multi-point turn-around spot at the Saint Louis Lake hiking trail. This road provides mild fall color viewing, with isolated groves existing primarily along the northern reaches.

Dispersed camping is not allowed along the road, but improved camping at St. Louis Creek Campground allows usage from May 16th to September 20th for a fee. Usage of the campground is very heavy, with reservations available online.

Following the Gunnison River corridor near Delta, Colorado, South River Road offers an easygoing backcountry drive along the northern reaches of the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area. With abundant dispersed camping, access to hiking trails, and several opportunities to enjoy the river, this scenic road is a great choice for travelers looking to combine quiet, high desert views with camping, fishing, paddling, or a relaxed day along one of western Colorado’s most iconic river canyons.

Holt Mountain serves as a continuation of Adobe Peak. It ultimately wraps back around, reconnects with Adobe Peak, and creates a lollipop-style trail. The trail conditions are similar to Adobe Peak, a combination of smooth dirt and loose and embedded rocks. Multiple spurs along the trail provide secluded campsites. The spur trail 315E provides a flat campsite site large enough for two to three vehicles next to a large pond with a small stream.

Nestled in Pike National Forest, Mine Shaft offers solitude and an ideal camping spot off the beaten path. Its prime campsite offers a view worth the journey alone, providing a unique blend of peaceful seclusion and breathtaking Colorado wilderness. Don't overlook this charming trail in your Colorado adventure.

Located deep into the Grand Mesa National Forest, Trail 257 is your access to photogenic camping in Colorado. Grand Mesa covers over 500 square miles and is the largest flat-top mesa in the world. Being so flat, water builds up in hundreds of small lakes and ponds. Most of these are accessible in a stock 4x4, and they all have great fishing. Campsites are tucked into the trees, right along the shore of your own private lake. Searching the side trails makes sure you'll find that perfect spot. Being accessible in 2WD, it can be busy on weekends; plan accordingly.

County Road 100 is an easy, graded dirt road that travels through pine forests and primarily serves as an access road for private property in the area. As the vast majority of the surrounding land is privately owned, camping is not permitted immediately along CR 100. Please respect private property in the area.

Located north of the small community of Pine Valley, Taylor Mountain is an easy out-and-back trail that leads to numerous campsites and two popular hiking trails: Bright Trail and Taylor Mountain Trail. The trail is accessible to nearly any vehicle, but there are some fairly narrow, rough, exposed rock sections where large camping vehicles such as RVs would not be appropriate. The first spur to the right (330.2b) is more technical and extremely tight and offers no more than enough room for a single vehicle to turn around at the end.

The views along this trail are beautiful and many of the campsites are large enough for several vehicles.

Turkey Creek begins in the west off Williams Creek Road. It continues east and ultimately ends in a large, relatively flat area. The expansive views of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains to the west at the trail's ends are spectacular.

The trail is a mix of compact dirt and embedded rocks. A water crossing requires you to have a higher clearance vehicle. The banks of Custer Creek are lined with large, embedded rocks roughly the size of basketballs and beach balls. These large rocks could cause issues for a lower clearance vehicle, like a Subaru. A stock higher clearance SUV, like a Jeep or Bronco, should not have any issues crossing the creek. There is plenty of room for a couple of vehicles to park if you choose not to cross the creek, but would still like to hike to the end of the trail to enjoy the views.

Camping is available at the trailhead, where you will find an established fire ring and enough room for multiple rigs.

Bald Mountain Gulch Cutoff is an out-and-back side spur off the Bald Mountain Gulch main trail. This side route once went through private property and connected to CR 300 at the west end of Arnold Gulch. However, the old route across private property is now closed, making the Bald Mountain Gulch Cutoff an out-and-back trail. There is a large turnaround area where the private land begins.

There is minor erosion damage along the trail and a few rocky sections, but there will be no challenge to a stock high-clearance 4x4.

Dispersed campsites along the route have views of the Arkansas River Valley and the Collegiate Peaks.

County Road 26 is a short out-and-back spur off of County Road 2. The trailhead is relatively hidden in plain sight due to stream rubble, but the road is easily managed by any high-clearance vehicle. It provides four designated camping sites, each able to hold two vehicles, with the largest one at the end able to handle up to four vehicles. The campsites only have a fire ring and no other amenities.

Chestnut Trail, set amidst the splendid backdrop of Colorado, offers a serene off-roading journey, seamlessly blending easy terrain and breathtaking landscapes. The trail is surrounded by the vibrant tapestry of aspen groves and lush meadows with panoramic views of the looming Rocky Mountains. Significantly, the trail also offers a poignant glimpse into the region's history, presenting striking vistas of the Hayman Burn scar, an awe-inspiring testament to nature's resilience and regrowth. Chestnut Trail, with its easy accessibility and encapsulating scenery, is a must-visit for drivers of all levels, providing a unique combination of peaceful exploration and a raw, evocative perspective on Colorado's natural history.