Lifestyle Trails (A.K.A. “Trails for Pusses”) — list them here!!!!!

[MSteeves]

fantastic thread!

just got back from the Yampa Bench Road in Colorado running through Dinosaur National Monument. About 50 miles from one end to the other with nothing technical, but pretty impassable in wet weather. Some great viewpoints of the river and valleys, petroglyphs and a couple canyon hikes.

Here is some info from NPS about the bench road:

https://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/yampa-bench-road.htm

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[mushroomax]

fantastic thread!

just got back from the Yampa Bench Road in Colorado running through Dinosaur National Monument. About 50 miles from one end to the other with nothing technical, but pretty impassable in wet weather. Some great viewpoints of the river and valleys, petroglyphs and a couple canyon hikes.

Awesome post and beautiful pics, just added this trail to my list!

 

[dapipp]

Toquerville Falls, UT

Here is a nice little side trip while you are in Zion. Doesn't take too much time but great place to visit. Road is cratered to keep out cars but Jeeps and 4x4 pickups should have no issues.

UT-17 & Spring Dr
Toquerville, UT 84774
37.256635, -113.285680

to

Toquerville Falls
La Verkin, UT 84745
37.298997, -113.246896

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Toq...12bf5754120!2m2!1d-113.246845!2d37.298718!3e0

 

[fjernen]

The Pony Express Trail -Utah/Nevada.

3 days of dirt roads with occasional 4wheel drive adventures. Incredible beautiful and remote. 300+ miles of open country.

https://www.visitutah.com/plan-your-trip/recommended-itineraries/west-desert-ramble-the-pony-express

 

[GrumpyBadger]

COLORADO, Cimarron / Ridgeway

Silver Jack Reservoir / Owl Creek Pass

Long maintained dirt road with lots of spurs to distributed camps and trailheads into the north side of the Uncompahgre Wilderness. Nice aspens in autumn.

Oh... and it is the location where they shot a number of scenes from John Wayne's True Grit, including the iconic meadow shootout scene with Courthouse Mtn in the background in fall color. ("Fill yer hands you son of a bitch!")

 

[GrumpyBadger]

COLORADO, Lake City

Henson Creek Rd / Engineer Pass

The Lake City side of Engineer pass is almost 2WD all the way to the top of Engineer Pass. Hiking opportunities at trailheads along the way, old mine remains, etc. Gets real high and offers dispersed camping up in the higher reaches. Access to the south side of the Umcompahgre Wilderness, including 14ers Ucompahgre and Wetterhorn.

Beyond the view area at the top of the pass (heading down to Animas Forks / Silverton or Ouray) the road degrades considerably and turns more into a 4x4 with some tricky stuff and narrow shelves. If you aren't confident or willing to be "4-wheelin", then retrace back to Lake City.

 

[GrumpyBadger]

COLORADO, Silverton / Ouray

Ophir Pass (one pass further on than Black Bear off Hwy 550; much easier alternative to cut between Ouray / Silverton and the Telluride side)

The road is a little harder than some on here, but maintained well enough that it is probably better than some of the more rocky ones folks have listed. Gets you up into great views of Red Mountain Pass area, on up to Ophir Pass which is kind of cool itself with giant scree walls on either side. In wildflower season there are a couple meadows that are carpets of color with lots of cheeky humming birds. A bit of a shelf hanger on the west side, but has always been in good shape when I've taken full size pickups over it. I've seen folks in large vehicles get freaked out by narrow one-lane sections where folks have to behave to get past each other, but I believe it is an easy road for a stock Jeep (I have run it in stock Ford Ranger, Ford F150, and 2006 LJ).

 

[GrumpyBadger]

COLORADO, Lake City

Cty Rd 30 (along and past Lake San Christobal)

Mostly easy well-maintained road that connects to the east side of Cinnamon Pass (itself a connector to Engineer Pass, Animas Forks, and is part of the Alpine Loop). Takes you past a bunch of scenic (read: $$$$) homesteads and on up into access areas for 14ers Sunshine, Red Cloud, and Handies, including a usually rough 4x4 spur to American Basin. A few narrow spots and it can have a few tricky spots depending on conditions (I've not been on it in a few years, and it was degrading due to over-use like most of those Alpine Loop / Engineer Pass roads). Stock JLs shouldn't have a problem and it shouldn't be too bad up to the split to the Am Basin and Cinnamon Pass. I used to see 2wd cars on it at the 14er trailheads... not sure if that is still possible. Stay alert.

Bonus: Cinnamon Pass can get quite tricky, with steppy bench switchbacks and a puckery stretch coming up out of Animas Forks. Probably not for beginners or the more casual following this thread, but I used to do it in my stock Ford Ranger and F150 back in the 90's - before it got too torn up by over-use. I presume it is still stock Jeep passable, but it might be questionable. If you are unsure, use it as a hike up to Cinnamon Pass, where the views are worth the walk! (just try not to get hit by a teenager on a moto-cross dirtbike going faster than good sense would dictate)

 

[GrumpyBadger]

COLORADO, Silverton

Cty Rd 2 to Animas Forks

The first part of the road is well maintained and people drag their houses up it to "camp" at the foot of the 4x4 trails above the Animas River valley. The road degrades a bit but is easily passable in a stock JL all the way to Animas Forks with little effort but teeth-chattering rocks, and a couple narrow spots. I've seen 2wd cars on this stretch every time I've been on it (at least up till 2 years ago), so it is not bad for our Jeeps. Animas Forks is an old mining village that's had some buildings fairly well preserved that can be explored and gawked at.

There are a number of harder 4x4 tracks that lead out of Animas Forks, and the roads (including the Alpine Loop to Ouray or Lake City over Engineer Pass, as well as to Lake City over Cinnamon Pass) can be more involved as 4x4 roads. Again, I think they are likely all stock JL capable, but they may test one's comfort level with narrow shelves and steppy switchbacks that have been trashed over the last 20 years of growing over-use. Just out of AF, you can probably make it up a ways on the Alpine Loop toward Engineer Pass before comfort level gets squirrelly - obviously a personal call. You might try California Pass as well - you can go as far as you like and hike the rest of way, or even divert off to hike up the spur to Picayune Pass. As i stated in a previous post, there is always the option to leave the Jeep at AF or any number of pullouts and hoof it as high as you wish to go.

BE AWARE... this area is extremely popular (as is the whole Alpine Loop), and it gets pretty busy, especially on weekends. I avoid weekends there like the plague. It still remains one of my favorite places to get very high in Colorado and camp above 12,000 ft, but I adjust my schedule to weekdays only and I get up early to tackle the sketchier areas up high before all the motor-pilgrims wake up and tear up the tracks. Again... stay alert if you venture past Animas Forks, scout ahead on foot if you think it's sketchy for your ability, and turn around if you're not happy with it.

 

[GrumpyBadger]

COLORADO, Telluride / Ridgeway

Last Dollar Road

A longer "cut-off" between Hwy 62 west out of Ridgeway down to Hwy 145 dropping you into Telluride from the west. Tends to be a perennial favorite of fall color photographers, but is a nice winding and rolling dirt road skirting the west flanks of the Sneffels massif. I've not been on it in a few years, but I believe it is still maintained to be 2wd capable the whole way. I think some scenes from True Grit were also filmed out in this area. Gets one off the pavement a bit if one is wanting to get off the pavement.

 

[GrumpyBadger]

COLORADO, Gunnison (or Crested Butte from the other end)

Cty Rd 730 / Ohio Pass

Dirt road that cuts between just north of Gunnison up to Kebler Pass heading west out of Crested Butte. A little lacking in overall activities other than a pretty drive due to private land around it, but its views of aspens and the distant "Castle Mountain" (or whatever it is called - see my pic from many years ago) are worth the look in fall color - and there are a few dispersed camping opportunities that no one seems to bother with even during leaf-peeping which is, admittedly, the only times I've been there. If you are in Crested Butte for fall colors, it is worth the jaunt.

 

[Hans]

Our plan for our Moab and Ouray trip is ready.
Around Moab we will ( try to ) do the Shafer trail , Long Canyon Road , the Onion Creek and Thompson Canyon loop, Willow Springs Road and Tusher Tunnel.
In the Ouray area it is planned to do the Last Dollar Road, Corkscrew Gulch, Hurrican Pass, Cinnamon Pass, Red Mountain Mining Area, Ophir Pass and maybe Engineer Pass ( starting from Animous Forks , not from the Mineral Creek departure. I'm a bit 'scared' of that part. It looks heavy in the beginning ).

These are all more or less 'easy ones' according to my 'guide books'.

Again, safety above all in these . I have a stock 2020 Willys 2.0Ltr 4 door and I don't wanne have troubles with the car whatsoever. I looked videos on youtube of jeeps doing these trails, and I believe I can do this too. I drove on roads like this with Military Vehicles in Kosovo , Lebanon, Bosnia and Afghanistan, but that is not with your own car , with your family in it .

We are exited to go because it will probably our one and only time in our life that we can do it with our own car during our 5 year stay in the US.
So my questions to you as more experts than me are :
-do you guys have any other things that I should consider, need to know, or be aware off ? Apart from the heat, take water with you, take some tools ,....
-when I do this carefully , can my car do it ?

I read the posts from GrumpyBadger above and it helps to build up my confidence , but still....

 

[Dkretden]

@Hans

Hans,

I suggest that you consider starting a thread to discuss your trip, your planned itinerary, and your questions. It will likely get a lot of feed back if you have a separate thread titled “MOAB and CO adventure…. have some questions….” Something like that. This thread is more a resource for helping people find “Lifestyle trails” — a few of the trails you have listed are probably not even in that category.

suggest that you do A “cut and paste” into a new thread.

 

[Hans]

OK , I understand
Sorry for the inconvenience !

 

[Dkretden]

COLORADO

Potato lake trail via Spud Lake (I’m not kidding).
Hiking/Fishing or camping.

location: north of Durango CO and just north of the Purgatory ski resort.

from Durango take 550 north about 25 miles, pass Purgatory resort
turn onto Lime Creek road (dirt/rock) which is also Forest Road 591.
head back about 3 miles to the hiking trailhead.

The road is NOT suitable for sedans IMO. Your jeep will have zero issues. The road is rocky and rutted and gets significantly worse the further back you drive. A ‘high clearance Subaru” can (and did) make the trek. A number of mini vans stopped along the road and the owners hiked up the road. A few camrys/accords/volvos gave up thinking that they could make it and drove down to the camp ground near 550 to curse the day they bought their ride instead of a jeep. Jeeps — any jeep ever made —will just yawn and be bored AND bring you right to the trailhead. EXACTLY why I bought my Jeep.

When you arrive at Spud Lake, parking is in short supply (maybe 10-12 places to park) so arrive early. the road continues but I don’t know how far or where it goes. We took the hiking trail to potato lake (3 miles round trip with a 400 foot elevation change, capping out just shy of 10k feet). The trail starts between two posts. Stunning Lake. Fishing or hiking or remote camping, your choice. Beautiful.

you can hike on from here if you wish.

alltrails has a good description of the hike.

potato lake:

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