Colorado Off-Road Trails

East Branch Road, FR 392A, is a picturesque two-mile Pike National Forest trail in the Tarryall Mountains near Fairplay, Colorado. The north-south route passes through dense forests and offers stunning natural scenery, complete with dispersed camping sites. It is an access point to Lost Park Road, leading to Topaz Mountain, known for its campsites, trails to Lost Creek Wilderness, and rockhounding opportunities.

Part of a larger trail system on the south side of Lost Park Road, it's ideal for beginners, campers, overlanders, and sightseers, with technical difficulty ranging from easy to moderate. The trail features rough dirt, mud, occasional snow, and ruts. The northern last quarter-mile is the most challenging. 4WD is recommended for navigating this section. East Branch Road is best visited from late spring to fall and also offers snow wheeling from late winter to early spring for those properly equipped.

FS 703.2B is a short, steep, and rough spur at the end of Homestake Road that leads from the bottom of the John P. Elliott Dam to the top of the dam and Homestake Reservoir. At 10,267 feet above sea level, this 225-foot-tall dam was completed in 1967 and collects water from several creeks, including Homestake, Sopris, Fancy, French, and Missouri. From here, water travels through the Homestake Tunnel to Turquoise Lake. Non-motorized boating and fishing are popular activities at Homestake Reservoir. The road is not technical, but it does have many potholes, erosion ruts, and a fair amount of exposed rock protruding through the road surface, making for a bumpy, rough ride. This road is not suitable for low-clearance vehicles or passenger cars. High-clearance vehicles with rugged offroad tires will easily handle the road, and likely never put it in 4WD.

Camping in the area is restricted to designated sites only, of which only one small site exists along this section of road. It can accommodate one, possibly two vehicles if you squeeze tightly.

Smokestack Road is part of the Badger Flats Trail Network and offers a quick drive through the forest with a large rock formation at the end, which is a great spot for a secluded lunch! Add this trail to your day in the area for a little fun on a less-traveled road.

FR 933 is one of a dozen camping spurs along Rampart Range Road. The trail is easy, with a few washed-out spots. Campsites range in size from a single vehicle site to a site large enough for multiple rigs. A third of the way down the trail is a fork in the road. FR 933 continues to the left (north), ending at a large campsite. To the right (south) is a well-traveled spur with a large campsite at the end.

County Road 116 is a smooth-graded road primarily used to reach other areas within Colorado and Utah, but it is not a destination itself. One section has wide switchbacks that will pose no issues for any normal car. While the road does provide scenic value, it is interrupted by a plethora of oil and gas infrastructure. There is no camping along this road.

Nestled within Pike National Forest, Morgan Road is a brief yet rewarding off-roading detour. This peaceful, lightly-trafficked trail provides an escape from bustling popular paths. As you traverse its course, particularly in the lush spring, breathtaking scenes unveil themselves. Brief but memorable, Morgan Trail offers a tranquil and visually captivating slice of Colorado's natural beauty.

Traveling along a portion of the Paradox Trail, Spring Creek is a fun and moderate 4x4 route crossing the rugged Uncompahgre Plateau. The trail traverses a recovering landscape where new vegetation thrives in this high desert forest, once charred by the 2018 Bull Draw fire. The trail requires 4x4, durable tires, and high clearance for the numerous moderate challenges on this unmaintained trail. The impacts of the fire are still being felt today, as narrow ledges are becoming washed out due to a lack of vegetation stability, and several narrow spots require extra attention from the driver. In addition, deep rocky ruts are forming in the trail, and at times, grass can partially hide the track, making navigation difficult at times. One deep dry wash crossing, Big Atkinson Creek, is a tricky spot to find where to enter, it drops steeply down into a grassy trench and back up the otherside. Drivers should use caution in this are during rain events as the flash flooding risk is extremely high. One small campsite was found in the trees around the mid-point of the route, where there was adequate room for one vehicle with a tent.

Coney Creek Spur is a short spur trail off of Coney Creek Road that navigates through a dense section of Roosevelt National Forest. The road is quite rocky and very narrow, with tight turns between tree trunks that longer vehicles would certainly struggle with. 4WD and high clearance are necessary for this road, and shorter-wheelbase vehicles will be much more comfortable navigating the turns than others. The foliage is also quite grown in, pretty much guaranteeing pin striping as the reward for driving this seldom-driven trail.

Unfortunately, there are no campsites along this trail, and almost nowhere to navigate passing or turning around if you come across another vehicle.

County Road 511, a semi-maintained and easy-to-navigate graded dirt road, links County Road 5 near Rule Ridge Road to Cedar Mountain Road's paved section. Although the road does not allow dispersed camping, nearby trails like Crazy Gulch Road, Grazing Road, and Moonshine Road offer ample camping opportunities. Drive cautiously to handle any washboarding on the road.

While ascending to over 10,300 feet, surrounded by dense forest, the views of Lone Cone and the San Miguel Mountains are fleeting, but serene. 19 miles long and bumpy, FR 618 is historically known as Fall Creek and an excellent way for beginners and overlanders to access this pristine section of the Uncompahgre National Forest. In dry conditions, the entire route can be driven in 2WD with a high-clearance vehicle equipped with off-road-type tires. Some potholes and ruts can be muddy, possibly requiring 4WD in large overland camper vehicles. Suitable camping is nonexistent along this road. However, camping is found at Woods Lake, off the Forest Road 621 spur. There you will find wonderful campsites within walking distance of a scenic mountain lake.

Cataract Lake is a short and scenic out-and-back dirt road that leads into one of the more tranquil corners of the Gore Range. Beginning off Heeney Road, this well-graded gravel track gradually winds into the Upper Cataract Creek basin, ultimately arriving at the Cataract Campground, just a stone’s throw from Lower Cataract Lake and the Eagles Nest Wilderness boundary. Though it’s only a few miles long, this trail offers a gateway to some of the most peaceful fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing in the area.

The road is smooth and accessible for any vehicle with decent ground clearance, making it a welcoming option for those new to off-pavement travel. Despite a steady climb, there are no ruts, rock gardens, or washouts to contend with, and the surrounding scenery only improves as you gain elevation. At the end of the route, you’ll find a small Forest Service campground with five well-spaced sites, each outfitted with picnic tables, fire pits, and bear boxes. This is the only camping along the road, and an ideal location for spending the night before trekking deeper into the wilderness.

Frenchman Creek is a narrow, winding trail that climbs into the San Isabel National Forest and approaches the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. The official trail on the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) ends at a random, unmarked spot with little room to turn around. However, the road on the ground physically keeps going much further than the MVUM route shows.

There are no notable obstacles on this trail, but there are a few steep sections that reach a maximum of 15 degrees of incline. The trail also has several spots that squeeze between trees, which could pose a problem for larger vehicles and full-size trucks.

There were a handful of campsites along the trail.

22 Road is the easiest way to experience the uranium mining history and abundant scenic splendor in this unique landscape of western Colorado. The area was mined from around 1910 through the 1980s, producing over 70% of the uranium ever found in Colorado. Beginning from the southeastern trailhead along Highway 90, the trail begins as a gravel road passing two out-and-back campsites tucked up near the red sandstone cliffs. Continuing up Sawtooth Ridge, the scenery becomes increasingly expansive above the valley and at a couple of epic campsites on the cliff. Once on top of the mesa, you can stop at an old mine site with an outbuilding and a large mine tower. The trail winds a long distance across the boulder-strewn mesa, gradually descending to the Department of Energy's uranium waste disposal site. The area is fenced off and clearly marked with radioactive signage. The final descent is along the narrow ledge above Hieroglyphic Canyon, eventually ending at Highway 141 along the San Miguel River. The entire 18-mile trail can be completed in 2WD vehicles with durable tires and high ground clearance. Camping is sporadic along the route, with the best being near Highway 90 trailhead and Sawtooth Ridge.

The El Blanco trail is a scenic and moderately challenging connector road which climbs over an unnamed pass on the flanks of Pool Table Mountain. It can be combined with multiple other roads in the area to form an alternate route to/from Pool Table Road and Wheeler Geological Area, facilitating a multi-day overland route through the area east of Creede. The main challenge is a steep climb between the junction with Pool Table Road and the saddle on top of the ridge, which is covered in loose rock and dirt and would be very slick in muddy conditions. Low range and good traction will absolutely be needed to negotiate this hill safely. The remainder of the trail is mostly rutted dirt with small, embedded rocks.

Once on top of the ridge, the trail levels out and the trees thin, providing panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. For those on ATVs, there is trailhead for a 50" trail that follows the ridge to the north for a long way. The trail ends at a 3-way junction at a flat grassy meadow in Divide Park. From there, you can stay on FR 630 to follow the Agua Ramon Road down the mountain or explore the other roads in the area, with multiple loop options back to Creede or down to South Fork. There are no established campsites along this road.

Beaver Creek is an easy trail, composed of mostly compacted dirt. There are a few areas of loose rock, but nothing too concerning. Although the trail is not a busy one, there is limited space to pass, so be mindful of oncoming traffic. The majority of the trail winds between dense evergreen trees with occasional glimpses of the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range to the west. Ultimately, Beaver Creek dead ends into a large flat area with plenty of room for multiple rigs. The St. Charles trailhead can also be found at the end of Beaver Creek. From here you will have to turn around and head back the way you came.

There is a large flat campsite at the beginning of Beaver Creek that can accommodate multiple rigs. If this one is already occupied, there are plenty more options in the immediate area.

Breaking off Park Creek, Park Creek C is more entertaining, with multiple sharp dips and small rocky patches. If you want more excitement, this is an excellent alternative to the main trail. Vehicles with poor approach and departure angles may scrape when crossing these dips, and every passing storm may cause them to get worse or even wash out completely. There's camping along the trail's north end, with plenty more options on Park Creek.

Saylor Park Road is a simple dirt road that meanders alongside a creek in a scenic valley off Rampart Range Road. This tranquil route offers dispersed camping, including a spacious site midway along the road, making it an ideal spot for campers with trailers seeking a peaceful getaway. Surrounded by the gentle sounds of flowing water and the shelter of the valley, Saylor Park Road provides a perfect escape into nature, where visitors can relax, unwind, and enjoy the serene outdoor environment.

Located within the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area at the Rabbit Valley exit along I-70, this easy scenic 2.5-mile connector trail quickly climbs up the rocky cliffs to wonderful primitive camping off the interstate. The area offers mountain biking at Mack Ridge/Kokopelli and additional 4x4 trails across I-70 in Rabbit Valley. The Trail Through Time, adjacent to an active dinosaur quarry, provides visitors a chance to learn about fossils and paleontological finds in the area. The area is home to mountain lions, desert bighorn sheep, elk, deer, eagles, and collared lizards.

The camping is limited to the designated sites at High North Campground. Campsites must be booked through an online reservation system and limited to 7 nights per month.