Yankee Hill Road

4.5/5 (109 reviews)
Central City, Colorado (Gilpin County)
Last Updated: 06/06/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

Altitude
Forest
Mine
Snow Wheeling

Located just west of the historic mining and gambling town of Central City, Yankee Hill Road takes you directly into a network of off-road trails known as the Yankee Hill Trail System. This large trail network offers amazing high alpine views and miles of trails that can be combined to create numerous routes for a full day or even an entire weekend of off-road fun.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Yankee Hill Road is the main artery through what is considered the "Yankee Hill Trail System." This nearly 6-mile straight-through route follows Forest Service Road 175.1 from Central City to Alice near Saint Mary's Glacier. Much of this trail is an easy bumpy dirt road, especially on the west side. However, the eastern half of the trail has several sections with large rocks, small boulders, and deep erosion ruts that can only be avoided by taking completely separate trails. Along the way, you will pass numerous other trail options that range from easier to more difficult. Any high clearance stock SUV can safely navigate this route.

Trail Reviews

4.5/5 (110)
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 06/05/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Ran east to west and had the whole trail to myself; never saw anyone from air down to air up which was awesome, knowing how busy this trail can be. Waypoint 9 was nastier than I expected and the mud didnt help. Normally I skip this section because each time I've been here there's a line of waiting traffic for it so today was my first time following the full Yankee from start to finish.
200
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 06/04/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Great time, mix of train and snow, made some stuff more entertaining
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 06/03/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Yankee Hill Road is a beautiful and fun trail; it is one of the best trails in the area. When going East–West you start winding through the forrest, and you're then rewarded with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. The trail is definitely not easy: The rock garden at WP6 was quite challenging for us in our stock Grand Cherokee Trailhawk. Due to the wet conditions, it was difficult to keep an exact line over the boulders – we were happy to have proper rock sliders. Instead of pushing on, we decided to turn around and bypass the most difficult section; at WP5 you can take Freeman Gulch Cutoff, then the Pisgah Spur, and then merge back into Yankee Hill Road at WP10. I can recommend this bypass to anyone who wants to experience this wonderful trail but wants to avoid the most challenging parts. You could even temporarily split up a group with diverse vehicles and driver experience.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 05/20/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Made it all the way no problem, little snow up at the top but nothing crazy. Should get better in the coming weeks.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 05/19/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Open all the way through to Alice! Hit it both ways yesterday. Lots of fun! Snow drifts but people have driven through them so they have some tracks. Nothing crazy. 33’s and 5.5” lift Jeep XJ no prob.

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