Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Georgetown, Colorado

Among the old mining trails stretching from Idaho Springs to Silver Plume, Bard Creek Road offers an enchanting journey through the region's history. As you traverse its bumpy climb, you'll uncover vestiges of Colorado's vibrant past, most notably, the Bard Creek Mine with its remarkably intact ore ...
Learn more about Bard Creek Road

A short drive from the town of Empire and just down the road from the popular Bill Moore Lake Trail, Mad Creek is a great off-road trail that gets passed up by many off-roaders. Whether seeking quiet summer seclusion or deep tire-swallowing winter snow, don't let this trail fall off your radar. Alon...
Learn more about Mad Creek Road

This trail is mainly used to get to Torrey's Peak and Gray's Peak trailheads. Most of it is dirt with small rocks, and could be done in a small car, but as you get further up, it begins to get rough. A few deep ruts would require at least some clearance or very skilled driving by smaller vehicles,...
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Grizzly Gulch is a difficult trail that starts up Stevens Gulch. There is a dirt parking lot area on Stevens Gulch, and if you go all the way to the back, you will find that it continues on to become Grizzly Gulch. On a dry day, the trail is pretty mild. More difficult than Stevens Gulch, but no ...
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Jones Pass is a gravel and rocky mountain road that climbs steeply out of the Clear Creek drainage near Empire, Colorado. The route is generally wide with no major obstacles, though its steady grade and exposed shelf road sections require attentive driving. Along the way, travelers will find dispers...
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Bellevue Mountain Drive is an easy gravel route that climbs through pine and aspen forest to a communications tower near the top. The main attraction is the broad mountain and valley views from the upper section. The road begins wide and smooth but narrows in places as it climbs. Full-size trucks an...
Learn more about Bellevue Mountain Drive

Virginia Canyon Road - FS 279 is another portion of the lower Virginia Canyon Road, broken up by Two Brothers Road; it gets a little confusing. This is an easy scenic drive through a quiet rural area with cabins, forest, and mountain views. The route can be driven point-to-point or combined with nea...
Learn more about Virginia Canyon Road - FS 279

Virginia Canyon Road 279 is a wide, generally well-maintained gravel road climbing above Idaho Springs. The route offers expansive views across the surrounding mountains and down toward town while passing through a mix of pine forest, exposed hillsides, and historic mining areas. Remnants of old woo...
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This trail is easily accessed off of Squaw Pass Road. As the name hints, the trail takes you takes you to Squaw Mountain fire lookout which is about a 1-mile hike from the end of this trail. The trail consists of a 1-mile dirt road that is relatively maintained. It is passable by most passenger vehi...
Learn more about Squaw Mountain Lookout

Pewabic Mine Road is a varied mountain route that moves through dense forest, open meadows, and historic mining areas. The road is mostly smooth gravel with a few rougher, rockier sections. The route is generally wide and easy to follow, with no major obstacles in dry conditions. Drivers will pass o...
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Virginia Canyon Road is a simple dirt road with scenic views and lots of leftover mining equipment. While the road is generally plenty wide, there are occasionally times when you will share the road with mining company trucks hauling large vehicles and taking up space. This may require some maneuver...
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Alps Hill Road is an easy gravel route winding through aspen groves, open meadows, and areas bordered by private property. The road is generally smooth and suitable for full-size vehicles, with only a few scattered rocky sections and no major obstacles in dry conditions. Stay on the established road...
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Two Brothers Road is a simple dirt road with scenic views, lots of leftover mining equipment as well as sealed mine shafts littering the road, and, depending on the time of year, wash-boarding so bad your fillings will rattle out. At the north end of the road, concrete briefly interrupts the dirt be...
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This is an easy, one-way trail with a few places to pass and some rocky and washed-out sections. You'll find a handful of dispersed campsites and great views of Idaho Springs. The end of the trail is a gate leading to private property, and there is plenty of room to turn around.
Learn more about Santa Fe Trail

This trail can accessed from either the Squaw Mountain Lookout trail or the Old Squaw Pass East Trail. The trail is blocked in the middle by a gated section of private property which prevents you from accessing the full trail at one time. The trail consists of dirt and rock road that is easily acce...
Learn more about Old Squaw Pass Central

Church Placer Road is an easy gravel route through forest, aspen groves, open meadows, and mountain terrain. The road is generally smooth and wide enough for full-size vehicles, with only a few rocky sections, loose gravel, light washboarding, and a cattle guard along the way. There are no major obs...
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Columbine Road is an easy gravel route through open meadows, aspen groves, and forested mountain terrain. The road provides access to Columbine Campground and a large OHV staging area. Regular cars were on the road; nothing challenging here. The road is generally wide, smooth, and suitable for most ...
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Upper Russell Gulch Road is an easy gravel route through a historic mountain community. The road is wide, smooth, and suitable for most vehicles in dry conditions. The route passes forested hillsides, old utility structures, and several historic buildings. There are no major obstacles, though driver...
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Apex Road is a scenic, historic route perfect for beginners and intermediate offroaders looking to explore Colorado's rich mining heritage while enjoying beautiful mountain vistas. Starting from Central City and heading north to Tolland, this trail transitions from a smooth, graded gravel road in th...
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This trail is an offshoot from Apex Road. If you want something slightly more technically challenging than Apex, this is a fun alternative to explore. The trail is fairly tight. 4WD is required in a couple of steep sections with loose rock. Some of the trail runs through private property, but there ...
Learn more about N Clear Creek Road

Among the old mining trails stretching from Idaho Springs to Silver Plume, Bard Creek Road offers an enchanting journey through the region's history. As you traverse its bumpy climb, you'll uncover vestiges of Colorado's vibrant past, most notably, the Bard Creek Mine with its remarkably intact ore ...
Learn more about Bard Creek Road

A short drive from the town of Empire and just down the road from the popular Bill Moore Lake Trail, Mad Creek is a great off-road trail that gets passed up by many off-roaders. Whether seeking quiet summer seclusion or deep tire-swallowing winter snow, don't let this trail fall off your radar. Alon...
Learn more about Mad Creek Road

Jones Pass is a gravel and rocky mountain road that climbs steeply out of the Clear Creek drainage near Empire, Colorado. The route is generally wide with no major obstacles, though its steady grade and exposed shelf road sections require attentive driving. Along the way, travelers will find dispers...
Learn more about Jones Pass

Bellevue Mountain Drive is an easy gravel route that climbs through pine and aspen forest to a communications tower near the top. The main attraction is the broad mountain and valley views from the upper section. The road begins wide and smooth but narrows in places as it climbs. Full-size trucks an...
Learn more about Bellevue Mountain Drive

Among the old mining trails stretching from Idaho Springs to Silver Plume, Bard Creek Road offers an enchanting journey through the region's history. As you traverse its bumpy climb, you'll uncover vestiges of Colorado's vibrant past, most notably, the Bard Creek Mine with its remarkably intact ore ...
Learn more about Bard Creek Road

A short drive from the town of Empire and just down the road from the popular Bill Moore Lake Trail, Mad Creek is a great off-road trail that gets passed up by many off-roaders. Whether seeking quiet summer seclusion or deep tire-swallowing winter snow, don't let this trail fall off your radar. Alon...
Learn more about Mad Creek Road

Jones Pass is a gravel and rocky mountain road that climbs steeply out of the Clear Creek drainage near Empire, Colorado. The route is generally wide with no major obstacles, though its steady grade and exposed shelf road sections require attentive driving. Along the way, travelers will find dispers...
Learn more about Jones Pass

Bellevue Mountain Drive is an easy gravel route that climbs through pine and aspen forest to a communications tower near the top. The main attraction is the broad mountain and valley views from the upper section. The road begins wide and smooth but narrows in places as it climbs. Full-size trucks an...
Learn more about Bellevue Mountain Drive