Cloverdale Mine

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4.8/5 (23 reviews)
Westcliffe, Colorado (Custer County)
Last Updated: 08/01/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

The trail to Cloverdale Mine is a mix of great scenery, history with a small amount of technical driving. There are two lakes on this route, each making a great place for lunch or overnight camping. Fallen trees, loose gravel, large rocks, muddy areas, and narrow roads are all things you should prepare for on Cloverdale Mine. Even with the lower elevation countryside burned from past fires, the scenery is amazing. New vegetation is beginning to grow and wildlife can be seen throughout the forest.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.8/5 (23)
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Official Crew
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31700
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/30/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Open and clear to the top. As Ray stated previously, lots of timber deadfall aside the road, and of course--lots of rocks! It seems that some spots have been 'braided' by SxS vehicles seeking a smoother ride. Pity.
Trail Review: Cloverdale Mine - Tracy Barker
Trail Review: Cloverdale Mine - Tracy Barker
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9400
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/08/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Very rocky, some of the switchbacks have larger rocks that will grab your diff if you take a bad line. There is tons of dead fall that has been cut back decently but still threatens to scrape a body panel. A large rock has fallen onto the trail shortly after WP8, pitching your vehicle towards the edge of the shelf road. There are several obstacles similar to the one described at WP10, not mentioned in the guide. Most of the upper trail is narrow, so passing is difficult. Camped near the creek at WP8 and enjoyed the white-noise effect of the water. Explored the mining camp towards the end and wondered what life would've been like at that altitude year round. I would be wary taking anything stock on this trail unless it is extensively armored. Overall a fairly scenic trail to access some of Colorado's rich mining history, spend a night at a spectacular campsite and explore some pristine alpine lakes.
Trail Review: Cloverdale Mine - Ray
Trail Review: Cloverdale Mine - Ray
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Open
Visited: 09/13/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

On Tuesday we only encountered a few hikers and 2 dirt bikes. The last time I was on this trail as a passenger was 20 years ago. I remembered it being wider and riddled with baby heads. Keeping in mind we are more experienced today. Having said that, the motto of the day was "4 low and slow". Since we carry a Four Wheel Camper on the back of Fern (our Tacoma), we were nervous of the pitches. Fern handled the terrain like butter, until about 2/10 of a mile from Rainbow Lake where there was a decent sized Boulder that pitched you to the outside. What was left of the road width you could see ATV Tracks. We bowed our heads, backed up until we could do a 16 point turn around. We met our gate keeper. I would have loved to conquer the boulders and been able to say we won, but alas...the trail did. Well done on the point markers.
Trail Review: Cloverdale Mine - Veronica May
Trail Review: Cloverdale Mine - Veronica May
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6150
Partially Open
Rated 3/5
Visited: 05/14/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Drove up on Saturday. There is a downed tree just before WP8 that forced me to turn around. The entire tree is on the road and my chainsaw was out of gas. Did a lot of work through the burn scar opening it up for trucks. It was cleared well for side by sides or ATV. There are several trees suspended above the trail which may be too low for tall vehicles. ATV riders told us there was a lot of snow still on the approach to the mine. It will take some work to clean up the trail. I stopped at Balman Reservoir to camp. This is still one of my favorites.
Trail Review: Cloverdale Mine - Ben Jimbo
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Official Crew
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117100
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 12/01/2021

Closed for the season! See you in 2022!

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