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Aspen Ridge
Johnson Village,
Colorado
(Chaffee County)
Last Updated:
08/31/2023
Trail Information
Highlights
Aspen Ridge features open ranges, dense forests, and wide views. As the name implies, the 10,000ft elevation ridge is covered in Aspen trees. The Forest Service Road is generally a graded dirt road that travels in a north-south track. The road crosses broad meadows providing expansive views of the Collegiate Peaks. Despite rougher conditions at elevation, the entire road is easily navigable by a stock 4WD vehicle. Aspen Ridge is popular among ATV and motorcycle riders, mountain bikers, and equestrians who enjoy the wide open spaces. There's dispersed camping available along all segments of the road, and nearby towns of Nathrop, Johnson Village, Buena Vista, and Salida offer commercial campgrounds, motel lodging, and outdoor supplies.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
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Tracy Barker
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Trail Reviews
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 08/24/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
I drove Aspen Ridge from the south (Salida) to the north (Bassam Park Road 187) on a weekday (August 24th). The road was dry and in good condition. I took a tape measure and carpenter's square to verify "rocks and vertical ledges less than 12" tall". Yes, all rocks and/or ledges that I encountered were less than 12"--some were 10", some were 8". A solid "3" in the website's Rating System.
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Open
Rated
2/5
Visited: 07/20/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Easier
I've ran this a few times never sure why its a 3. I have ran it in both a stock 08 grand Cherokee and 2015 JK. I feel I could drive a car down this. Yeah there are 2 spots that are a little rocky but nothing you can not drive a car over.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/01/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Easier
First time on this trail today. Would be a good spot for fall colors. Only saw a couple other people. I’d say this trail could be rated a 2 with the exception of if it was muddy maybe it could be a 3. Either way an easy and quiet trail. Would not classify it as a bumpy trail in my opinion. Plenty of rocks to bump on but much fewer than I’m used to.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/16/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Easier
Very fun trail that was easy to drive and had some stellar scenery. As the trail description states, it gets a little bumpier at elevation and became a much more annoying route (especially when there weren't any views in the trees). Nothing about the bumpiness was difficult; there was just no way around it. I was spending 2.5 days in the area so I was aired down to 20psi and it made the drive more comfortable but if you're just driving through to kill a couple of hours, expect a rough ride in some areas. The wide-open meadows on the north side of the trail were beautiful to drive through and the trail was buttery-smooth.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/26/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Ran south to north from Ute Trail. Right in the middle third its pretty rocky and can be tricky when its muddy, especially as the wash out ditches become worse. Will absolutely be using some of the great camping spots we saw in the future.
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