Open in App
Upload to Gaia GPS
Please wait - Uploading to Gaia GPS
Deer Creek
Trail Information
Status
Open
Distance
3.67 mi
Nearest Town
Montezuma
Management Agency
White River National Forest
District
Dillon Ranger District
Highlights
Deer Creek 4WD trail is the easiest of the trails heading out of Montezuma. It works its way south up the valley and summits at the Continental Divide, connecting with a few other popular 4WD trails in the high alpine tundra.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
- Easily identify whether the trail is stock friendly or not.
- View 14 specific concerns along the trail such as height and width restrictions.
MODERATE
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
Upgrade to our All-Access Membership to get:
- A better understanding of the trail's difficulty with a 1-10 technical rating scale. Read More about our Rating System
- A written description of everything underneath the tires including road/trail surface and obstacle information.
Start your next adventure on Deer Creek
Upgrade your Membership
Unlock all of the details on every Trail Guide and Scout Route.
Start a 7-day Free Trial
Trint Ladd
Official Crew
Uploading to Gaia GPS
Share Trail
Trail Navigation
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
Don't miss out on possibly the most essential part of
a Trails Offroad trail guide! All-Access members love
our Waypoints for:
- Pin-pointing obstacles, points of interest, directional changes, and more.
- Seeing three photos with every Waypoint for the maximum level of 'know before you go.'
- Quickly seeing where dispersed camping is located.
- Our integration with Follow Mode on the Trails Offroad app.
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
When you are an All-Access member, our trail guides
come with a short video of the author running the trail
to give you a visual understanding of what to expect.
Dispersed
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
Upgrade to our All-Access Membership and get full
camping details like:
- Photo of available camping
- Full description of dispersed vs. campground details and regulations
- Links to permitting websites if required
Starting Point
Keystone
The following describes Deer Creek 4WD trail from north to south. From US 6 at Keystone, take CR 5, Montezuma Road, east for 4.9 miles to the tiny village of Montezuma. Continue straight through town and a further 3.3 miles. At a wide meadow, the trailhead has a parking area on the right.
To run this trail from south to north, the southern trailhead is at the junction of Middle Fork Swan River, Saints John Road (FS 275), and Deer Creek Road (FS 5).Please follow all posted signs and regulations while passing through the Town of Montezuma.
Trail Reviews
4.9/5 (49)
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 09/03/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Easier
Ran reverse of guide. We went up Saints John and came down Deer creek. I like the lower forested section. Fair amount of traffic headed up on a sunday morning.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/21/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
I gave Deer Creek 5 stars just for the scenic views from the top. We ran Deer Creek from Montezuma to the top, then ran Saints John back to Montezuma. It makes a nice run. Trail has been smoothed out in spots since last year. The trail in mostly narrow with few turnouts. We ran it on a Monday so there wasn't much traffic.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/30/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
By the time we made it over Middle Fork Swan, the sun and turn to drizzly rain. It was actually kind of nice as it cooled things off.
Open
Rated
3/5
Visited: 07/12/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Great views towards the end. Nothing special about the trail itself.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/09/2023
Totally open no snow
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/01/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Deer Creek is open through. There is one last snow drift at the highest switchback that forces you to the inside of the turn, but it is passable.
Seasonal Closure
Visited: 06/20/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
We went to Peru Creek and Chihuahua Gulch. Chihuahua Gulch was open all the way. Water not high at all. Then we went to Deer Creek with little expectation. We went up switchbacks on the right at the start of the trail. Came out where Deer Creek starts up. Hit snow right around where the old mud pit was with the remains of the telephone poles that were stacked there. Too much snow to continue; only going to get worse. Came back down and could not leave via the trail as the gate was locked. So, we went up and around the switchbacks again to get out.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/30/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
I ran up to somewhere between waypoints 6 and 7 where the trail is narrow in the trees. There was packed snow starting back in Montezuma. By the time I turned around the snow was a few inches deep. It was not the depth of the snow that turned me around, it was the ice underneath. When I started sliding sideways toward trees, I called it and turned around. There will be more snow higher up. So, is the trail passable? Not by me, but maybe by someone else.
View More Images
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/17/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Ran Saints John and Deer Creek with detour to top of Radical Hill then back down to Montezuma. Almost no snow/ice anywhere, though a little more in a few spots on the Deer Creek side; no issues, just got the 4Runner a little dirty. Stopped for a bit to photograph pika in their talus habitat, getting ready for winter. The water breaks sure made for a rollercoaster feel to the trail. Only scraped hitch once on one of them.
View More Images
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 09/11/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
The USFS is working on trails in this area. On Sunday, 9/11/22, we found about a half-dozen new water breaks from just before Radical Hill to the end of the trail. These water breaks are HUGE, 4 or 5 feet tall, but they are not "sharp" so no need to worry about scraping trucks with bad break-over angles. I assume they are working their way down the trail toward Montezuma, so expect more of the unexpected. (By the way, they're also working on Saints John and it has really changed the "flavor" of that trail. See my trail review there.)
View More Images
Open
Visited: 08/19/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Easier
On the "easy" side of "moderate". This is a great trail for a less experienced Jeeper. However, at the top you have to decide whether to take Sts. John or Radical Hill back to Montezuma, or Middle Fork or North Fork down to Tiger Road in Breck. Of those 4 options, Middle Fork is the easiest way down.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/14/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Nice trail out of Montezuma through the trees to the top. Beautiful 360 degree views. Made it all the way to top and checked out some of the connecting trails. Overlooked Radical Hill and Webster Pass. Could see Red Cone in the distance.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/17/2022
Ran this down from Middle Fork Swan. Trail is in great shape. Just wet enough to not be dusty. LOTS of campers out there this weekend. Pretty much every trail-side campsite was occupied.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 07/04/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Beautiful trail with great views up top! Ran across a family of goats with new babies that were awesome to see bouncing around!
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/25/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Gorgeous day!! Deer Creek is open through.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/16/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Made it all the way to top, overlooked Radical Hill and Webster Pass. We had to come down the same way, St Johns had snow drift blocking top, and Middle Fork was also blocked by snow… Should be gone in a few days.
Partially Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/08/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
We ran up Deer creek to see how it was shaping up. We fished the lower beaver ponds and stream and caught nothing. After that we made it to 11,000 feet and hit tons of snow in the trees after the meadow and stream cross.
It will be weeks before this is good to the top probably.
Open
Visited: 05/27/2022
Dillon Ranger District has opened the seasonal gate. The trail still has some snow and could be impassable to vehicles.
Impassable
Visited: 10/26/2021
Reports of snow at high elevations and folks going off trail to avoid drifts. While this trail may be passable by experienced groups in very capable rigs, we feel it safer to designate the trails as *IMPASSABLE* at this point.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 09/25/2021
Difficulty Accuracy:
Easier
Ran this South out of Montezuma to join up with Saints John. Trail is pretty straight forward with no real challenges. The run through the trees is peaceful and then opens up to beautiful views from the top.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/14/2021
2018 4runner TRD Off Road w 3 inch lift and sliders. Fun trail. The 3 rating seems correct. There is one shelf road but it is not too bad and you can see oncoming traffic. Great views at the top. We ran it up and down.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 08/13/2021
Great views from top! This is one of the easier trails in the region. Any stock 4x4 with low range should be able to do this.
Ran trail in reverse from South to North ending in Montezuma. Did trail as a loop, starting with Saints John. Saw some marmots! And mushrooms.
View More Images
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/02/2021
Ran this trail 8/2 with my Ram 1500 with 33s and sliders from middle fork of the swan down to Montezuma. Had no issues at all, though there were a couple obstacles along the way to make it interesting.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/16/2021
One of the easiest trails in the area but still my favorite. Love seeing the mountain goats.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/26/2021
Wet, sloppy day. But any day on the trail is a good day.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/02/2020
Drove this 8/2 in stock 2019 Tacoma SR. Drove up from Montezuma Easy trail good views.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 07/13/2020
I went on this trail last year and with the trail washout from the snow melt, it seemed much more challenging in the beginning, but once you got out of the rocky forest section, the views were still amazing!
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/11/2020
Drive this and Saints John. Both were dry and very busy. There’s some deep tire tracks on the top of Saints John where someone really tore deep into the alpine tundra to illegally go around snow at some point. Very disappointing to see people do stupid things like that.
Open
Visited: 06/30/2020
Road is open and snow-free to the top. Most of the other connecting roads were blocked by snow.
Open
Visited: 06/20/2020
Drove up above tree line. Got to the second switchback before having to turn around due to snow.
Impassable
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/19/2020
Snow blocks the trail above the last switchback.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/02/2019
Fantastic Trail. Hooked up with the St. John's Trail for a loop back near the starting point. Not too crowded on a Friday. Be careful on the lower switchbacks as we did run into groups of four plus side by sides and Jeeps and it is hard to pass. Overall a great trail and in great shape right now.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/27/2019
Great day today! We went up Deer Creek and down Saints John and made a few friends along the way. (Photos by my awesome wife.)
View More Images
Open
Visited: 07/20/2019
Completely open and completely dry. Still can’t link to Saints John due to snow, but we had a great time. Even met some horned friends at the top. Stock 4Runner with Wildpeaks. Had no issues.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/11/2019
Made it all the way to the top with only 1 minor snow patch left that will likely be completely melted in the next couple days. Trail is in good condition and very accessible.
Partially Open
Visited: 06/29/2019
Seasonal gate is open, but snow soon blocks further travel. Area was vey popular with campers and other OHV users. Several hikers on the road so good to be careful as you travel.
Partially Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/27/2018
Beautiful sunny day. Alternating snow and mud from the trailhead. After waypoint 4 the snow gets hard packed and slick. Since I was riding solo, I decided to turn back between waypoints 5 and 6, when I started sliding sideways.
P.S. The new USFS signage on Montezuma Road is AWESOME!!
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 09/22/2018
Pretty easy trail, we ran it in a stock 4Runner. There are some narrow points where passing vehicles would be difficult. Not much color in late-September.
View More Images
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/03/2018
Ran this down hill as part of the Saints John loop. Clouds moved in with rain but it was a nice day wheeling.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/04/2018
100% open, finished this as part of a connector with Sts. John, made for a great loop. Overall the whole trip took us about 4 hours including time to explore a bit and take photos. Stock 4Runner, no issues.
Open
Visited: 06/25/2018
Open and no snow. Ready to go.
Partially Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/08/2017
Summit County has had a couple of snow storms now. Most trails that go above treeline are blocked with snow.
On Saturday, 10/7, a group reported the trail impassible at the switchbacks just above tree line. On 10/9 another, bigger snow storm hit the area.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/20/2017
We took our SxS up North Fork and looped around Saints John, Deer Creek, and Middle Fork. I guess since school has started the crowds are winding down. We only saw a handful of SxS's and and two trucks the whole day.
Even with some recent rain, the trails are pretty dry and sometimes dusty. Afternoon storms rolled in and made us nervous about lightning, but we only got a few sprinkles of rain.
Over all, a great day!
Open
Visited: 07/15/2017
Trail was open all the way through. We started at the top and went down into Montezuma after coming up Saints John. The views from this trail are nothing short of amazing and this trail is a great way out, or into a day of the trails in this area.
View More Images
Partially Open
Visited: 06/24/2017
As of Saturday, June 24th, the seasonal gate on the Montezuma side was still closed but is expected to be open in the next few days. However, the trail is passable from the top and can be accessed via North Fork. Working in partnership with the Forst Service, we were able to clear the last remaining snow drifts and install some new signage. Some snow may linger for a few weeks, but not very likely.
View More Images
Partially Open
Visited: 06/24/2017
As of Saturday, June 24th, the seasonal gate on the Montezuma side was still closed but is expected to be open in the next few days. However, the trail is passable from the top and can be accessed via North Fork. Working in partnership with the Forst Service, we were able to clear the last remaining snow drifts and install some new signage.
Partially Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/21/2017
Snowmobiles are still taking full advantage of the late snowfall. Another foot was added last week. The snow appears hard packed, but that's deceiving. I hiked up about 100 yards from the northern trailhead and, even on foot, broke through the crust a couple of times. There are 6+ foot drifts in the trail that the snowmobiles have been going around. We've still got several weeks before the trail will be truly open.
View More Images
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 11/12/2016
The late coming of winter in 2016 means that most of the high passes are still open in mid November.
The lower, treed sections of Deer Creek have a few ice patches. Places were spring water crosses the trail have iced over forcing the spring water to run down the trail where it has frozen into an ice rink. These are not very long and are passable with careful tire placement, plenty of momentum, and, if those aren't enough, some traction control device (like lockers).
The forest service will be closing gates on November 23rd, so there's only one weekend left anyway.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/31/2015
We camped along Saints John trail and hit up Deer Trail as well. It was an easy trail with a lot of beautiful scenery. Easy trail for a beginner.
From the Community
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
Ask the author of a trail guide any questions you may have and
get a direct answer from the author and the community! One of
the many perks that come with an All-Access Membership.
Trint Ladd
Mapping Crew - Colorado
Trint grew up riding dirt bikes in the creek beds of the Texas Panhandle. While attending college in Colorado in the late 1990's, he saw a magazine article about a Ford Explorer four-wheeling club. He never saw his Explorer as an adventure vehicle before, but quickly joined up and caught the bug.
With his engineering background, Trint has always respected the factory design of a good truck (and recognized when manufacturers put cheap parts into something marketed for off road use). "A good driver, with a well built, stock truck can do trails that would break a $50k, built-up rig with an inexperienced driver."
He put that 1st gen Explorer though hell and it always held up, earning great respect from the "big dawgs" in the club. (And earning the nickname, "The Idiot Stocker.") The truck was christened "BamBam" because of the frequent sounds ringing out from the factory skid plates.
Now that Trint is "grown-up" (quotation marks intentional), he's a bit less inclined to dent up his 2011 Toyota Tacoma, but still feels the same way about superior engineering. The "Stocko Taco" wheeled for over 10 years with no mods other than trail armor. In 2021, it finally got a couple of inches of lift... and a new name: "Taco Supreme."
Trint's love for the mountains was ingrained at a very early age. 8mm film exists of 18-month-old Trint in a backpack on his dad's back while riding dirt bikes through the mountains of Red River, NM. Although Trint does enjoy a good, tough, technical rock trail, he can often be found on easier, winding, Alpine roads just taking the glory of God's country.
Visit Profile
Start a free trial and get this level of detail on every trail
guide
Start Free Trial
Print Trail Guide
Purchase
Company
Community
Recent Updates
By clicking "ACCEPT", you agree to be the terms and conditions of each policy linked to above. You also agree to the storing of cookies on your device to facilitate the operation and functionality of our site, enhance and customize your user experience, and to analyze how our site is used.