Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Sherrelwood, Colorado

This is a super fun, single lane road to amazing camping. You'll camp above the reservoir and fish, canoe, kayak and relax. No swimming. Open to licensed and unlicensed vehicles. Trail is open from May 15 to November 30.
Learn more about Gross Reservoir

Magnolia Road East accesses the Aspen Meadows residential area but allows you to avoid the heavy traffic of Boulder Canyon. This is a smooth dirt road any vehicle can navigate, and it has beautiful scenery. It is a double-track road with many driveways, so watch your speed.
Learn more about Magnolia Road East

Barrett Street begins as a paved road before quickly transitioning to gravel as it climbs above Central City. The route is generally smooth and easy to travel, with broad views of town, several scenic pullouts, and a few short offshoot trails worth exploring. Watch for loose gravel, local traffic, a...
Learn more about Barrett Street

Enjoy this simple trail that leads to some pretty camp spots. If you're lucky, you might even be able to see a moose! Most vehicles can do this road, although it does have some spots that might rub a lower clearance vehicle. This is a common area for people living the van life to stay, so it can be ...
Learn more about Peewink

This trail begins off Highway 119 and just south of the start of the Pickle Gulch trail. The majority of this trail consists of a dirt road, with some single-lane sections winding through private property. Pay attention to and respect private property signage. You'll see many ruins of old mining act...
Learn more about Missouri Gulch Road - CR 15S/15N

Little Bear Creek Road (FS 151) provides an excellent scenic alternative to paved routes when traveling between the CO-103 corridor and Idaho Springs. This 6.2-mile well-maintained dirt road offers stunning mountain views while remaining accessible to any vehicle - despite intimidating warning signs...
Learn more about Little Bear Creek Road - FS 151

Nevadaville Loop is a graded, wide gravel road that offers a flowy and easy drive through Colorado's historic mining country. The route is washboarded in places but remains free of obstacles, making it suitable for most vehicles in dry conditions. Along the way, you'll pass through the residential a...
Learn more about Nevadaville Loop

This trail begins off of Squaw Pass Road. At the trailhead, you will see a sign for "Historic Arapaho Springs". This is an easier trail in dry conditions, accessible by stock 4WD vehicles and higher clearance 2WD. In wet or snowy conditions, 4WD is recommended. The trails are comprised of dirt and r...
Learn more about Old Squaw Pass East

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...
Learn more about Upper Russell Gulch Road

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

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...
Learn more about Church Placer Road

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...
Learn more about Two Brothers Road

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...
Learn more about Apex Road

This trail continues from the famous Switzerland Trail on the north side of Gold Hill Road and exits on Sawmill Road. It offers varied rocky terrain similar to the southern Switzerland Trail, with the addition of deep mud holes, scenic views, and an early option to explore the in-and-out Knob Hill t...
Learn more about Switzerland Trail - North

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

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...
Learn more about Virginia Canyon Road

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 ...
Learn more about Columbine Road

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...
Learn more about Virginia Canyon Road 279

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...
Learn more about Alps Hill Road

West Magnolia is a scenic, beginner-friendly offroad route winding through the Roosevelt National Forest near Rollinsville, offering a network of intersecting forest roads, dispersed camping, and access to historic mining ruins. Spanning approximately 4.2 miles, this trail starts at an elevation of ...
Learn more about West Magnolia

This is a super fun, single lane road to amazing camping. You'll camp above the reservoir and fish, canoe, kayak and relax. No swimming. Open to licensed and unlicensed vehicles. Trail is open from May 15 to November 30.
Learn more about Gross Reservoir

Barrett Street begins as a paved road before quickly transitioning to gravel as it climbs above Central City. The route is generally smooth and easy to travel, with broad views of town, several scenic pullouts, and a few short offshoot trails worth exploring. Watch for loose gravel, local traffic, a...
Learn more about Barrett Street

Enjoy this simple trail that leads to some pretty camp spots. If you're lucky, you might even be able to see a moose! Most vehicles can do this road, although it does have some spots that might rub a lower clearance vehicle. This is a common area for people living the van life to stay, so it can be ...
Learn more about Peewink

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...
Learn more about Upper Russell Gulch Road

This is a super fun, single lane road to amazing camping. You'll camp above the reservoir and fish, canoe, kayak and relax. No swimming. Open to licensed and unlicensed vehicles. Trail is open from May 15 to November 30.
Learn more about Gross Reservoir

Barrett Street begins as a paved road before quickly transitioning to gravel as it climbs above Central City. The route is generally smooth and easy to travel, with broad views of town, several scenic pullouts, and a few short offshoot trails worth exploring. Watch for loose gravel, local traffic, a...
Learn more about Barrett Street

Enjoy this simple trail that leads to some pretty camp spots. If you're lucky, you might even be able to see a moose! Most vehicles can do this road, although it does have some spots that might rub a lower clearance vehicle. This is a common area for people living the van life to stay, so it can be ...
Learn more about Peewink

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...
Learn more about Upper Russell Gulch Road