Oh-My-God Road (Virginia Canyon)

4.1/5 (31 reviews)
Idaho Springs, Colorado (ClearCreek County)
Last Updated: 12/27/2020

Trail Information

Highlights

Officially called Virginia Canyon Road, the Oh-my-God Road connects Idaho Springs to Central City, although the road can be run in either direction. It is a steep, winding, scenic shelf road with plenty of hairpin turns and few guardrails earning it its nickname. Built to connect these two major mining centers, Virginia Canyon Road displays many remnants of the region’s rich mining heritage. Tailing piles dot the hillsides, their red-brown dirt contrasting with the deep green of the pine forest. Perhaps the climax of this mining history is the historic ghost town of Russel Gulch. Many of the town’s largest and most significant buildings are still standing along with many residences, some of which are still occupied.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.1/5 (31)
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 05/28/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Legitimately just a well-maintained dirt & gravel road (that even has a seemingly random 1 mile section of asphalt in the middle of it). Hadn’t taken it top to bottom in quite some time and I’d forgotten that that’s definitely the direction to go for views and thrilling your passengers. Really nice to run it just after some light rains had rolled through as it virtually eliminated dust from opposing traffic (which you should absolutely expect, especially on weekends.)
Open
Visited: 05/17/2023

Oh-My-God Road is open and dry, no issue for 2wd traffic. The views are great, as always.
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 03/13/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

This is a great dirt road to take with the family with some nice views. There was some snow on the shady parts of the trail, but nothing severe enough to need anything more than a 2wd car.
Open
Visited: 03/05/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Really nice and scenic, easy enjoyable ride with the family. Road gets a lot of sun, so there wasn't even a speck of snow or ice anywhere today.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 01/07/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Don't get fooled by the name: The Oh-My-God Road isn't scary at all. The road is well plowed in winter, therefore it is in no way a challenging drive. Every 2wd car with decent all-season tires could do the trail. The draw of this road, however, are the stunning views and the rich history you see along the way – the most important being the old mining structures and the "ghost" town Russel Gulch. After finishing the trail you pretty much end up directly in Central City which is close to a bunch of other trails.

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