Trip to Moab advice

[73TAWM]

I know, I know, search the forum for Moab as it's been discussed 5000 times. I tried that but it's been discussed 5000 times and I don't have time to read that many posts.
We are making our first trip to Moab, (first week of July ) second out West (Colorado) and I am looking for a little advice. We are starting out on a Saturday morning coming form Missouri, stopping over night just before the Colorado border to rest. Our Air B&B starts Monday and ends Friday in Moab, but we will be traveling through and staying one night in Colorado. We absolutely love the back roads in Colorado, so I'm asking for your advice on the two day journey through CO on what rout to take. I wanted to do Big Bear but my Mom who is traveling behind us in my Dad's Jeep said and I quote "fuck no". So thought Ophir Pass would be a good alternative. We are planning on taking highway 54 out of Missouri and coming through further South through Pueblo and making our way across Colorado. I do have the OnX app for trails but wanted yall's input on the route for getting there with fun along the way. Even if it's just a gravel road through the mountains. I have a list of trails to do in Moab since we'll be there for 4 days and leaving out the fifth day, but I'm intentionally giving us 2 full days to get through Colorado. Any advice from those that have been through on what route and trails?
Thank you in advance.

Pic for pic's sake.

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[Mgg253]

T-33 plane crash site near Boulder, CO is an awesome trail. If you’re taking this trip soon, nothing in the San Juan’s will be close to open yet. Anyway you go through the mountains has awesome views

 

[jhackathorne]

When is your trip? That will determine what may be available in CO to hit up.

 

[GATORB8]

Rimrocker is an option, it runs Moab to Montrose with several options to dump out to highway.

I think if I was going east I'd run Engineer Ouray to Lake City instead of Ophir (if weather allows).

EDIT: You will 100% lose cell coverage in both areas, make sure you download the areas for off-line usage in OnX.

I highly recommend TrailsOffRoad for trail selection, or at minimum FunTreks. Both will be way easier than screwing with OnX for that function.

 

[jadmt]

Hell black bear is a piece of cake but no way it will be open might want to check to check all Colorado trails to see if even open this early

 

[andy29847]

Colorado - April - Mountains = forget about it.

The east side of Colorado is arid and flatish. The fun doesn't start until you cross I-25.

My fav way across is Colorado 160. This might be the best way in April with the big roadblock being Wolf Creek Pass. You could spend a night in Cortez and run up 145 to see Telluride and Black Bear Pass. the gondola system in Telluride is free and is a fun activity.

Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado, Web Cams (keno.org)

Hwy 50 is a good ride too. The drive through Arkansas River canyon is super scenic. Monarch Pass is the major obstacle. You could stay in Gunnison and go north 30 miles to visit Crested Butte. When you reach Montrose, go south on 550 and visit Ouray. It's spectacular. From Ouray, go back north to Ridgeway and west on 62 and on to Moab.

Monarch Pass Webcam US50 West by CDOT | Colorado Webcam

Eat at the Moab Diner.
Potash Rd and the Schaffer Switchbacks are the most popular easy ride.
Fins n' Things in Sand Flats ORV Park is a popular moderate trail.

This slide show/movie is from my last trip to Colorado and Moab. It's in July, so your experience may be different.

2021 Go West Young Man Part 1 (youtube.com)

 

[GATORB8]

FYI, he's planning first week of July per an earlier post.

I have run the Ouray area that time of year without issue, but still a good idea to check the sites. I don't doubt Telluride cock blocks Black Bear pass again this year, they left it closed all last year.

 

[73TAWM]

When is your trip? That will determine what may be available in CO to hit up.

Doh! Just realized I didn't post date. First week of July. Fixed and thank you.

 

[jhackathorne]

As @GATORB8 said, Get TrailsOffroad. You can download both Utah and Colorado and know where you are at all times.

Ophir is in easy trail. Black Bear really is not much more diffucult. It just has more of a reputation and higher danger level. But if you can stay calm and not panic on the shelf portion, you'll be just fine. It is not for those who have a fear of heights. Tons of other trails in that area and in July a pretty good portion will be open.

This really depends on the route you take. Stop at Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Park if you are heading through the southern part of the state. It's worth a stop for sure.

 

[Mgg253]

Medano pass is a good trail around the sand dunes

 

[andy29847]

Ahhhh - July. That's better. Early July will find some passes still closed. I like to watch this page for pass info:

Bushducks - Jeep Trail and Backroads Trip Reports<br>Colorado Jeep Trails and Passes - Opening Dates

Funtrek publishes an excellent trail guide for Colorado. They also have a good website that covers much of the same info.

Trails - FunTreks

I'd cross Colorado on Highway 50.

From Canyon City, you can dirt road it up to Cripple Creek for lunch and then back on a different dirt road (Shelf Road, Phantom Canyon). It's easy and scenic.

Mendano Pass and Haden Pass make a good loop that's not too difficult. Mendano runs out the back of the Great Sand Dunes National Park., Hayden is a little used route from Coaldale into the San Luis Valley.

In Gunnison, I've had a lot of fun in Hartman Rocks. This is a huge BLM area on the southwest side of Gunnison. Find Powerline Rd and you can ride for miles.

North of Gunnison you can find all the challenge you can stand. Tin Cup Pass is the most popular route but also one of the last to open. I love the route that includes Ohio Creek Rd, Slate River Rd, the Paradise Divide, and back to Crested Butte via Schofield Pass (not the scary part to the west, AKA, the Devil's Punchbowl). Another scenic and easy loop is from the Spring Creek Reservoir to the town of Tin Cup via Taylor Park, ten out of Tin Cup over Cumberland Pass through Pitkin and back to Gunnison. There are tons of choices!

South of Poncha Springs is a network of roads built for mining that are a lot of fun to explore. Most people go there to visit the Bonanza Mine. North of Salida is Aspen Ridge Rd which runs up to the 4 Mile area adjacent to Buena Vista. I've had a lot of fun exploring around there.

In 2023 we did some of the stuff I wrote about. We were there in September. It was beautiful. The Colorado Part start around 4:20.

 

[jadmt]

this was several years ago but I took my brother and he literally had never been offroad in his jeep prior to this. He said it was a piece of cake. We did Ophir the evening before just so he had an idea what it was like and then the next morning did Black bear...when you stop set your parking brake and if you do that you will have no issues.Hell I think Hyw 550 has scarier places than Black bear does the best part of the video is coming around the corner and surprising the hippy girl taking a pee break

 

[Mgg253]

The Colorado Part start around 4:20.

It sure does, doesn’t it?

I kid - you actually have a lot of good insight to CO trails!

 

[GoatHerder]

Your biggest challenge is only two days in Colorado. Any chance of adding a couple days on the front side? Try to plan to at east drive through Ouray Co. pronounced yourway If you have never been there before. That can be a scouting trip for next year vacation to that area.

Durango to Silverton to Ouray is a very nice highway drive. If you look around on the net there are places to find out if the high passes have been opened up yet from the snow. Probably be a thread with that info closer to the time. Sand dune desert around pikes peak is interesting, will absorb some time. My off-road experience in Colorado is with atv or sxs. Hope to add Jeep soon.

where have you already been in Colorado?

 

[jadmt]

agree with above post and check out mesa verdesNP it is pretty neat

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