Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Placerville, Colorado
South Divide
This is a series of well-graded or slightly bumpy roads that will take you from Ridgway to Olathe over the Uncompaghre Plateau. The south part has vast views of open ranchland, the center is in… Learn more about South Divide
Total Miles
80.1
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
South Fork Ilium Road
South Fork Ilium Rd, Cty Rd 63L connects to US 145 opposite the Ophir Pass trail. If you have just come down off Ophir, this road allows for some day use spots for respite and… Learn more about South Fork Ilium Road
Total Miles
5.7
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Box Factory Park
This trail begins at the entrance to Double RL ranch, which is owned by Ralph Lauren. It is a great option if many of the passes are closed in the area, since the road stays… Learn more about Box Factory Park
Total Miles
6.9
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
East Dallas Trail
Easy wide dirt trail mostly through private property with access to National Forest land and dispersed camping at the end. The first third of the trail is a smooth dirt road that can get muddy… Learn more about East Dallas Trail
Total Miles
8.5
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp
West Bolam Pass
Just in-between Rico & Ames off of Colorado's Highway 145 scenic San Juan Skyway lies Forest Service Road 578 which leads you up to Bolam Pass with breathtaking views of Sheep Mountain, San Miguel Peak… Learn more about West Bolam Pass
Total Miles
7.1
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa
Sims Mesa/Delores Creek
The maintained gravel Sims Mesa Rd offers views of the Uncompaghre River valley. It becomes a rutted unmaintained Forest Service road as it enters the National Forest. Wildflowers and aspen groves line the trail as… Learn more about Sims Mesa/Delores Creek
Total Miles
1.7
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Su
Camp Bird Mining Rd - Cr 361
Total Miles
1
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Rim Rocker
The Rim Rocker is a 160-mile route winding it's way over red rock, through aspen groves, along the edges of sheer cliffs, and across rivers in order to bring travelers from Moab Utah to Montrose… Learn more about Rim Rocker
Total Miles
158.5
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su
Divide Road
This is a 90-mile long, wide-graded road up the middle of the Uncompaghre Plateau from Montrose to (almost) Grand Junction. Go from farmland to expansive areas of forest, then to the desert. This mellow graded… Learn more about Divide Road
Total Miles
85.4
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa / Sp
Middle Fork Mineral Creek
This short offshoot from Ophir Pass leads to a very small campsite next to a river. There are two rock fire rings in the area. If you cross the river, the trail splits left or… Learn more about Middle Fork Mineral Creek
Total Miles
0.3
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa
Owl Creek Pass
This is an enjoyable and easy 45-mile trip over Owl Creek Pass between the Uncompahgre and Cimarron Rivers. We found a few water-filled potholes in August, but nothing that would stop a passenger car with… Learn more about Owl Creek Pass
Total Miles
43.8
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa / Sp
Chattanooga Trail
This road will lead to the trailhead for the Columbine Lake hike. Vehicles are often parked on the shoulder, so use caution. The beginning of the Northern part of the trail will have you crossing… Learn more about Chattanooga Trail
Total Miles
1.7
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa
Red Mountain Mining Area
You'll see the famed shaft house at Yankee Girl Mine and follow and old railroad grade on this fun, easy trail. The southern section features high mountain views. Learn more about Red Mountain Mining Area
Total Miles
8.7
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa
Culver Creek - Cty Rd 14A
Culver Creek, Cty Rd 14A, branches off of Dexter Creek, Cty Rd 14. The first part of the road is graded gravel to a parking area where you can park and hike. From there, the… Learn more about Culver Creek - Cty Rd 14A
Total Miles
2.4
Tech Rating
3
Moderate
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Cty Rd 14. - Dexter Creek Rd
Dexter Creek Road leads you to national forest land with a few dispersed camping sites starting about one mile in. The road starts out a graded, gravel road which very quickly gets to a steep… Learn more about Cty Rd 14. - Dexter Creek Rd
Total Miles
2.3
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Baldy Trail
Baldy Trail branches to the left off of Culver Creek Trail at Thistle Park meadow. It will take you to a meadow with primitive camping. Then, it travels farther up to the Baldy hiking trail… Learn more about Baldy Trail
Total Miles
0.6
Tech Rating
3
Moderate
Best Time
Su / Fa
Corkscrew Gulch, Hurricane Pass
Wind between two peaks of the Red Mountains and enjoy some really beautiful country. Logging trucks are common on the lower portion of the trail. Parking and camping are available at the bottom of the… Learn more about Corkscrew Gulch, Hurricane Pass
Total Miles
6.7
Tech Rating
3
Moderate
Best Time
Su / Fa
Hermosa Park
Leaving Purgatory Resort, Forest Service Road 578 quickly climbs to Hermosa Park utilizing well maintained narrow dusty switchbacks. Once peaking Forest Service Road 578, it drops you into a beautiful valley with jaw dropping views… Learn more about Hermosa Park
Total Miles
8
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Lime Creek Road
Lime Creek Road follows the beautiful Lime Creek steep with history going back to a hunting trail used by the Ute Indians, to prospectors/pioneers converting the trail to a road in the late 1880s to… Learn more about Lime Creek Road
Total Miles
10.6
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Cty Rd 6 - Christ of the Mines Shrine
This is a short little drive on the north side of Silverton. It starts on 15th street at the county courthouse. This easy drive takes you by the Christ of the Mines Shrine with wonderful… Learn more about Cty Rd 6 - Christ of the Mines Shrine
Total Miles
1.1
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Cow Creek
County Road 12 turns into the rutted dirt trail of Cow Creek. It is a narrow trail with few places for passing vehicles. There is a stretch of shelf road as it ascends and parallels… Learn more about Cow Creek
Total Miles
4.7
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Hillside Drive
Hillside Drive, , Forest Road 436 is an easy and delightful drive up a hillside in the San Juan Forest. You cross the Dolores River to start, then head upwards with Burnette Canyon on your… Learn more about Hillside Drive
Total Miles
15.9
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Roubideau Jeep Trail
This is a 12-mile loop trail off Divide Road beginning 30 miles from Montrose. We did this trail by following a fence line up the east leg to join the original Roubideau Jeep Trail. We… Learn more about Roubideau Jeep Trail
Total Miles
11.8
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa
California Gulch
This trail starts at the Animus Forks Ghost Town, and the start of the famous Alpine Loops. This is a remote and beautiful drive that passes by many old mining buildings. Make time to stop… Learn more about California Gulch
Total Miles
4.4
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa
Cimarron Owl Creek Pass
This is a very scenic, pastoral drive down Cimarron Road into the Uncompaghre National Forest. There are many side roads leading to various forks of the Cimarron River, with plentiful dispersed camping sites along the… Learn more about Cimarron Owl Creek Pass
Total Miles
19.5
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Picayune & Placer Gulches
This trail features a lot of old mining ruins and great mountain scenery. Treasure Mountain Gold Mining Company and the Sound Democrat Mill are especially unique and well-preserved. There are some fun side roads along… Learn more about Picayune & Placer Gulches
Total Miles
6
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa
Alpine Loop Silverton to Animas Forks
This trail starts paved, then turns to gravel. Heavily trafficked on weekends, visibility can be very poor due to blowing dust. No cell service once a couple miles out from Silverton. This is an avalanche… Learn more about Alpine Loop Silverton to Animas Forks
Total Miles
2
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Arrastra Gulch to Little Giant Basin
Just beyond the outskirts of Silverton, this road climbs up through a bunch of old mine sites to a mountain lake. Compared to the scenery of the Million Dollar Highway, this little nook is rougher,… Learn more about Arrastra Gulch to Little Giant Basin
Total Miles
4
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su
Mineral Point
This in-and-out trail is a short, 3.5-mile round-trip trail with views and history. You will see a sign indicating the road is a dead end. At the very end of the trail are some ruins… Learn more about Mineral Point
Total Miles
1.3
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Su
Tabeguache
Tabeguache 2.0 is a short, easy Jeep trail a short distance west of Montrose. It starts near the Dry Creek Rock Crawling Trails, and crosses Dry Creek, Piney Creek, and Cushman Creek before climbing up… Learn more about Tabeguache