Colorado Off-Road Trails

Hill Top Road is a short out-and-back spur off the popular Rainbow Falls trail network in the Pike National Forest. The easy trail climbs to a great camping spot overlooking the valley below.

Located about 25 miles south of Naturita, CO, Gypsum Valley Road is a scenic drive accessible to all high-clearance vehicles. This graded dirt road presents a unique opportunity for those looking to connect with nature and explore the mining history of the region. It easily travels across a grassland valley rimmed by rugged, colorful cliffs and distant views of the La Sal Mountains in Utah. Along the route, the Gypsum Valley boat launch site serves as boat access into the Dolores River Canyon Wilderness Study Area. There are three designated campsites with rock fire rings and extra shade shelters with tables for day use. There are no other services for camping. There is no fee at this site, and camping is on a first-come, first served basis.

Because of its unique geology, the area has a long mining history dating back to the 1890s. The trail travels out to a picturesque canyon and a 120-year-old iron bridge crossing the Delores River. Near the bridge, there is one large primitive campsite and viewing area and hiking access into the Dolores River Canyon Wilderness Study Area. The trail continues beyond the bridge to join Island Mesa Road before dead-ending far out into the old mining region.

Bolita is a 3-miler spur-off of Blowout Pass cresting the saddle between Burrow Mountain and Marble Mountain. The trail is not overly difficult, though it has bumpy patches. The large campsite at the saddle has impressive views of the Jasper Creek canyon. A couple of other smaller campsites are placed randomly throughout the trail if the large site is taken or too windy.

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 6102G is a half-mile out-and-back trail with short rocky sections. The trail leads to ATV T6102D and ends at a very small area to turn around. It is suitable for any AWD SUV with decent clearance, but large groups are not 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.

Webber Park Road connects County Road 31 to the Badger Flats Trail Network, with scenic views of the Tarryall Mountains to the east along the way. The trail isn't very difficult in good conditions, and as with many of the trails in this area, there is no camping directly on this trail.

Breece Creek trail’s sole purpose is to immerse you in amazing views of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains for a mile and a half. The trail passes through rolling grass meadows and a dense aspen tree grove with fantastic fall colors when the leaves begin to change. 

The trail is capped on both ends with cattle gates. Please close the gate behind you. The simple trail has only one real obstacle, a tall lump in the road that may test a short vehicle’s break-over angle. When traveling south, continue along an unnamed trail for a short distance before connecting with Adams Avenue. Adams Avenue will ultimately connect you with Gardner Road, with more trails in either direction. 

Grazing Road, part of a mini circuit with Crazy Gulch Road and Moonshine Road, is a moderately easy trail with dirt surfaces that can turn muddy in lower areas and on the outside of the loop in a meadow. While no established campsites are along the route, dispersed camping is permitted for those seeking a rustic experience.

Quartz Road is a short trail around a giant deposit of white quartz that you can see and drive over. This trail is best for camping, though you can drive counterclockwise if you want to catch a few views.

Miles South is a 3.5-mile dead-end spur road off of Summitville. The road snakes its way down a tight, single-vehicle-wide road through dense, new-growth pine trees that severely constrict the width of this trail as they mature. The road surface is hardpacked gravel and clearly driven by logging trucks, as this was a timber harvest area not too long ago. The road ends at a gate with a small turnaround, suitable for a few vehicles. Evidence suggests people camp at the end of the road, but it is not a great site. A few hundred yards before the end of the road, look south into the trees to see a spectacular hidden mountain lake. There is room to pull off alongside the road, and the lake offers a great, peaceful, and quiet hike-in campsite.

Driving through the picturesque La Sal Creek Canyon along Highway 90 in western Colorado, a small green road sign marks the southern trailhead for the only way up the towering sandstone cliffs. Hidden behind the overgrown trees, the narrow shelf road with eight tight switchbacks leads to the Two Mile mining area and eventually connects to Paradox Road. Both trailheads are steep and narrow, but the southern trailhead is the most difficult. The climb is rutted with loose dirt and rocks. There are washouts across the trail that require slower speeds in low-range 4x4. No big rock ledges or obstacles exist, but high clearance and durable tires are mandatory. It's narrow, so passing must be strategic on the rare chance you will pass someone on this very lightly traveled trail. You will not find any primitive camping along this route. You can find the area's best camping at the northern end of Paradox Road at Buckeye Reservoir.

NFSR 438.A is a rocky spur located off of Badito, NFSR 438. According to the map, the trail passes the site of the Stumbling Stud Mine, although there is no longer any evidence of the mine. There are tight spots between trees, and you will likely get pinstriping on the side of your vehicle. The trail ends after three-quarters of a mile in a grassy field. There is no camping on this spur.

Connecting Eagle Road, Wave Road, and Bobcat Road, Red Rocks-Nighthorse Trail is a scenic multi-part and multi-use trail that travels along the ridge above the Gunnison Gorge, completing the eastern section of the Wave-Eagle Loop. The Red Rocks-Nighthorse Trail is open to 4x4 vehicles only on the southern and northern ends of the trail. The middle section connecting Bobcat and Ute Road is only open to single-track vehicles. The trail is extremely scenic with several awesome viewpoints providing unobstructed views in all directions. It traverses heavily lined pinyon-juniper slopes where pinstripping is incredibly hard to avoid.

Between Eagle Road and Wave Road, Red Rocks-Nighthorse is a fairly easy but bumpy trek over chunky red sandstone slabs of less than 9 inches tall. The real challenge of the trail is between Wave Road and Bobcat Road, where the sandstone becomes the dominant terrain feature, creating many sharp steps and blind drops. One ledge in particular, less than a quarter mile from the Bobcat Trailhead, is a 2-foot ledge with a severe undercut. OHVs are small enough to squeeze between the ledge and the cliffside drop without having to negotiate it, but any other vehicle has no choice but to drop or climb the ledge using extremely careful tire placement. If planning to complete this whole trail, it is recommended to have a small lift, larger tires, and undercarriage skid plate protection.

Camping can be found at several scenic viewpoints along the trail, though sites vary in size and the rocky ground limits comfortable tent placement. Rooftop tents, cots, or other elevated sleeping setups are better suited to the terrain than traditional ground tents.

Forest Service Road 372.1E is a very short spur road off Gold Lake that leads to a single campsite within Roosevelt National Forest. Beyond the campsite, the road continues around a corner for a very short way, but it very quickly narrows, gets very rocky, and crosses into private property. There is no place to safely turn your vehicle around beyond the campsite, so it is not advised to drive this road beyond the campsite. Please do not continue down the road onto the private property.

Carson Lake connects Anderson Reservoirs Road with Lands End Road. It travels north-south, and on the north side of Lands End Road, the road surface is rough, rutted, and rocky but not technical. South of Lands End Road, the road is smooth and maintained. On the north side, there are several boondocking and camping locations where one can find a site with a view of one of the several small bodies of water that can be seen. High clearance will be desired on this road, but 4WD in normal summertime conditions is not required.

At the end of the road, on the south side, is Carson Lake, which is the primary source of drinking water for many of the surrounding towns. There is only one location to camp, and it is not near the water.

Upper McClellan Spur Road #1 offers a scenic and rocky journey, serving as a connector between Santiago Mine Road and Leavenworth Creek Road, with an additional link to Santiago Road leading directly to the historic Santiago Mine. This trail provides a rugged experience through picturesque landscapes, ideal for those looking to explore the area's rich mining history. While dispersed camping is permitted, no established sites have been observed, making this trail best suited for being part of a day trip.

St. Petes Shooting Range Road is a small spur off Gold Camp Road, providing access to alternative views of St. Peters Dome. Contrary to the trail's name, target shooting is no longer allowed in this area. Primarily, this road serves as a simple out-and-back detour for those looking to divert briefly from the traffic of Gold Camp Road. While the MVUM allows camping, the trail lacks established sites, making it suitable only for those prepared for basic hike-in camping.

The trailhead to this small camping spur is hard to see off Rampart Range Road but provides camping that doesn't require a fee or reservation. The road is relatively easy though it does have ruts. There are a couple of established campsites nestled amongst the pine along the trail.

Monon Hill Road is a short, dead-end spur road off Bachelor Road, 5 minutes west of downtown Creede. The road offers abundant dispersed camping and spectacular views of the Rio Grande Valley. The road starts as an extremely easy, hard-packed road and passes numerous large and level campsites good for travel trailers and RVs. The sites at the beginning are fairly close together, so you will definitely hear your neighbor's every move. Large recreational vehicles should be aware that the farther along the road you travel, the rougher it becomes. At 0.4 miles, you travel down a moderate, loose slope that could be troublesome for these large vehicles, especially when traveling back up this hill. After the hill, a few more dispersed sites are spaced well away from each other before the trail dead ends overlooking a tailings pond.

Badger Gulch Road, a camping spur off County Road 31 in the Badger Flats Trail Network, offers a slightly rough trail with numerous camping options. Campers and visitors will encounter several spots where the natural scenery shines through, providing delightful vistas to go with your campsite. With its accessible rough terrain and plentiful camping spots, Badger Gulch Road is perfect for those seeking a blend of outdoor adventure and scenic beauty in their getaway.

Sunnyside Cutoff is a short connecting road between Bachelor Road and Miners Creek Road. The road is a graded dirt road with a gradual grade, making it suitable for any vehicle. Sunnyside Cutoff follows alongside a draining with steep slopes to either side. Because of the terrain off the trail, there is no suitable camping. Plenty of dispersed camping options exist along nearby roads like Miners Creek, Shallow Creek, Monon Hill, and Bachelor Alternative.