First trip to Colorado!

Hey Guys, So i'm going to visit your wonderful state in about a week. I'm coming up in my 17 TRD OR 4x4. I will prob be there 9/4/ or 9/5 and head home around 9/9. I am wanting to find some good trails with good places to camp. Thought I'd ask if anyone had recommendations on places that i shouldn't miss out on(No map ever say "GO HERE! You cant miss seeing this."). I"ve been looking mainly in areas s/sw of denver, prob going to start around Great Sand Dunes N.P. and then i'm not sure were I want to go towards. I've been trying to decide between Lake City/Tellrude area, Selida/Bueno Vista area or colorado Springs area. I'll prob end up visiting all of them and then some. I'm new to offroading so I will avoid all difficult trails but am open to anything easier to drive. Any recommendations/Links to other forums/info would be appreciated. IF there are other Forums with info like this, sorry. I fail at searches. Lol

 

I would choose Lake/Silverton/Ouray/Telluride over Salida/Buena Vista (and fyi, it's byun, not bwehn - locals), and it would be no problem at all to burn the entire time in just either area and still feel like you barely saw any of it with only four days. But Silverton/Ouray/Telluride is my absolute favorite part of the state. Look up what counties you'll be in and then use that to search for trails on http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php We've got a lot of posts about trails in both areas in our Trip Report thread, as well as some others.

Some possible search terms/trails beyond the city names above are Alpine Loop which is Cinnamon and Engineer Pass, Ophir, California, Hurricane, Picayne (NOT Poughkeepsie), Corkscrew, Imogene, Alta Lakes, American Basin, Yankee Boy Basin... there's a lot in that area. If you're new to offroading (and particularly with that new of a truck, unmodded I'm guessing) most of what I just listed would be fine/easy and Imogene would probably be at the limit of what you might comfortably do after cutting your teeth on everything else - though you'd want to avoid Mineral Creek which is the leg between Engineer Pass and Ouray and Poughkeepsie which is also in that area. Probably want to stay off Black Bear as well.

As with any recommendations I make, since I don't know you or your wheeling ability, and things I used to think were hard are now easy and things I still think are challenging in my truck and others here wouldn't bat an eye at, take all suggestions with a grain of salt and don't be afraid to turn around if you're not comfortable with where things are headed. Be aware all trails around here typically end up with some shelf road/exposure at some point, especially down there.

I should also mention that high country has seen snow, as evidenced in this recent post: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/alpine-loop-08-31-09-05.446297/ You're getting into 'early winter', so keep an eye on the weather forecast.

 

Thanks for the info @acidchylde. I will take your recommendation and visit Lake/Silverton/Ouray/Telluride areas. I've been using Traildamage as well as a few other sources to see whats around while trying to decide on were to go. The truck pure stock so i'm going to take it slow and trust my ability to tell me whats to much for me and my truck. From what I've read Imogene does seem like about the hardest i want to attempt on this visit. Once i get some protection installed on the truck i'll be ready to be more adventurous! Thanks for the info about snow, i wasn't even thinking about weather like that this time of year. Once again thanks for the info. Trying to decide was getting hard with all the choices.

 

No problem. Speaking of snow though, you might want to see some of today's BS thread posts: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/colorado-b-s-thread.131441/page-4771#post-13117509 because apparently the county closed Ophir, Black Bear, and Imogene today.

 

Well bummer we were supposed to head out this morning for a 5 day camping trip. Doing the Alpine loop, Imogene, Blackbear etc... time to rethink plans.

 

Hmm that's good to know. I'll keep up on the status of the area but it could push me to get out to other areas. I'll probably just go there and see what's open if I don't find out before hand.

 

There is plenty in Alpine loop to do even with the closing of the Telluride passes which are actually West of the Loop.

 

@qxrtz4321 @SuperBad FYI: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/alpine-loop-08-31-09-05.446297/#post-13139481 You probably want to write some numbers down and call when you're headed whichever way.

 

Post pics and locations op.

I'll be there in December.

 

Thanks for the info. Will Def look into this more before I leave. If there's to much closed or if it's colder than I'm willing to deal with I may just head to moab or something.

I'll Def post pics up no matter where I end up.

 

Check out Rim Rocker "trail" from Montrose to Moab, just opened in last 2 years. Understand the Colorado side is fairly well marked.

http://www.montrosecounty.net/701/Rimrocker-Trail

 

This sounds like a great drive. Been looking into it as much as I can on my phone all day. It's making me think I should do it. I havent been to Utah for almost to 20 yrs. Lived there for some years when I was a kid. It's where my love for camping/being in the wilderness started.

 

After looking into RimRocker i am thinking i may try and check it out. I'm a little worried with water crossings that can be 12+ in. deep. i'm not sure i'm ready for that depth with my new truck. If i make it there i will just check it out on foot and turn around if i think its to deep(6"-8" i think is my max comfort for now). Thanks @CO MTN Steve for the recommendation. If i don't make it to RimRocker this trip it will def happen on the next one!

 

Well I completed the trip and I'm exhausted after driving almost 2500 miles in 5 days. The trip ended up being a little bit of Colorado and a little bit in Moab. I decided exploring more locations would be fun. I had a blast and realized i was not prepared for Colorado weather. I will definitely make another trip to Colorado when i'm better prepared because i didn't see enough of it. I didn't end up trying Rim Rocker trail because I felt I needed to be better prepared and more experienced to try a trail like that solo. With at least one more vehicle i probably would have gone for it.

I am no photographer so I will have someone who is assist with the editing to help make my bad photo's look better. I will post them up as soon as i can. probably a few days or week at the most.

Thanks to everyone for their input and suggestions.

 

Hope I don't detract too much from the OP but I'll be passing thru Lakewood for just one night this week. I need dinner suggestions. Non chain, local food is best!

 

The first thing that came to mind was Casa Bonita. It's unique, non-chain (well, no longer a chain; it's the last one in operation), and local/mexican. I wouldn't say the food is outstanding, it's more of an experience with decent food.

 

So eat trails did you end up going on? I'm in the same boat. . . Stock or 4x4. New to the hobby so I'm not sure how to find trails