Crystal City

I have to disagree with some folks here. This is by no means an easy trail. The shelf roads are some of the scariest we have ever done (and we just finished a week in Lake City/Ouray). I would be hesitant to do this one again. It is either scary or very bumpy. The mill is pretty cool and the Slow Groovin BBQ restaurant in town is very good. But the drive itself is not that fun (there are not serious obstacles however). I doubt I will be back. I would recommend having 4 low for the steepness and avoid weekends as there is not room to pass on the shelf roads.

Not sure I agree with the rating on this. “Maybe” one obstacle just before the Schofield Pass section, but otherwise it’s a dirt road. It has some shelf sections but there’s ample passing. Very busy with SxS and other tourists.

Crystal is a well-preserved ghost town. It appeared that many of the homes get regular use in the summer but other buildings are completely abandoned. Seems like the 3 rating is pretty accurate. Recommend at least a high clearance 4x4.

Trail was open and had no snow on it. Overall it was easy. Saw a stock forester and several full sized trucks on it, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Closed for the season! See you next year!

This marks my first review on TRAILS OFFROAD and my first real "off road" excursion in my 2002 Ford Excursion. WOW, Crystal Mill has always been on my bucket-list to not only see in-person but photograph as well and the trail, scenery, and site will not disappoint! The trail was no problem for this rookie and my full-size ride. She climbed and cleared anything the trail had. I arrived at the trailhead late at about ~3:30pm on a Thursday during the fall colors hoping most had already headed back but worried everyone might just be heading back and was a little nervous about passing other folks. I encountered about 8-10 vehicles and a handful of side-by-sides/atv's. A few narrow passing's on the steep ledge/edge areas had me a bit nervous but nothing the wife could help spot/guide me with and folding in the mirrors couldn't handle. I was worried about pinstriping and the mirrors to some abuse but overall it was okay. After a wash I did notice a few light marks but nothing major and will probably buff out just fine. I know I should expect this and if I plan to hit more off road trails like this I shouldn't take a vehicle I care about but I don't have the means at the moment to own or dedicate one ride solely for trail abuse as this is our road trip vehicle too. This was a great learning experience and who knows I may consider a smaller dedicated off-road ride someday and the Ex can just trailer it around. The only disappointment was apparently the price to go down to the river at the mill jumps from $10 to $50 if they see a camera! Even as an avid hobbyist photographer I couldn't bring myself to fork over that kind of cash. Perhaps if the colors were at there peak and I arrived early to spend a large chunk of the day there I would, so maybe next time. Pretty sure if I had left the stock running boards on I would still be able to clear the trail just fine, but I took them off just encase. Probably should of aired down but being a fairly short trail and keeping slower speeds to take in the scenery it wasn't too bad; my baby (2 years old) had a great time in the car seat getting tossed around a bit:-) Got some great photos and hope to re-visit to try and get the perfect shot someday. Enjoy the photos!

Absolutely loved this trail, mostly because I have lived in CO my whole life and this was my first time visiting the Crystal Mill after seeing countless photos of it. Unfortunately the fall colors were nowhere near their peak yet but the views were still just as good as I thought they'd be. The trail itself was fun and easy on 15psi (I finished Crystal City and then went over Schofield Pass - see separate review for that).

Ran this trail from East to West on 9/25/22 in a Colorado ZR2 and a stock Silverado. The portion from the eastern end of this trail (where it meets Schofield pass and Lead King Basin) to the town of Crystal is quite rocky, difficult, and not to be underestimated. This part should be considered a "4" difficulty rating. Everything west of the town of Crystal was pretty easy and deserving of it's rating of a 3. The western portion of the trail is still very rocky and had plenty of standing water in the trail, but any high clearance 4x4 will make it. No, you should not take your Subaru/ Honda CRV/ Hyundai Santa Fe on this road. It can be done with careful line choice but you risk overheating your transmission, slicing a tire, and not having the clearance to make it over some of the rocky sections without adding some new ventilation ports to your oil pan. This trail is crowded with both vehicles and hikers, and stranding an under-equipped vehicle blocking the trail would not be a very considerate thing to do.

The Crystal Mill run is one of our favorite Colorado trails. We've been going on the loop to Marble, the Crystal Mill, Crystal City and over Lead King Basin since 1968. We try to do it in the fall when the trees are turning colors. This time the trees were just starting to turn. We stopped for some good BBQ in Marble. We paid the $10 each to go down to the Crystal Mill site for a closer look. Talked to a man that said he was the property owner and he uses the money to make repairs. Since it was a Saturday there were lots of hikers and vehicles. After seeing Crystal City we went on the Lead King Basing loop, which was more difficult then it use to be. See separate review for Lead King Basin.

Super cool trail to an amazing spot. One of the coolest shelf roads I've been on in a long time. Do it!

I think the 3 rating is an average of the difficulty from WP1 through WP5 (closer to a 2) and the difficulty from WP5 to WP6 (at least a 4). I had no issues in a stock 2 door '22 Rubicon, but that last stretch is a much different road

The trail has re-opened!

Obtained a report that Crystal Mill is TEMPORARILY CLOSED due to landslide or rockslide due to recent heavy rain. Scheduled to re-open on MONDAY August 8 per Aspen Sopris Ranger District.

We drove over Schofield Pass from Crested Butte and didn't know the road was close until we got to Marbel and saw the sign. It was wet and muddy from the rain, but not too bad. It is a great cool-down ride after Schofield Pass. Crystal City is a nice stop and photo opp at the Mill. You will want to stop at the general store and pay a small fee to access a trail down to the river below the mill. When you make it to Marble Slow Grooving BBQ was a nice stop. The Marble Gallery was a nice stop and the owner was the Supt. of the Mine. It's worth a drive up to the mine to see the river flowing over a marble riverbed.

Ran this after coming down from Lead King. Really beautiful trail that mostly runs along the river with very scenic views and waterfalls.

Not a difficult trail at all, I saw a stock Hyundai Santa Fe do it, but it does have a great view of the river for most of the drive.

Smooth going and easier than listed. Stock 4 x 4 decent clearance no problem.

Oh man, what a trail! It was wet, snowy, a bit slippery in some places, but completely spot on enjoyable! Lots of water filled / large potholes. It’s pretty tight in some places so making space for other passerby’s could be tricky. We were the only ones there so didn’t run into any snags. We attempted both Lead King and Schofield and they were impassable.

Really loved it up there and the fall colors make it that much more awesome. The trail itself isn’t hard at all and I didn’t have to drop it into 4x4, even saw some Subaru outback’s towards the top. Some spots do get tight and you’ll have to back up to let people go through.

Beautiful as ever, especially in Autumn colors. The road is in decent shape; it is rocky and bumpy, with lots of water-filled potholes, but nothing difficult. I drove a 1997 Toyota Tacoma (stock with 29" A/T tires)

The day we ran this we got out there early and avoid the weekend rush. Stock jeeps and trucks should have no issue with this trail. There are some very tight spots and blind corners which can make passing difficult. We ran this as a loop and drove Lead King Basin east to west from the Schofield pass intersection.

Still under seasonal closure under 5/21.

Easy trail. Any 4wd or AWD with ground clearance would be fine. Fall colors are in full effect. The trail was dry and dusty

Crystal Mill is pretty anytime of year, but fall makes it that much more spectacular. Currently the Aspens are bright yellow making it that much more gorgeous. Trail itself is not difficult at all and would rate it overall 3 at best for difficulty. We stayed in 2 wheel drive entire time. High clearance is needed as well as common sense and knowledge of running a trail. I'd say 50%+ of traffic has no clue that uphill has the right of way or how to communicate how many are in their party. Makes it a little more challenging in just you need to make sure you watch out for pull offs as there are a couple short shelf sections. We have done this trail 2 times and definitely heavier traffic today (just due to leaves changing). We started at 8 and trail was already pretty busy so time currently start time is most likely not going to make a difference.

Absolutely stunning trail that follows possibly the clearest river water I have ever seen. High clearance is necessary in a few spots. Low gears just make the driving a little easier but are not necessary. The road gets tight in a couple of spots but there are plenty of passing lanes. When you get to the Crystal Mill, it's private property and you must pay $10 and sign a waver to access the river for photos. The view of the mill from the river is amazing and was well worth the fee. The only downside to this trail is that is popular and you need to pay attention. There are many people on this road that do not understand offroad right-of-way and could put you in a interesting position in some of the tight spots.

This trail has been a bucket list trail for me. Crystal Mill is the most iconic image that represents Colorado, and a must-see. We decided to start the drive early in the morning and that turned out to be a good choice. By late in the day, the trail became busy, and finding a place to pass was difficult at times. I was surprised by the number of waterfalls that we saw along the way. Hikers and mountain bikers are abundant so drive with caution. This is a must do trail!

Went from Marble to Crystal Mill and back. Agree with trail rating of moderate. The only highway legal vehicles i saw at the Crystal Mill parking spot that day were off road rigs and trucks. Its like driving on a rock pile for an hour there and back. Some tights spots on a shelf road were you would not be able to pass an oncoming car for several yards. Still well worth the views! Crystal Mill is iconic and the scenery getting there is unbelievable including Lizard Lake. I would say that clearance is highly recommended. I wish i had read about the Tacoma in the river before I went because I missed it.

A truck went off the road with a nasty fall into the Crystal River last week. Truck is still there, with its driver door swinging with the water currents. It wasn't clear to me why they went off the road where they did, unless it has moved down stream from a different area of departure. Good reminder to be careful on shelf roads like this. This road is full of tourists on rental ATVs and out of state cars that just dont realize what this road is actually like. Ran into a few vehicles that froze with the deer in the headlights look when we came head to head on this road. Luckily there are plenty of spots to pull over for passing, granted the first several of them were full of cars that parked in them because they realized the road was getting too rough, so they apparently parked and hiked the rest of the way. But even for a Monday it was packed. The Crystal Mill is now such a tourist site that it's been roped off with plenty of no trespassing signs along the road where you used to be able to walk down to the river and take pictures.

Trail is clear all the way to the city. Schofield is snow packed and impassable.

Drove the Crystal Trail after descending Schofield Pass. Stopped for a brief time in the village itself, and then again at the Mill. Lots of traffic, especially hikers, even on a weekday late in the season.

Beautiful trail to Crystal Mill nothing too rough

Fun quick trail. I did it in a 2015 Ram Rebel. There are not tight switchbacks or anything but the trail can get crowded and passing people can be a challenge. There are a ton of Polaris type vehicles on the road and some inexperienced people trying to get to the mill so it adds to the challenge of trying to pass on a crowded trail. Overall though great trail with a rewarding end. I do agree with other reviewers this isn't a difficult trail by any means but it certainly isn't a 1-2.

We visited this trail while at FJ summit 13. This is a great trail and my FJ cruiser had no trouble navigating it. I did run from waypoint 2 on in four low to give more ascent /descent control but have no doubt I could have done this in four high or all wheel drive. There was an enormous avalanche that came down from the opposite bank and splashed up the side that the road is on, devastating many trees. There was an attendant at the Mill selling water and $10 passes to hike across the river and over to the Mill. No thanks, the water was just too high. The shelf road portions can be quite unsettling as several off camber parts bounce you toward the side. Portions are several hundred feet above the stream bed. If you have an aversion to heights, you will definitely find this trail exhillerating. The only negative was the amount of oncoming traffic and the limited places to pass each other. Since we did this on a Tuesday and had this issue, I can't imagine what a weekend day would be like.

I'm giving this a 2 star rating only because this trail is not as easy as the low level 1 rating makes it seem and I seriously doubt a 2wd truck could do this trail. Any stock Jeep, 4runner, 4wd pickup, or something you associate with offroading in, will be perfectly fine. The terrain is not all that difficult, just really rough so SUV ground clearance is not an issue, but there are several steep hills that we attempted with an AWD crossover and the grade was too much. And although we had enough clearance, the trail is rough enough that we had to go extremely slow and very carefully pick our lines. Around a mile from lizard lake we ditched the vehicle and hiked the rest of the way. Trail is 100% open and clear of any avalanche debris. The debris fields are pretty interesting to see. Like others said, the river is raging but the mill is a rewarding experience.

More rocky and narrow in places than a typical “Easy 1-2” rated trail probably due to recent avalanches. Awesome closeup views of the river and of course Crystal Mill which is a must see experience.

Drove the trail Sunday June 8 2019; it is in great shape minus a few debris fields from major avalanches. The river is really raging right now from all the snow melt so it has eaten away the road in one or two spots. In these debris fields the obstacles are a bit unpredictable as some large boulders and trees rolled onto the trail, but were mostly cleared, and if not, are easy to clear yourself. No snow present on the trail and camping areas are all in great shape. It does note you can do this in a 2WD vehicle but I wouldn't recommend it; that being said, a stock Crosstrek can do it, but you'd really have to pick your lines in a few spots. Is a very fun trail to drive for entry level 4x4 folks, as long as you turn it around at Crystal City. Lead King Basin is much more difficult as well as the section around Devils Punch Bowl; neither trail was open this past weekend.

The company that owns the mine announced today that the road is cleared and now open. Expect some icy/snowy spots for the next few days/weeks.

Just an update for anyone trying to get there. As of 5/24/19, the trail is impassable due to a landslide. GPS Coordinates of the landslide: Lat: N 39°03'51.1056" Lon: W 107°08'41.5068" Hopefully they get it cleared soon.

Good trail and beautiful country. Only reason I give it a 4 instead of a five is because of how busy it has become, as the mill has turned into a huge tourist attraction. I run this trail at least annually as my family owns land past Crystal and I highly recommend this trail in the middle of the week and earlier in the season, rather than on the weekend in the middle of summer. At its busiest, expect to back up the trail at least a dozen times to make room for on coming traffic. Also be prepared to deal with novice drivers that do not know proper off road etiquette. There also can be a lot of foot and bike traffic as well with some of whom frown upon motor vechicles using the trail.

White River National Forest indicates seasonal closures ended as schedule (May 21, 2018) but state further that snow still remains in spots above 9,500' elevation so be aware of runoff and muddy conditions. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd554376.pdf Note that the WRNF says travel on (connected road) Schofield Pass is NOT RECOMMENDED at this time.

Ran up to marble today. Intended to run Crystal City from the marble side. Not so much. FS was up there to do some maintenance and repair as there was quite the mud hole over the weekend. Guess a guy got his suburban stuck near the lake. The county tried to fill. But it was not good. FS got there D5 cat dozer stuck up over the tracks, as well there D3 dozer trying to get the other one out. Long story short there unstuck but the marble side is closed for the foreseeable future. Best case a few weeks, worst case tell spring. Good news is Lead King basin is open and passable as well the Schofield Pass is open. This was my route in then out. Conditions were nice weather was warm. Trip back to Glennwood springs over Keabler pass was beautiful. Pics are the marble side with the hole big enough to swallow my JKUR on 37's

I drove the Crystal City road to exit at Marble, after having driven Paradise Divide and Schofield Pass the previous day, and Lead King Basin earlier this same day. The road conditions are good; or as good as they can be, I should say, due to being shale rock over much of the course parallel to the Crystal River. It is a bumpy ride no matter which way you take it. Traffic was light, as I only encountered one ATV and one SUV, plus two mountain bikers and two pairs of hikers.

The trail up to Crystal is open. There was an avalanche but they have it cleared and is passable.

Ran this trail after running Schofield Pass from Crested Butte. Didn't run into a whole lot of traffic, just a few vehicles. One gentleman was flying his drone around the mill to get better camera angles since you can no longer go down to the river. We were lucky enough to come to the mill late in the afternoon just as the sunlight was providing ideal lighting on the structure. The trail on the way out wasn't bad at all compared to prior years. It has been a whole lot rougher in the past.