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Dakan Road
Trail Information
Difficulty - Mandatory
1 -
EASY
Difficulty - Optional
2 -
EASY
Status
Open
Distance
13.3 mi
Duration (one-way)
About 1 hour
Highest Elevation
9033 ft
Shape of Trail
Connector
Typically Open
05/01 - 11/30
Best Direction
West
Official Trail Name
563
Nearest Town
Perry Park
Nearest Services
Castle Rock
Management Agency
United States Forest Service
District
South Platte Ranger District
Highlights
Camping
ForestDakan Road is a very pleasant trail in the Pike National Forest near Castle Rock that runs from Perry Park Road to Rampart Range Road. It is suitable for all levels of drivers, and any stock 4x4 can run this with no problems. There are a few tremendous views of the front range. This trail can be a bit crowded so be on the lookout for traffic from dirt bikes, ATVs, and other vehicles.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
Recommended Vehicle:
2WD Vehicle with High Clearance
Concerns:
Summary:
The trail is a good trail for all vehicles and makes a fantastic gateway to the Rampart Range.
Community Consensus
1 votes
14 votes
6 votes
Easier
Spot On
Harder
The weighted average of your fellow members agreement of our trail rating. As trail conditions change this helps us keep the community aware of changes.
Mandatory
1 -
EASY
The hardest part of the trail that you
cannot bypass - you have to drive it.
Optional
2 -
EASY
The hardest part of the trail that is
purely optional - you can bypass it.
Dirt and/or rocky road. Potential rocks and/or tree stumps less than 5" tall and/or vertical ledges less than 5" tall and/or near vertical ledges or waterfalls less than 6" inches. Good tire placement likely. Can be steep, but with good traction. Read More about our Rating System
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Trail Navigation
Dakan Road is a dirt and sandstone four-wheel drive road that sees heavy use. It connects Perry Park Road near Castle Rock to Rampart Range Road. It does have a connector road that is a fun offshoot – that road is the top half of Jackson Creek Road and will also intersect with Rampart Range Road, across from the beginning of Long Hollow Road. It has many whoop-de-doos, and these are a whole lot more pleasant if you run this trail uphill, from the east to the west though it can be fun gaining some speed on the way down. Just make sure everything is tied down. Some spots can get pretty washed out, and some sections have deep but passable ruts, but this trail is in good condition most of the time. Traffic will be encountered in either direction so keep your eyes open. The trail is 13.3 miles long from pavement to the top of Rampart Range Road. Depending on how fast you drive, it takes at least an hour but allow an hour and a half to enjoy the sights. If you want to do it as a loop, run it from the bottom to the top, and then make a right turn (north) at Rampart Range Road, make a right at Jackson Creek, and run that FS 502/503 back to the intersection near the rock obstacle. There is only one real obstacle on the trail called the Rock.
The condition of this section has been vastly improved but can suffer from use. There are rocks that people drive on around the obstacle. It has a tremendous view. Just after this obstacle, there is a turn uphill at a Y. Make sure you continue uphill and stay on FS 563. If you went straight, it turns into FS 503 and is clearly marked, which is the top half of Jackson Creek and will also intersect with Rampart Range Road, a few miles north of the beginning of Long Hollow Road. This trail can be a bit crowded, so be on the lookout for traffic from dirt bikes, ATVs, and other vehicles. There are seasonal closures from December 1st to May 1st of each year.
1. Begin Private Property and National Forest Access ( mi)
There is a fork in the road, and you will turn left to get to the start of the actual trail. The first 2 miles are private property until you come to the gate. If you are lucky, there is a lot of wildlife on this trail.
2. First Gate ( mi)
This is the gate where they close off the trail seasonally, even if the gate at the base of the dirt road isn't closed. There are locals that have to have access to their property.
3. Rock Obstacle ( mi)
As of Late April 2018, this has been graded and is no longer an obstacle on the trail. The upper portion is still a fun playground, but the road is passable. There are rocks that people drive on around the obstacle. It has a tremendous view.
Just after this obstacle, there is a turn uphill at a Y. Make sure you continue uphill and stay on FS 563. If you went straight, it turns into FS 503 and is clearly marked, which is the top half of Jackson Creek, and will also intersect with Rampart Range Road, across from the beginning of Long Hollow Road.
4. Balancing Rock ( mi)
Really neat rock formation and spot for parking and camping. It is a good place to stop and take a few pictures.
5. Big View Camp ( mi)
This is a camp site with a view on top of the rocks
6. West End Trailhead ( mi)
This is the end of the trail where it intersects with Rampart Range Road.
Designated
There are marked camping and parking sites along the trail. They fill up quickly in the summer months. Expect a lot of traffic. If you are looking for a nice quiet spot, look elsewhere.
There is a lot of camping along Rampart Range Road as well.
Starting Point
Castle Rock, Colorado
From Exit 181 for Frontage Road/Plum Creek Parkway, head toward Wilcox Street, and turn right onto W Plum Creek Parkway. In 1.3 miles, turn left onto W Wolfensberger Road. In 4.7 miles, turn left onto CO-105 E. Travel 4.8 miles and turn right onto W Dakan Road.
There are seasonal closures from December 1st to May 1st of each year.
Trail Reviews
4.1/5 (87)
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 09/11/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Balancing Rock is a fun place to walk around. There are a couple of short sections that require high clearance and you'll likely want 4wd.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/21/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Fun and Fast. Great Views. Solid way to spend a day.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 08/12/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
This trail seemed more washed out than last year, with a few decent size ruts. Based on running it last year, I was trying to convince a buddy with a 2wd to join and it's likely good he didn't. Any 4x4 with decent clearance should be fine, but don't be deceived by the low rating thinking any car could make it through. Still a great trail with a few openings in the trees for some views, and combined with Rampart Range Road, it makes for a cool way to get from the Larkspur Jellystone campground to Colorado Springs. Allow several hours for that full trip, however.
Pictured is my Power Wagon over one of the washed out ruts. Being on a curve my truck's wheel base and width forced me to go right over many of these ruts, where a smaller vehicle could have squeezed around them on the flatter ground pretty easily.
Open
Visited: 08/07/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Fantastic ride today. Few bikes on the trail little rain to start but faded away foe sun and nice breeze.
Impassable
Rated
1/5
Visited: 08/05/2023
There is a gate that does not allow public to go through the private property
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 07/26/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
This is as described, a very pleasant drive. Cool rocks, some decent views, pretty accessible for most vehicles. Great trail to take an anxious visitor on! Looks like good first come first served campsites on trail as well, only one appears "reservable" on recreation.gov (search Rampart range dispersed) as if this writing.
Open
Visited: 07/17/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Really gorgeous and easy drive in a stock Bronco Sport - there were some dirt bikes and 4x4s to watch out for, as they were driving outrageously fast - so be mindful on spots where you can't see over the next crest in the road. I'd recommend ********** on if you're in a car - as there was dust at times that limited visibility.
Amazing rock formations! An easy drive that could be done in most cars, a handful of ruts, but nothing major.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/09/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Was a cool drive nothing extreme but still a fun trail.
Open
Visited: 07/04/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Rain has created several large ruts, there is a downed tree after the balancing rock, it does not obstruct the trail yet but may shift.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/27/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Easy trail decided to try out the stock renegade this time… and it did great on the deep ruts and washed out areas… i really didnt have faith in it and though it would come out with damage since clearance wasnt convincing but it never touch ground… it proved me wrong.. will definitely push this little rig to it limits… this trail was just a cruise and was perfect for it.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 06/24/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Ran it from Perry Park to Rampart Range yesterday. Some areas are badly washed out and rutted from all the rain this spring. The rock obstacle at waypoint 3 was exposed, though not difficult to traverse. Additionally, a tight turn just after the balanced rock at waypoint 4 was pretty bad and led to a passenger, gasp-inducing positive-camber situation while turning though. Overall, it was a great trip but lots of traffic in both directions.
Open
Rated
3/5
Visited: 05/20/2023
I drove Dakan just yesterday, and I've got to say, the recent rains have done a number on it. Be super careful if you decide to hit the road 'cause some parts are pretty messed up.
With Mt. Herman Road still closed, many people are using Dakan Road instead. This means it's getting crowded, especially with campers. Remember, though, if you're thinking about camping, you've got to reserve a spot and pay for it. It's not cool to just show up and pitch a tent - we've got to respect the rules so that everyone can enjoy their time out there.
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Open
Rated
3/5
Visited: 05/07/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Easy trail with nice camping spots and good views.
Open
Rated
3/5
Visited: 05/06/2023
Easy trail out to some great campsites.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/05/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
This is now open. Ran the entire trail all the way to Rampart Range Road. Its a very pleasant drive, a bit wet in places from all the melting snow but had no problems.
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Open
Visited: 05/01/2023
According to the MVUM, this trail is open for the season!
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 03/10/2023
The trail is currently closed. You can drive a little farther than Waypoint 2, to a large parking area with toilets.
Going downhill from Waypoint 1 back to the start, you'll have some very nice views.
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 12/01/2022
According to the MVUM, this trail has closed for the year.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 11/27/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
First time out off roading! Nice easy and pleasant trail exactly as advertised. Not much traffic - maybe 10 vehicles for entire back and forth trip. Great for beginner like me. Some nice views. A bit of snow on the ground, touch icy in some places. 4 stars only because I’d like to save 5 stars for amazing trails (else I **** we will end up with 4.9 rating for everything!).
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 11/21/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
One of our favorite go-to trails for our stock 2002 Sequoia 4WD. Light snow but not too slippery (aired down to 20 psi just to be safe) with temps in the high 30s. Agree that this is probably 1+ or 2- but we have seen plenty of stock AWD vehicles (and, once upon a time, a Saab - the woman was wearing driving gloves, it was awesome!), even in the snow. It usually closes December 1 so get your last runs in!
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/01/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Ran this trail as the last trail of the day before heading home. This trail was not hard, but based of the rating found it to be a bit rougher then expected. It was a fun trail to drive. I would rate this trail as a 2 rating not due to being a bit rougher and bumper. To me Rampart Range would be a 1 rating...a flat or washboard dirt road.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 08/09/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Good option for alternate access to Rampart Range Road. Steep upper portion (around the driveways for the hillside homes) was being graded. Otherwise encountered no other traffic on a late Tuesday morning. Great views, especially at Waypoint 3 (Rock "Obstacle"). The Balancing Rock (Waypoint 4) really is an impressive sight to see. Passable by any high clearance vehicle (that isn't too long), though having 4WD/AWD is probably recommended for traction at certain steep points. Long wheelbase rigs (e.g., 6.5–8' long-bed, full-size pickups) could have issues with the tight turns and break-over at some points.
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Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 07/22/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Easier
Not many people on the trail, bunch of big campsite for large groups.
The only annoying part was waking in the middle of the night due to people shooting.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/29/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Awesome trail. The views are incredible, and it is an easy trail. We took this up from the Jellystone Campground at Larkspur to get over to Woodland Park and avoided all the highway traffic. There are a ton of trails in this area and it's easy to get lost. Have maps, GPS, and some kind of backup navigation ready if it's your first time here.
Open
Visited: 06/05/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Trail is in great condition, most campsites were in use but all looked clean.
Open
Visited: 04/29/2022
Gates are open early this year, enjoy, and don't forget in Colorado, we Stay The Trail!
Open
Rated
3/5
Visited: 09/25/2021
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Wanted to do a short trail close to town just to get out and enjoy being in the trees for a little bit. This trail had some beautiful patches of aspen trees and it wasn't overly crowded (still some people camping, though).
Open
Visited: 09/11/2021
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Great trail with some awesome views. Nice ride to escape city life and so accessible.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/10/2021
Took our 4Runner up for a first time off road experience and couldn't have been happier. Great trail, nothing scary, perfect for first time. Awesome views and close to town. We used the Jackson Creek Rd Loop and it was beautiful. Highly recommend this trip. Will for sure be going back.
Open
Visited: 06/20/2021
Made the trip up from Castle Rock on Fathers day, the trial was in great shape with the Colorado views on the way up. We stopped to play and give the Cherokee a little workout on the "Rock Obstacle" trying multiple lines to give it a chance to check out the new sway bar disconnects. The trail has been graveled and we saw a few Subaru's which had no issues on a dry trail.
Open
Visited: 06/13/2021
Plenty of folks camping today, trail traffic was light and a great day for getting out on the trail for a pleasant drive.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 05/29/2021
Trail is open and in great shape. Saw quite a few folks camping in the designated spaces although balanced rock campsite was open which was surprising for a holiday weekend. Traffic was expectedly a little heavy but nothing that was unmanageable since the trail is wider and easy to pass.
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 05/20/2021
New camping information for this and nearby trails has been released. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/psicc/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD913573
*Special note, this trail is scheduled to open for the season on 5/21 8AM.
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 05/08/2021
You can get up through the first gate but the second gate is still closed. It says that it opens as of 5/1 but wasn't unlocked this past weekend. If you are camping, and first, there is only 1 camping spot in between the first gate and the gate uphill, on the east side on the "hill."
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 04/12/2021
The seasonal mud closure is now in effect. This closure is in effect until June 15th, or until conditions are dry enough for the Forest Service to open the gates for the year.
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Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 11/22/2020
Trail was quiet today. Forest service signs are up notifying of closure on 12/1mfor winter.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 11/08/2020
Snow is gone, trail traffic was really light and only 1 camper. Nice little road to get up in to the rampart area quickly.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 10/31/2020
Took Dakan home from playing around in Rampart. 2 - 3 inches of snow on parts of the trail. Nothing to difficult to drive over. Nice way to get home after a morning of wheeling.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 09/19/2020
Fun little road to get up to Rampart from the back side of Castle Rock. Looked like there were a lot of nice dispersed camping spots. Might be a little busy traffic wise as there was a lot of folks on the trail from dirt bikes all the way up.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 08/29/2020
Nice trail to try our our new Wrangler. Not much traffic and it had just rained so there were some fun mud puddles. Great views and nothing difficult so just about anyone could do this. Saw lots of stock trucks and even an old van.
We went late afternoon so perhaps thats why some drunken fool came blasting down the trail on a super small dirtbike and hit several trees, missed us by a hair and then continued to "not" crash down the rest of the trail. He did wave though so at least he was friendly.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/16/2020
Just a dirt road - no worries. Great route to connect to Rampart. Nothing but boulders, dirt, and pine trees. Awesome.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 07/04/2020
A great connector from Castle Rock to Rampart Range Road that I use all the time. There is a small little toilet area at the beginning that you can use before getting out. The road is used a lot by Side By Sides, ATV's and Dirt bikes, so watch for trail traffic for sure.
Open
Rated
3/5
Visited: 07/03/2020
Fun to drive through but not the most scenic. Tons of camping areas which were pretty crowded on 4th of July weekend. No obstacles on the trail but keep an eye out for side by sides, motorcycles, and vehicles taking blind turns and hills fast.
Open
Rated
3/5
Visited: 05/28/2020
Ran last night after work to the rocks around waypoint #3. Saw one camping group a little before that. Got hit with some miserable rain in the T-storms on the way down. Fun ride for sure, not super scenic. Have to take time due to loose gravel on washboards causing you to break traction super easily, even though you could take it slow in a golf cart just fine. Some fun areas to get some air in a lighter rig or OHV if you hit it right.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 05/24/2020
Nice easy trail. Quite crowded on the Sunday we drove through. ATVs enjoy this area and Rampart Range Road, I would stay away of this area in the future for camping.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/17/2020
Dakan road is in the best shape that I've ever seen it over the last five years running it. It's had a LOT of TLC. I noticed that gravel had been added to many spots. Not much washout. There wasn't much traffic on the way up earlier in the day, but on the way back down it was over-crowded and dusty. Please watch for all the other people out there on the trail and keep your eyes open.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 05/16/2020
Easy trail but an enjoyable ride. Quite a lot of traffic on a Saturday morning, mainly ATVs and side by side. Almost every camping spot was already occupied!
Open
Visited: 11/10/2019
Took my two kids starting from State Highway 105 to Rampart Range Road. Fun trail with fair amount of snow at the time and was surprised we were able to drive the entire route. Pulled off and spent some time hiking around Jackson Creek which was great except for trash someone had dumped along and in the creek.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/24/2019
Great trail - especially for someone getting used to a new vehicle. Took my wife and kids (3 and 6 years old). Got on Dakan Road from Castle Rock and took it all the way to Rampart and then back up Jackson Creek to Dakan. Beautiful trails. There were a few spots that were a little tight for my Raptor. Got my first trail stripes....I'm both happy and sad about this, but all-in-all a really great ride. Lots of really cool rock formations for the kids to get out and explore. Lots of camping spots. Traffic wasn't too bad. Only a few other full-size vehicles. Mostly dirt bikes and OHVs. Everyone was friendly and gave great communication as to the number of people in their group.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 07/27/2019
Beautiful trail with lots of camping. Nice rock formations to look at. Good way to get to Castle Rock from Rampart Range.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 06/21/2019
Drove Dakan Road Friday from East to West all the way to Rampart Range Rd. It was a lot of fun. Few small puddles, no concerns.
Went out again Saturday to camp. Lots of quad, dirt bike & side by side traffic Sunday.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/02/2019
Dakan Road is open for the season. Conditions are fantastic, dry with only a few muddy spots. There was a lot of traffic so watch for ATVs and Dirt Bikes.
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 05/21/2019
Under mud closure until 5/31/2019 https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd611536.pdf
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 05/13/2019
Still closed
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 05/02/2019
Closed due to "Wet Conditions".
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 10/21/2018
Nice easy & scenic drive. Not much traffic in the area today. Trail is in great shape.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 08/17/2018
Easy, but scenic. Didn't see many people. Found a great spot to spot and chill for lunch. Hardly needed 4x4 honestly. But very enjoyable. We only got to go about half-way due to rain that came in. Video summary attached.
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Partially Open
Visited: 07/03/2018
Please be advised that this trail may be closed at the Rampart Range (FS 300) end of the trail. There was a Police incident there on 07/02 and the area has been closed off for 48 hours while investigators work through the scene. The Forest Service does not have a good beat on the trails involved, just that this area is on lockdown and be aware that the trails in the area may be inaccessible from Rampart.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/24/2018
Took Dakan Road from East to West this morning. The trail overall was good but definitely more rutted and bumpy then previous times. Maybe due to the rain we had last week and general traffic/usage.
Open
Visited: 05/27/2018
First time on this trail. Second time off-roading! Great trail. All the camp sites were full with Memorial Day weekend, but surprisingly the trail wasn’t too crazy. Very dusty and dry but the trail was well groomed and fun. The "Rock Obstacle" was smoothed out so no problems, good for me being a newbie :P
Went right towards Upper Jackson Creek instead of staying to the left. Got a nice surprise with that trail, haha, posted a report and some photos.
At the end of Dakan Road we went north on Rampart Road to head home. It's a great loop. Want to cross over to Long Hollow Road on another trip that looks like fun.
Will want to go back so we can do a bit more sight seeing and take our time, it was just too crowded with the holiday crowd.
Celebrity sighting photo added, hey JD!
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Open
Visited: 05/26/2018
Fun little trail. Nothing really technical. There were stock vehicles all over the place, including small trucks and sedans. So the rating of "Easy" for this trail is not understated. The rock feature can be as technical as you want it to be, but mostly the road just runs through it on the left as stated. I went on Memorial Day weekend so that trail was busy, but not crowded. The most "dangerous" portion of the whole thing was getting to the trailhead. People speeding down the blind corners on the road up to the trailhead were common, had one guy almost slide into me. Otherwise, had a good time. It's an "offroad" trail, but rides more like a casual Sunday drive.
Open
Visited: 05/21/2018
Spoke with the Ranger for this about the grading going on in the area and the rock formation at Waypoint 3.
The rock obstacle that is forming at Waypoint 3 is not authorized and shouldn't be climbed. The trail rating on this trail is NOT impacted by this user created obstacle.
The grading that is being done in the area should be done soon. Much of what's being done is water run-off mitigation.
Open
Visited: 05/06/2018
Few wets spots toward the end, but dry for 95% of the trail. With the rock section newly graded this trail is easily no more than a 3 rating. Saw a Prius half way up it if that gives any indication haha. Still some rocks and bumps occasionally but nothing a stock 2WD vehicle can't handle on a nice dry day.
Open
Visited: 05/05/2018
Dakan was wetter than I'm used to which made it more fun than usual. Lot of puddles to splash through. Seems like they are working on getting it graded for the season. Had to pose a bit towards the top.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 04/28/2018
It's always a fun way to head up into the mountains. I was surprised to see how much work grading the trail had been done. Makes it a lot easier.
Open
Visited: 04/28/2018
Ran Dakan to Upper Jackson Creek. There is road work going on and apparent grading work. The entire obstacle at Waypoint 3 is gone now and there is more than a foot of dirt and stone on top to smooth the area out. There are signs people are going up the rocks to the right and the fence seems to hint that this area is actually legal but it is not clear and we do not recommend you go through these rocks.
We walked the obstacle that is forming and if legal would bring this trails rating up on the high end just a little bit. A question is out to the Forest Service to find out if this is a legal obstacle now that the old ledges are covered.
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Open
Visited: 04/23/2018
I drove the first part of this trail out to the rock obstacle at waypoint 3 for a little rock crawling practice. Looks like the road is in the midst of a maintenance cycle, as I saw bulldozers parked along the side of the road and the trail looked freshly graded, with most of the ruts and moguls smoothed out. Of particular note, a layer of dirt has been pushed over the part of the rock obstacle crossing the main road, creating a smooth ramp over the rock and making the obstacle completely optional. It would be easily passable by a 2WD car at the moment, though I expect the dirt layer will gradually get worn away and expose the rock again. Of course you can still take the hard-core lines over the top of the rocks if you want to do some rock crawling.
Open
Visited: 04/22/2018
Went out in a stock Jeep JL Sport, trail was a bit wet and muddy but nothing too crazy. Made it the whole way without needing to engage 4wd a single time.
Open
Visited: 04/12/2018
We were advised today via a Forest Service announcement that this area is open early this season and the mud and seasonal closures for the area are over and the gates are open.
Rampart Range and all singletrack side trails were also announced as being open.
Open
Visited: 11/27/2017
Just a little slush and ice. It's likely they will close this trail on time, but there is a small hope they will keep the trail open until the first big snow. There is just so little of it there at this time.
It appears as though the 'softening' of the obstacle at Waypoint 3 has resulted in a lot of off-trail usage in rigs climbing the rocks. The marks of where people have hit is obvious and it's the way trails get closed. Please stay the trail and if you see someone not, safely gather as much information as possible and report it.
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Open
Visited: 09/09/2017
Just wanted to test out the new tires and this is close to home so we took Dakan to Rampart Range. There's nothing new to not on the trail other than we noticed a lot of off trail usage. Stay the trail.
Not Reported
Visited: 08/27/2017
The trail is open all the way through. An off-trail repair that was made after a truck got stuck has been undone. Stay the trail.
The 'obstacle' at waypoint 3 is largely gone at this time. It appears as though the Forest Service has filled in a lot of the rock and it is easily passable by all vehicles at this point.
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Open
Visited: 06/17/2017
Nice pass through on the way to some other places. Very little traffic, and great conditions.
Open
Visited: 06/08/2017
Ran Dakan ALL the way through. Trail is just a little rutted from the wet season.
Open
Visited: 05/14/2017
Sunny and dry all the way to Rampart Range Rd.
Open
Visited: 05/12/2017
Open all the way through. All the snow is gone and there are only some wet muddy puddles.
Open
Visited: 05/05/2017
The sun was setting when we came down Dakan from Rampart Range and there's only one photo before it got a little too dark for more. The upper part of the road is extremely soupy and wet from recent snow. That will likely dry over the next week or so as things melt off.
Open
Visited: 04/16/2017
Dakan road is open all the way to Rampart Range Road. Almost all of the snow has melted and the trail had only a few wet patches.
Open
Visited: 11/27/2016
Trail was icy and snowy in spots.
Open
Visited: 10/17/2016
Dakan is currently open all the way through. Posted signs now say that official close date of the gate is December 1st.
Open
Visited: 09/03/2016
Not very busy, and a very pleasant day on the trail. Trail conditions were good, and there were still a number of camp sites open.
Open
Visited: 07/04/2016
There wasn't much traffic today on the the trail. A pleasant surprise. Good conditions, and beautiful weather.
Not Reported
Visited: 05/21/2016
Trail is open as of 5/20/2016 and already seeing plenty of use the first weekend. Conditions are great, no winter deterioration. Enjoy
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 05/15/2016
Trail is still closed for the season to all vehicles due to conditions
Open
Visited: 11/01/2015
The last trip down Dakan Rd. was a quick run. The day started with Justin, Todd, Chad and myself meeting in Castle Rock. Justin lead the group with Chad in tail-gun. This was the morning after Halloween and I was feeling the night before in the form of a raging headache. No big deal though we pressed on down Perry Park Rd. and onto the trailhead. We aired down outside the gate and headed down Dakan Rd. towards Rampart Range. At waypoint 3: Rock obstacle I tried a new line coming from the west side up and over. With a spot from Justin I was able to walk right up it. We stopped for a quick chat near the balancing rock where Justin had to part ways with us. It was a beautiful day, but in the shade it was quite a bit cooler. Once we reached Rampart Range Rd. we headed on to more trails in the area. The day was uneventful but this was a good chance kick tires and shake hands with some new comrades.
Open
Visited: 11/01/2015
Did a run with other contributors of the forum. There was a lot more traffic today than the day before. Very nice weather. We played around for a while on The Rock obstacle, and Chris had a lot of fun running the very difficult lines that are rated 4-5.
Great trail. Todd mentioned he didn't expect all the bumps and wanted to disconnect his sway bars. My FJ Cruiser doesn't have those, so Jeep folks be forewarned.
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Open
Visited: 10/31/2015
It was a very chilly and clear day on the trail. I did not encounter any other cars after I aired down; what a surprise! There was wild game around the road. Once I climbed above 8500’ there was snow on the ground and frost. The temp was chilly and any water left or melted from recent rain or snow was frozen. It was a very relaxing ride. The top section of the trail closer to the Rampart Range trail head was snow covered with very light snow.
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John
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John is a Colorado native who's been 4 wheeling since he got his first tacoma. His original goal of 4 wheeling was to get back into the campsites the Subarus couldn't quite get to. One trip after another, and now it's pretty much consumed all of his free time. He is currently living in Laporte, CO. When he is not coding for Trails Offroad or 4 wheeling, he also enjoys hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, and mountain biking.
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