Colorado Trip for Newbies

My friend and I are from Ohio but are looking to go west in June/July. (Our first thought was to head straight to Colorado so if anyone has a better idea, open ears.) We want to do trail riding, overlanding, and off roading. Our rigs are setup with armor although we are both beginners at the whole thing. What places in Colorado are worth seeing/going to and what are some necessary trails to hit. Again, if there are any better ideas for different states, open ears. Thanks in advance.
Edit: we want to stay and ride for about a week

 

Ouray to Silverton on the Uncompahgre range & stay the fuck away from black bear pass, watch out for the bastards on side by sides, go late June when the snows gone away enough to go

Absolutely beautiful spend a week you'll never want to leave

 

That's the plan, to spend a week, we're just worried about running out of trails or even getting lost. We'll keep that all in mind. Thanks!

 

I’d echo making sure to go when the mountain passes are clear of snow.

1 week, you won’t “run out” of trails in Colorado. There’s so many smaller trails from the popular trails, you’ll have more problems deciding which ones to go off into. I would download some offline maps on your preferred exploring apps (google maps, onx, Gaia, etc..)

 

Awesome to hear! What's your favorite? I've tried Gaia and All Trails but didn't really like them..

 

I am a big fan of Gaia -- have been using it for many years. Great for off-grid, you can make maps then import them, assuring you won't get lost. Download background maps, so you can reference topos, sat views, etc even when you are off line.

I was in Mexico recently to spectate an off road race. I imported the race course (the red line) -- I added access routes to my final destination (purple and blue lines). The satellite image is helpful to see specifically what's out there. Follow the lines, you won't get lost.

Oh, and what others said about CO -- you will not run out of things to do.

 

It's impossible to get lost in that mountian range thiers only so many roads built @ 11,000 feet & above sea level in 1868 & all of the 'side' roads end at a mine site

 

Is that the paid version? When I had the free version, I don't remember it being that versatile

 

Yes paid version. You get more background maps - they have all the usual maps, plus I use Mines and Mineral Resources, they have historic topo maps (like 1900), cell coverage, Baja California, the PCT, Wilderness Areas, and on and on.

Also, it can record your location, leaving breadcrumbs where ever you go (you can always get back to camp, even in the dark).

As an example here at the stats on a flight I took from Oakland to LA:

 

Great info here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/visiting-colorado-this-is-your-local-information-thread.646537/

 

Since this might be a week long trip, do you have any tips for battery saving and battery charging then? If I downloaded the maps and kept using my phone, I would assume it would die quickly

 

Insane thread! Thanks!

 

I live in the area mentioned if you have questions later (Durango-Silverton). I grew up in NE Ohio but I've been in the mountains for 50 years.

 

Ah a Clevelander! I appreciate it, I might ask a few questions once I start to compile a route or look at these trails more in depth

 

Never lived in a city. Was in Amish country on a farm. Couldn't name a street in Cleveland if I had to.

 

Just keep it plugged in the truck. Also you can run airplane mode

 

Bump

 

While @Stuck Sucks is specifically talking about Mexico here, I am taking the general "go anywhere you see" message to comment about below:

It is YOUR responsibility to know whether or not the "road" or "Trail" you see is legal to travel on within National Forests and other federal public lands.

Just because you see that someone went before you, doesn't mean it is legal. We have a big problem here in Colorado with people driving off trails and causing the land managers to close down a bunch of stuff for various reasons.

In summary, If you don't know if you're allowed to go, don't do it.

https://staythetrail.org/

 

Keep your phone plugged into the truck, but in case your truck dies or you have some other issues on the trail, I strongly recommend carrying a power bank or two. Personally, I prefer Anker power banks which can be found on Amazon at a reasonable price. I have the 26800mAh power bank, and I love it because it'll charge my phone several times over before it runs out of juice and you can charge multiple devices at once. I've had mine for several years now and it still holds a strong charge. That and an extra battery or two for my handheld radios as well as the truck mounted CB, and I feel more comfortable exploring in the mountains.

 

These books/downloads can help give you some ideas. https://funtreks.com/products/ Low snowpack in a lot of the state this year so you should be good to go by mid to late June assuming we're not already on fire by then. Pack it in, pack it out. Check county websites for fire bans if you plan on camping. Have fun!