Elephant Skin Road

Total Miles
16.3

Elevation

1,963.25 ft

Duration

1.5 Hours

Technical Rating

1

Easy

Best Time

Summer, Spring, Fall

Trail Overview

Elephant Skin Road is an easy Jeep trail between Montrose and Olathe. There are a few shallow gullies across the road, but can be done with any vehicle with a bit of clearance. There is a very strange occurrence in the middle of the trail. There is an area where gullies are joined by underground natural culverts. Let us call them Natural Bridges! The road passes over one of the natural bridges. Almost all of the road is in the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area. The first stretch out of Montrose is a long valley surrounded by "elephant skin" hills. This valley to the side appears to have many water retention structures that are no longer used. Much of the area appears to have been irrigated ranchland at one time. The equipment is abandoned and the trees have died. There are many interesting formations along the cliffs east of the road.

Difficulty

Graded and gravel road

Technical Rating

1

Status Reports

Ryan Gassett
Jan 28, 2024
4x4
Open
Normal
Tau Jeppesen
Jan 08, 2024
4x4
Open
Snow/Ice
Trail was open, 2-3” of snow with some small drifts. Erosion has left a few mini-ditches varying from 2-10”.
Bobby Fisher
Aug 11, 2023
2011 Subaru Outback
Open
Dusty
Sherry & Harvey Shirley
Aug 03, 2023
4x4
Open
Normal

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