Paradise Divide

Total Miles
0.0

Technical Rating

2

Easy

Best Time

Summer, Fall

Trail Type

Full-Width Road

Accessible By

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Paradise Divide
4

Trail Overview

Wildlife, wildflowers and stunning scenery surround you on this relaxing trail. Camping is available. Portions of the trail are closed between March 1 and June 30 depending on seasonal conditions.

Photos of Paradise Divide

Paradise Divide
Paradise Divide

Difficulty

Easy. Slate River Road is a wide graded road. As it climbs towards Paradise Divide, it becomes a narrower shelf road, but there is still plenty of room to pass. Any high-clearance vehicle can reach Schofield Pass via Gothic Road when everything has dried out. In early summer, however, Gothic Road can be blocked by snow below Emerald Lake. Call ahead to find out if road is passable.

History

Along the eastern half of this loop, you'll go through the town of Gothic. Although a significant number of buildings remain today, at one time, the town consisted of over 200 buildings with a population around 3,000. Gothic was established in 1879 as a result of a large silver strike in what is now part of the Maroon Bells- Snowmass Wilderness. Many of the buildings have been restored, and today part of the town is occupied in the summer by students and scientists of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory

Technical Rating

2

Status Reports

Mark Ferguson
Sep 15, 2024
2023 Polaris Ranger Crew XP 1000
Open
Normal
Went up trail off 317 on the west side of the loop from Crested Butte. Towed my 16 foot enclosed trailer with truck. Starting on the road there was a sign that said no ATV / OHVs for the first six miles. So, we drove up the trail for six miles expecting to see a parking area to stop and drop off my Ranger. However, no parking area exists. We were lucky that there was an empty campsite so I just parked in that and unloaded. It was a Sunday and it was cloudy with a chance of rain - so, the area was pretty quiet and we considered ourselves to be lucky to find that empty campsite. The drive was great and we enjoyed it. Would love to hear from anyone that knows maybe of a parking area to unload. Maybe we should of started on the east side of the loop out of Crested Butte versus the west?
Tobias W
Aug 22, 2024
2021 Toyota Tacoma
Open
Normal
Muddy/Wet
B Stacks Stacks
Jul 31, 2024
SxS
Open
Dusty
Bill Craig
Jul 22, 2024
2014 Jeep Wrangler
Open
Dusty
We drove the loop clockwise. The road was dry and dusty with areas of loose rocks and a couple of shallow water crossings. The road on the east side of the mountain downhill from Schofield Pass was badly rutted from traffic during muddy weather. There was enough traffic on the one lane sections that required backing to a wide enough spot for passing. Took about three hours round trip including stops for photos and enjoying the views.

Access Description

Take Hwy. 135 north 0.8 mile from the visitor center in Crested Butte and turn left on Slate River Road 734. To drive the loop in the opposite direction, follow signs to the Mt. Crested Butte Ski Area and continue on to Gothic and Schofield Pass. Just after the pass, turn left on F.S. 519.

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