Trail Overview
This route travels through dense high-elevation evergreen forest and is mostly one vehicle wide, with trees growing close to the roadway in several areas. Branches extend into the travel corridor in places, making light pinstriping possible. The route winds along the mountainside before continuing deeper into thick stands of spruce, fir, and pine. Low groundcover, young evergreens, exposed roots, and fallen timber cover much of the surrounding forest floor. Portions of the route pass through particularly dense forest, while occasional openings provide views across the surrounding forested mountains and valleys. The combination of mature evergreens, younger trees, and rugged mountain terrain creates a secluded backcountry setting for most of the route.
Difficulty
The dirt and gravel surface has scattered loose rock, shallow ruts, dips, whoops, and uneven sections that may hold standing water. A shelf road section requires additional attention, but there are no major technical obstacles along the route.
History
The Breckenridge area was heavily shaped by the Colorado Gold Rush beginning in 1859, when gold discoveries brought prospectors into the Blue River and surrounding gulches. French Gulch, Georgia Gulch, the Swan River, and nearby mountains became important mining areas containing placer operations, hard-rock mines, settlements, and eventually large dredging operations. Several settlements once existed throughout this backcountry. Lincoln City developed in French Gulch, where placer claims and later hard-rock mines operated, while Parkville developed near Georgia Gulch and briefly served as the first county seat of Summit County. Hydraulic mining later buried the remains of Parkville beneath mining debris. Many of the roads traveled through the area today follow corridors originally used to reach mines, settlements, and other operations that supported Summit County's mining industry.
