Frustrated with the crowds in Colorado’s back country

Now that I have the time, money and vehicle to do more off roading I’m finding a crowded back country, deteriorating trails and highway traffic nightmares going to and from the trails.
Your thoughts?

 

I think unfortunately it’s becoming harder and harder to find truly isolated places that the average person has the time and money to get too. Covid made the whole adventure vehicle travel, overlanding, thing extremely popular.

 

I hate crowds & crowded trails even more. The point was to get off the pavement & away from freeways & people. Now I don't do any rock crawling- but the trails are insane. Even in the middle of the week it's crowded, don't you people have jobs?

 

I plan as many camping trips as possible on weekdays, and mostly avoid weekends, especially long holiday weekends.
I don't know about Colorado, but I can still find isolated places in the PNW-Wyoming.

 

Same - I don't even go out there anymore.

Maybe this affects those of us on the Front Range a bit more than other parts of Colorado, but as those of us who live here can't even escape enough to have a look, I have my doubts.

I've been trying pretty desperately to talk my wife into moving out of this hole, but she won't have it. I guess that when I do finally move, she'll have some choices to make.

 

Interestingly enough it feels I can still find plenty of isolated areas in Northern Michigan and especially the Upper peninsula. Certain areas get hit hard but a lot of our trips end up being over the weekend due to work but, most weekends I won’t run into anyone on the trails or while we are hiking and exploring. Main checkpoints like state parks or state campgrounds tend to draw a crowd but it seems easy enough to avoid.

I do agree though covid seemed to draw people in to this kind of hobby/activity or just getting outside more.

 

When every other vehicle on the roads in the front range is some “built”* 4Runner or Taco, I’m not surprised when I do find myself in the backcountry and someone is driving off trail and getting things shut down. I gave up on taking my truck places and ride my bikes. Pedal bikes. It’s much quieter.


*light bar, Prinsu and bed rack is apparently “built” these days.

 

No major issues on the Western slope(6 hours from Denver is the key), aside from the major trails like the alpine loop, and trails around telluride and Ouray.

Still pretty easy to find abandoned tracks and great camping. Just need to know where the crowds go, and don't go there.

 

If you go somewhere and there are crowds, you need to realize that you are part of that crowding situation.

 

Before the internet you had to do your own homework on finding places. This usually meant buying a guide book or requesting maps and so forth from whatever land agency that managed the area you wanted to explore, then pouring over those maps trying to locate trails that might be passible.

Now days you just scroll the internet or watch YouTube, plenty of asshole on those platforms that love to exploit those spots that used to take someone years of exploring to find.

 

You can get these on Amazon, might help.

 

I have a friend in Craig and we explore the wilds of Moffat County but it’s a long ride there.

 

To the OP...where did you move from?

Not trying to be a dick, just wanting to illuminate much of the reason for the overcrowding. And my sympathies if you grew up here. Things have changed mightily, not for the better.

 

Biggest thing to do is move away from the big cities. SE Arizona is beautiful. I can get to the dirt roads in 10 minutes and not see a soul for 6 hours.

 

The overlanding sensation is sweeping the nation.

Ride the wave!

 

When you cram a place with six million people and most of them want to take their Toyota or Subaru up in the mountains every chance they get it’s not hard to have a crowd problem.

 

It's been the same with mountain biking since COVID. I do my best to go out on weekdays, and when I get out to Junction, rely on my buddy to know which trails are less likely to be overloaded. Finally picked up a Tacoma again last year to eventually get out for some dispersed camping. Seems everything in this state is always booked. We moved out here ten years ago so my wife could work at the VA and I would have a better airport for work travel. Things have blown up since then. Gotta be quick to get those reservable sites!

 

I like Colorado, but I hate being a tourist there. My last several road trips have avoided it on purpose. Not that anywhere else is better. I really enjoyed the Black Hills, if it werent for the rental SxS riders and occasional lost and ignorant Harley.

 

There are more people on this earth every single day. You either put up with the crowds to check out the well-traveled spots or go out someplace else. I mean look at what’s going on with the National Park system, totally separate of off-roading but during peak season some require entry reservations and if you weren’t a lucky bastard who grabbed a ticket the night before at 7pm right when the slots opened up then you aren’t getting in. All within the last couple years.

We are still in the Covid/post-covid outdoor boom.

 

Can you give specifics? i.e what trails? I will say weekends obviously are going to have more traffic as that's when a majority of people have time off. But I've done weekend trails, and for me the key is starting early. I did get hit with a traffic jam on Wheeler Lake, but at least it was on my way back down. But that same day, I hit Mosquito Pass and Birdseye Gulch with minimal traffic. Couple weekends ago I did Halfmoon Creek and saw minimal traffic again.