Trail Overview
This highly scenic desert route offers a fantastic, quick escape directly out of town. The journey begins by taking a paved county road that transitions into dirt on BLM 118, and eventually onto BLM 123. Near the beginning of the route, you will pass a prominent oil and gas refinery facility on your left, which serves as an excellent visual landmark guiding you directly to the fenced gate area that marks the official start of the trail. Once on the track, you are treated to a beautiful, expansive drive heading away from civilization and straight toward the towering mountains. The open landscape provides an unobstructed, 360-degree panorama of everything the Western Slope has to offer, including vast stretches of desert scrub, distant mountain ranges, and striking red rock cliffs. The dirt path is generally wide enough to comfortably pull to the side to let oncoming traffic pass. Along the way, explorers will find multiple flat areas perfectly suited for dispersed camping. Drivers should remain alert, as this multi-use area is frequently shared with fast-moving dirt bikes and horseback riders.
Difficulty
Under standard dry conditions, BLM 123 strictly aligns with a Level 2 rating. The unmaintained dirt road features several uneven sections and dried-out erosion ruts where a minimum of 6 inches of vehicle ground clearance is required to avoid scraping your undercarriage. While this is entirely manageable for standard stock SUVs and AWD passenger crossovers, weather conditions completely dictate the safety of this trail. Explorers must adhere to a strict and critical warning: absolutely do not enter this area if it has rained recently or if rain is forecasted. When wet, the local dirt turns into a horrendous, impassable mud that will rapidly trap and stick even the most highly modified and capable 4x4 trucks.
