Trail Overview
This road is open only to street-legal vehicles and does not allow non-street-legal motorcycles, SxS, or other off-highway vehicles. Although most of the surrounding roads allow motorized travel and dispersed camping, the initial section of this route passes through a restricted camping area. Camping becomes permitted after you pass the established paid camping sites, so be sure to consult your onX layers to confirm exactly where dispersed camping is allowed before setting up camp. Beyond this area, the road is a very well-maintained gravel route providing access to some of the higher wilderness areas and several non-motorized trailheads in the surrounding National Forest. The route is generally easy for most vehicles, with washboard sections providing the most noticeable challenge and requiring drivers to adjust their speed accordingly. The scenery is outstanding, with tall pine forests alternating with open mountain meadows, abundant wildflowers, and frequent opportunities to spot deer, elk, and other wildlife. Along the way, you’ll pass FS 443, where a sign warns trailers and larger vehicles not to continue due to limited parking and turnaround space farther up the road. Take this warning seriously, as the trailhead parking can fill quickly—even on a Monday. Leaving trailers behind will save you from having to back down the narrow road for a considerable distance simply to find a place to turn around.
History
Seedhouse Road, now also known as Routt County Road 64 and Forest Road 400 farther into the forest, has a history closely tied to the early development of northern Routt County. The name comes from a U.S. Forest Service seed-collection project established in 1912 to gather seeds and pine cones from the surrounding forests; although the project proved too costly, the site later served as a Forest Service summer camp during the 1930s and 1940s. The road follows the Elk River valley north of Clark and eventually enters the forests leading toward the Mount Zirkel Wilderness, providing access to numerous historic and popular mountain trailheads.
