Bard Creek

4.5/5 (33 reviews)
Empire, Colorado (ClearCreek County)
Last Updated: 05/25/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

This fun, rather easy trail, is right out of the town of Empire and provides some beautiful scenery and a nice trip through the valley. This easy trail has easy access from Denver through Empire. The trail offers some scenic views at the beginning and is a nice forest drive. For a good balance of scenery and challenge, combine this with Democrat Mountain for a full day of off-roading.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.5/5 (33)
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 05/29/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Easier

There's really only one small section that requires picking a line in a stock Gladiator, most of the road is just an easy bumpy dirt and rock road. Gorgeous scenery of the forest, aspen glades, and creek. At the end the creek forks into 10 or more segments through the old mining cabin and mine and a foot trail goes further upstream.
Impassable
Visited: 04/29/2023

Got shut down by snow drifts at a cabin right after waypoint 3. First was a spot that I managed to get through after hitting it at speed like 6 times. Unfortunately right after that and just before the first creek crossing I came on a deeper spot of snow drift and my back end tried to go off trail. Almost got stuck there but managed to get back on the trail and back out like 300 yds till I could turn around. Glad it happened where it did though, Another 10' and I was crossing a culvert and it would have been a much worse spot for my back end to get squirrelly. None of it was tracked and was very slushy and I have open diffs currently. With lockers it should be doable but go with a buddy so you can actually do a recovery unlike me ><
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 04/17/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Fun trail. Enjoyed it on a Monday. One other person on the trail. Couple of massive snow drifts so had to reverse down a bit.
Impassable
Rated 5/5
Visited: 01/27/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Turned around halfway between waypoint 3 and 4. Large drifts and very narrow, extremely difficult to turn around.
Official Crew
117100
Impassable
Visited: 12/31/2022

Impassable until early summer.

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