Rampart Range Road

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3.5/5 (109 reviews)
Woodland Park, Colorado (El Paso County)
Last Updated: 07/16/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

Altitude Category Icon Altitude
Camping Category Icon Camping
Forest Category Icon Forest
Overland Category Icon Overland
Scenic Category Icon Scenic
Snow Wheeling Category Icon Snow Wheeling

Picturesque Rampart Range Road is the perfect introduction to trails on the Colorado Front Range. The 60-mile road winds through the stunning Pike National Forest and follows the entire length of the Front Range south of US 85. The road's southern end offers smooth driving and breathtaking views of Pike's Peak that will leave you spellbound. Built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of efforts to escape the Great Depression, Rampart Range Road is a testament to Colorado's history and resilience. Nowadays, the road connects counties, trails, and off-roaders, making it a hub of recreation and a popular destination for adventurers seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of Denver life. 

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

This 60-mile long and relatively wide road is graded dirt all the way through and is easy enough for most vehicles. There are no obstacles along the way, only the washboards that will rattle teeth. Rampart Range Road runs officially from south to north, and the GPX is tracked that way. It can be run either way, depending on your preference or destination.

Trail Reviews

3.6/5 (109)
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3200
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 09/11/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Drove northbound from waypoint 11 to 20. Drizzling on and off, but still passable in just about anything. Midday on a Monday and saw very few other vehicles.
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 08/24/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Relaxing drive with some great views along the way. I used it to reach some of the other trails. Found one unmarked trail (and apparently not restricted) that led to another overlook and camping spot, just south of the Northfield Road and Ormes Peak trails (between waypoints 6 and 7). It was a nice diversion, a bit overgrown (unused), and required a little more clearance.
Trail Review: Rampart Range Road - Paul Williams
Trail Review: Rampart Range Road - Paul Williams
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Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 08/24/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Very scenic easy trail with awesome views of the Pikes Peak. Used this trail to Travel from Colorado Springs to Denver and on to Loveland CO to attend the Overland Expo. This train can be easily done on a 2WD with high clearance, I was in my 4Runner but never had to go 4WD. There are a lot of side trails from the main trail and there are amazing camping spots along the way. Great overlanding trail.
Trail Review: Rampart Range Road - Vinay Yelluri
Trail Review: Rampart Range Road - Vinay Yelluri
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Official Crew
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10100
Open
Rated 1/5
Visited: 08/23/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

The washboarding and the trash are the worst parts of this trail. Unfortunately, with it being so easily accessible this trail gets a lot of visitors and can be very busy. The only nice part about this trail is that it connects you to so many different trails in the front range.
Trail Review: Rampart Range Road - Tyler Genevish
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 08/12/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

This is a beautiful trail with views of quite a few different types of Colorado terrain over its run. We took Dakan Road from the Larkspur Jellystone campground up to Rampart Range, then down into Colorado Springs. It's cool to watch the terrain slowly changing from the brown dirt to red as you get further south. Dropping down right into the heart of Garden of the Gods is a big plus as well. The views open up more and get more spectacular the closer you get to the southern end in Colorado Springs. The last several miles are very shelfy, with some big drop offs, but the road is plenty wide enough to not be an issue. There are a couple large washouts that may prevent low clearance cars from getting through, but I watched as a couple cars drove off the trail to get around them, wearing in a new path. Stay the trail, and turn around if you can't. A few people in the Garden of the Gods were telling me that they went partway up Rampart Range Rd and it was "the scariest thing they've ever done." So it may not be for you if you don't like heights and roads with no guard rails.
Trail Review: Rampart Range Road - Matt Niepow
Trail Review: Rampart Range Road - Matt Niepow

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