Basecamp Colorado is Glenwood Springs Colorado

The JQS Trail North and West of Rifle Colorado, 20 minutes west of Glenwood Springs on I-70 is approximately 4 miles northwest of Rifle. This unit embodies Anvil Points, the dominate landscape feature north of I-70 and the adjacent steep and picturesque southeast-facing cliffs of the Roan Plateau. The main road takes off opposite the Rifle Gap road by the bowling alley. It is a dirt road that will climb the cliff face to the top of the Roan Plateau for 4 miles and 1,500 ft. The beauty of this area is all of the side roads. Multiple loops with ups and downs, chances for lots of air. Hot in the summer. This area is popular for motorcycles, mountain bikers, because of access to the plateau it is staging area for horses. JQS was a cattle brand used by H.W. Hallett — a prominent citizen and early founder of Rifle. In 1885, Hallett and a man named William (Billy) Chadwick established the JQS Trail — one of six stock trails that led from the Grand Valley to the top of the Bookcliffs, now referred to as the Roan Plateau.

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Thompson Creek Road provides access for many hiking and biking trails including the following: South Thompson, Lake Ridge Lakes, Mid Thompson, South Branch of Mid Thompson and Dexter Park. This area is primarily used by bicyclists, horseback riders and hunters. It passes through aspen groves and crosses many small streams. In the lower region there is an extensive system of Cross country ski trails in the winter.

The road is accessible to two-wheel drive vehicles until reaching the stream crossing at Middle Thompson unless it is raining. Impassable when wet. Users will need a high-clearance four-wheel drive to cross the stream and for the road afterward. Continue driving 3.9 miles on road #305 until you reach a fork in the road. Take the right fork to access road #306 and Mid Thompson, the South Branch of Mid Thompson, Dexter Park and Lake Ridge Lake Trails. Take the left fork to stay on road #305 to access South Thompson.

Directions from Carbondale: From Carbondale follow road #108 west past the stoplight. Follow road #108 for 7.5 miles and turn left on to Mid Thompson Creek Road #305.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible: May through September (NOTE: Snow may obstruct the trail during the Spring, Winter and Fall months.) .

Continue reading "Thompson Creek Four-Wheel Drive Road" »

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This road climbs from the Taylor River Valley in the Crested Butte region, over Taylor Pass, to the Castle Creek Valley, near Ashcroft and Aspen. For mountain bikers this can be one leg of a weekend excursion to Crested Butte coming back on Pearl Pass. The road climbs steadily through Aspen groves after leaving the Taylor River Road. After following a stream for 3 miles, you will reach Taylor Lake. Taylor Pass is reached after a short climb above the lake. This road can be very rough at times, check at District Office before using.

Directions from Aspen: Drive west on Highway 82 from Aspen 1/2 mile. At the roundabout, turn onto Castle Creek Road. Drive about 11 miles, just past Elk Mountain Lodge and before the ghost town of Ashcroft, on your left will be Express Creek Road. Take Express Creek Road for approximately six miles. Pass the first road on your right and take the next one. This is Taylor Pass Road #761.

Seasonal Information:
Normal Summer Season: June through September (NOTE: Open but not maintained for off-road vehicle, mountain bike, horse and foot travel during the Summer months.) . Normal Winter Season: November through May (NOTE: Open but not maintained for recreational purposes.) .

Continue reading "Taylor Pass Road" »

Posted by Brett at 08:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is an extension of the Smuggler Road trails system and is a fairly well maintained 4 WD road that immediately begins a steep ascent. The road switchbacks up Smuggler with views of Aspen below. The switchbacks get longer and in about 1-1/2 miles the road curves behind Smuggler Mountain. There is a short steep path on the right leading to a platform, which is good for viewing Aspen.

To continue to Warren Lakes, keep straight on the road (left goes to Hunter Creek). In a short distance, keep straight again past the next left, the road becomes a more rugged 4 WD road and continues to ascend steeply. At the 2-1/2 mile mark there are some communication disks on the right. The road becomes even steeper until about the 3 mile mark, and then it eases. Shortly, the road becomes level with only brief steep sections until reaching the Forest Service bulletin board at the 6 mile mark. The road continues a short distance further to the gate at Warren Lakes. Beyond the gate is Private Land and Wilderness, please respect this and do not trespass.

Continue reading "Smuggler Mountain/Warren Lakes Road" »

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Schofield was an old mining town and is now a ghost town with a number of old buildings still standing in a large, open meadow surrounded by the Majestic Peaks of the Elk Range. The first portion of the road passes through a narrow, steep canyon which contains a number of picturesque water falls. The Devil's Punch Bowl is a series of water falls ending in a deep pool of water. The East Fork Trailhead into the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness can be accessed from this road.

This route should be attempt only by VERY SKILLED and EXPERIENCED FOUR-WHEEL DRIVERS in jeep-type, short-wheel based, high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicles. There have been SEVERAL FATAL ACCIDENTS on this road. Most accidents occur on the descent from Schofield Park to the Devil's Punch Bowl. One danger is due to drivers not drying out their brakes after a deep creek crossing before the steep descent to the Punch Bowl. Bikers pay attention to this deep water crossing, could be swift and dangerous early in the year. A snow bridge, formed by winter avalanche deposition, crosses the road about half way between Crystal and Schofield Park. Some years the snow bridge does not melt sufficiently to allow passage for motorized vehicles, but bikers and hikers may enjoy the cool hike across. The segment from Schofield Park to Schofield Pass is easy, as is the drive from the pass to Crested Butte, Gunnison County Maintains the road from the summit of the pass down to Crested Butte through Gothic. The entire route is popular with hikers and mountain bikers as well as four-wheel drive enthusiasts.If you are a biker Start at the top of Daniels hill outside Marble, and this is a two hour ride to Crested Butte or a little more. The Crystal side of this ride is rocky. At the Summit of Schofield pass look for the trail that heads up on the south side of the road. This is the 401 Trail, the best Single track in Colorado, it will drop you in to Gothic.

Directions from Carbondale: From Carbondale travel south on Highway 133 approximately 22 miles to road #314 toward Marble. Continue driving on road #314 through Marble and past Beaver Lake. Here the road begins to head uphill and passes over shale rock. About one mile east of Marble is a fork in the road; take the right fork. The road immediately heads downhill and on to Crystal City. After Crystal City take the right fork of the road to Schofield Pass Road #317. Emerald lake is on the south side of the summit.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible: May through September (NOTE: Snow may obstruct the road into the Summer months.) .

Continue reading "Schofield Pass Four-Wheel Drive Road" »

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Taking this route from top down is an enjoyable down hill cruise with some short uphill sections and some outstanding views of the area. It is mostly in lodgepole pine forest and has some meadows. Bikers yeild to hikers, hikers yeild to horses.Keep your speed down and ride safely. As this is important Elk habitat do not ride before June 21st annually to avoid disturbing calving elk. The trail will make a great mountain bike trail loop for either direction. There is no water available along the trail so plan accordingly.

Directions from Carbondale: Take Hwy. 82 five miles north of Carbondale to Cattle Creek and follow signs stating Cottonwood Pass. 1/2 mile past summit of Cottonwood Pass turn right on Red Table Road 514. In about 10 miles turn right on to road with sign saying: "Locked Gate 6 mi." Parking lot is 200 feet ahead. This secondary road beyond parking lot is 4WD only. Follow arrowed carsonite posts for 2.7 miles to start of single track trail.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible: Late June through September (NOTE: This trail should not be ridden prior to June 21st annually to avoid disturbing calving elk.) .

Continue reading "Red Table Trail" »

Posted by Brett at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The road is accessible by two-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicles until users reach the FAA radar and radio beacon. From there the road becomes rougher and a four-wheel drive is necessary. The road follows a ridge line to the Mt. Thomas Trailhead (trail #1870). One mile before the trailhead it turns downhill and becomes road #425, which follows Red Creek to road #412 to Gypsum. This portion is suited only for short wheel based, high clearance, four-wheel drive vehicles and EXPERIENCED OFF-ROAD DRIVERS. Users should turn left at the fork to follow road #425. Access to Crooked Creek Pass and Eagle is obtainable from Road #412. Users can also gain access to the Ruedi Trail #1912 from the top of Red Tables Road. Follow Red Tables Road to its end to get to the trailhead for Mt. Thomas. Red Table Road travels through dense conifer forests and open, high alpine meadows. There are spectacular 360 degree views once you reach the ridge line.

Directions from Carbondale: From Carbondale travel east on Highway 82 to El Jebel. Turn left at the stoplight and follow the road past Spring Park Reservoir. Turn left at the for after the reservoir. In two miles turn right at the fork following the sign to Cottonwood Pass. Cottonwood Pass itself has a is a unique maintained dirt road that will become extremely greasy with a little rain, wait till the storm passes for scenic drives. After the pass, turn right on to the Red Tables Road (Forest Road #514).

Continue reading "Red Table Four-Wheel Drive Road" »

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You travel through aspens and meadows with some wild flowers. Cattle graze in this area, so please leave gates in the position that you find them. Horses use the area all year long, especially during the fall hunting seasons. Please be considerate of other types of users.

Directions from Carbondale: From the Forest Service office in Carbondale, travel west past the stoplight, and follow road #108 for 7.4 miles. Turn left onto a dirt road that immediately heads downhill. Go 2.5 miles to a stream crossing, then uphill for about a mile to a pass. In another half mile take the right fork onto road #306. At the end of the railroad grade the road goes uphill a short distance to a parking area where you will want to park. Hike up the road a couple hundred feet to the trail on your right side. It is about 100 feet before the stream crossing.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible: Memorial Day Weekend through October (NOTE: Snow in the Spring, Fall, and Winter months prevent access to this trail.) .

Continue reading "Mid Thompson Trail" »

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This route also makes a great loop for bicycles. For a bike loop, turn left at the end of the pavement and follow the road to the left towards Hagerman Pass. Before the pass you will turn right towards Ivanhoe Lake. Follow the road around Ivanhoe Lake and down to Lily Pad Lake. From here the trail becomes single track and leads back to the Fryingpan Lakes trailhead. From the trailhead follow the gravel road back to the pavement. The views from the trail are great with lots of open meadows.

Directions from Carbondale: From Carbondale travel east on Hwy. 82 to Basalt. Turn left into downtown Basalt and follow the Fryingpan River Road about 32 miles to the end of the pavement. Most people like to park here and ride their bikes to make a loop ride, or if you are hiking the trail, you can continue to drive to the beginning of the trail. For a two and a half mile hike, turn right at the end of the pavement and drive to the end of the gravel road. The trail starts from the Fryingpan Lakes trailhead.

Seasonal Information:
Normal Winter Season: November through March (NOTE: The Lily Pad Lake Trail provides Winter access to the Betty Bear Hut in the 10th Mountain Division Hut system.) .

Continue reading " Lily Pad Lake Trail" »

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The Crown Trail is a four wheel drive road that is a 8 mile loop that has incredible views.
From Carbondale head out Prince Creek Road past where the pavemant ends, 1.5 miles on the left you will see a gravel road come in from the laft behind you. This can either be the start or finish to the loop. To go counter clockwise has a steeper shorter climb with a longer smoother downhill. Either way you will have incredible views of Sopris and the Elk Mountains and the whole roaring fork valley. This is an easy short Four Wheel Drive loop but there are a couple of other loops off of the main road. Not much more technical.

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This is a trail that combines Two popular Carbondale Mountain Biking and Horseback Trails, Braderich Creek Trail, and South Thompson Trail. This can be done as a loop if you want to highway 133 for 11 miles. The whole ride is about 23 miles and goes from Redstone to Carbondale. You will ride across the Crystal from Mount Sopris with the most magnificent views. This is cattle country and a long ride. Leave gates as they are. Read more about each of the trails, Braderich Creek Trail, and South Thompson Trail by reading the extended entry.

Continue reading "Tall Pines" »

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This trail offers a pleasant and scenic hike or bike ride, only a few minutes from Glenwood Springs. The trail follows Beaver Creek out of 4-mile Park, climbs a ridge and drops into the Yank Creek drainage. Using the gas pipeline, this can be made into a loop trail for bicycles. It is recommended that you do the route using the pipeline to access Yank Creek. Due to some very steep grades, it would be very difficult to attempt to climb from Yank Creek up the pipeline to road #300. It is best to park your vehicle at the 4-mile trailhead, ride the road to the pipeline, take the pipeline to Yank Creek and return to 4-mile via the Beaver Creek trail.

Directions from Glenwood Springs: From Glenwood Springs, travel on County road #117 approximately 11 miles. Before you reach Sunlight Ski Area, follow the gravel road #300 to the right for 4 miles until you reach 4-mile park. Continue on road #300 to the south end of the park. Just before reaching the timber you will notice a bulletin board on the left side of the road. This bulletin board is the trailhead for the Beaver Creek Trail. This trail can also be accessed via the natural gas pipeline located 5 miles beyond 4-mile park on road #300. The pipeline is closed to motor vehicle travel (including ATV), but is open to foot, horse and bicycles.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible: June through September (NOTE: Snow may obstruct the trail at high elevations.) .

Continue reading "Beaver Creek Trail (Sopris Ranger District)" »

Posted by Brett at 02:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This trail travels mostly through lodgepole pine and open meadows. The first 2 miles follow old logging roads with carsonite posts with arrows marking the route. There are two overlooks into Cattle Creek in the first mile with nice views. At the end of the trail you have two options: you can turn north onto Cattle Creek Trail which is 4 miles of rolling decent to Forest road #509 and 2 miles of road to the Basalt Mountain road. Your other option is the Red Table Trail. It is 1.6 miles to Toner Reservoir. The trail crosses the dam to the east side, then north with the grass growing over the trail making it difficult to see. After the reservoir it is a steady 3 mile climb of 2000 feet elevation gain to a road on Red Tables with a couple of great views on the way. Cattle graze in the area making lots of trails, so carry a compass and map to find your way. Please leave gates in the position that you found them. For safety, bicycles must yield to hikers, who in turn yield to horses. Keep your speed down and ride safely. To protect wildlife please leave your dog at home, this is an important wildlife area for elk. This trail should not be ridden prior to June 21st to avoid disturbing calving elk. Water is nonexistent, so plan accordingly. Enjoy.

The Cattle Creek Trail
THis is the end of the Basalt Mountain Trail going the other way.
The trail travels through aspens and meadows with patches of spruce and fir. It is hard to follow at times so be sure and carry a compass and map. Cattle graze in the area making lots of trails. Please leave gates in the position that you found them. For safety, bicycles must yield to hikers, who in turn yield to horses. Keep your speed down and ride safely. To protect wildlife please leave your dog at home; this is an important wildlife area for elk. This trail should not be ridden prior to June 21st annually to avoid disturbing calving elk.

Directions from Carbondale: From Carbondale take Hwy. 82 east to El Jebel and turn left at the Texaco and head up through El Jebel and Missouri Heights for approximately 6 miles past Spring Park Reservoir. Here the road forks. Take the right fork onto forest road #509 for approximately 2 miles to the intersection of Cattle Creek and Basalt Mountain Roads. Turn right on road #524 and go 6 miles to the top of Basalt Mountain. The Trail starts by a locked gate and the bulletin board is 300 feet past the cattle guard on the top.

Continue reading "Basalt Mountain Trail - Cattle Creek Trail" »

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Lead King Basin four-wheel drive road passes very close to the boundary of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and affords some spectacular views of mountains, meadows, and canyons. The basin is a great place to view a variety of wildflowers during the late summer. Three trailheads into the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness are located along this road. The old bridge over the Crystal River between Crystal and Lead King Basin is not maintained by the forest service and located on private land. Please respect the privacy of these landowners.

For Bikers this is a loop from the top of Daniels hill. Park where legal and possible. For those who choose to do this in a clockwise fashion you will have one of the funnest downhills in the state, smooth four-wheel drive road with lots of rollers. Then a rocky section dropping into Crystal City where you will be awarded the most photographed ghost town in America, Crystal City and it's mill. One of the best trails to see fall foliage in Colorado.

The segment from Marble along Lost Trail Creek to Lead King Basin should not be traveled when it is wet! The road is built on slick shale and slopes towards the valley bottom. Four-wheel drive is required. From Lead King to Crystal City the road is very narrow and extremely rocky. There is a very steep drop-off into the Crystal River Canyon. There are few pullouts on this road and drivers may be required to back-up for considerable distances when another vehicle is met. A high clearance four-wheel drive vehicle is required for this segment. A loop can be made from Marble by traveling along the Crystal River to Crystal City, and then returning to Marble via the Lead King Basin road.

Directions from Carbondale: From Carbondale travel south on Colorado Highway 133 for 22 miles to the Marble turnoff. Go east on the Marble road, through Marble, and past Beaver Lake. The four-wheel drive section begins just past the Gold Pan Gallery. The road begins to head uphill and passes over shale rock. About one mile outside of Marble there is a fork in the road; take the left fork (Forest Road #315). the road immediately heads uphill.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible: May through September (NOTE: Snow may obstruct the road during the Spring, Fall and Winter months.) .

Continue reading "Lead King Basin - Crystal City Four-Wheel Drive Road" »

Posted by Brett at 08:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is a loop that will take you from the top of the Prince Creek Road across the base of Sopris Mountain, towards Snowmass against the Elk Mountains. Drop in to Old Snowmass and then dirt road it back. Park at the parking lot where Prince Creek Road meets Dinkle Lake Road. Ride to Dinkle lake and take the single track towards Thomas lake. After a mile of climbing and take the left fork to Hay park, another mile of gentle climbing through the gate in the saddle. Follow the trail until you hit a trailhead parking lot on the other side and drop down the dirt road to Old Snowmass. Go down until the pavement forks and go left again, over into Emma and then left again up to the parking lot.

This can also be an out and back to the saddle, for those who are adveturous, after passing the gate in the saddle, go to the next fence go through, and then follow the fence up and keep going till you find the trail, turns in to old road, after a mile and a half take the well traveled single track down to the right.

If you are less adventurous you can also find the single track going back take a right after the water hole and follow to Dinkle lake.
Highlights: A fantastic, highly scenic ride with awesome singletrack, summer wildflowers, and spectacular fall foliage. Tread: 5.0 miles on singletrack and 3.8 miles on double-track.

Continue reading "Hay Park" »

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