Trails in and around Ouray Colorado
Ouray has earned the much-deserved reputation of the "Jeeping Capital of the World". Now its our turn; For four days in July, Ouray will become the FJ Cruiser Capital of the World! with breathtaking trails rated from easy to difficult.
Traverse a variety of terrain from extreme high mountain passes and rugged winding roads to areas of spectacular wildflowers that blanket the ground throughout the spring and summer. Four-wheeling enthusiasts travel here all summer long for the breathtaking scenery and then again during the fall months for the spectacular amber colors.
The descriptions below are courtesy of www.TrailDAMAGE.com Please visit their site and thank them for all the wonderful descriptions.
Photo's courtesy of FJ owners. Hover over the pictures to see who took the picture !
NEW! 2010 FJ Summit Trails
These are the trail runs that are new for 2010! Some are on new trails, some are on the same roads with a new twist.
PLEASE BE SURE TO LOOK FOR EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS --
NOT ALL OF THESE NEW TRAILS ARE SUITABLE FOR STOCK FJs.
Volunteer Trailwork (Easy/Moderate)
Do you love off-road fun? This is a chance to help keep the trails in good shape and show the area that we are committed to responsible use of the land. We are working with Stay The Trail, the Ouray Ranger District and the Ouray County engineers to see where we can provide the best help. Details aren't known yet, but it may range from rolling boulders off of the roads to shoulder work to trash clean up. No matter what it will be a great chance to drive one of the area trails and to hang out on some of the most amazing mountain roads!
We know that FJ Summiteers have a strong interest in advancing and sustaining off-road areas -- please consider signing up for this!
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: Long pants, work-appropriate shoes, work gloves, sunscreen/sun protection, a cheerful attitude, and a willingness to help.
Poughkeepsie Gulch (Moderate/Difficult)
This trail is one of Ouray's more difficult trails, with absolutely beautiful views and some fun on rocks and water, depending on snow melt conditions. Additional obstacles add to the fun and challenge!
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: Lifted and armored. Stock MAY be OK, but you will have to be very cautious to avoid undercarriage damage. Obstacles near the end of the trail may require winching, but they are optional obstacles.
Local Mining/History Tour Trail (Easy/Moderate)
Chris Schaich will lead this special trail run past some of the area mining sites, delivering information about the area. All the fun of the traditional trails plus extra education along the way! Many thanks to Chris for leading these trails.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: CB Radio. You'll miss a lot of the good information without one!
Slower Paced Photography Trails (Difficulty Varies by Trail)
If you are a shutterbug and love to stop and take pictures along the trail, these may be for you! Every trail run at the FJ Summit stops for photo opportunities, but these special photography trails will break for longer times, giving you time to set up whatever you need to get that "perfect shot." Come with a point and shoot or a tripod and a bag of lenses -- and be sure to post your pictures afterwards!! Be aware that this may make for longer trail times, so be prepared to spend more time on the mountains, and expect that you may get back to Ouray later than normal trail runs. These may also involve more off-trail hiking (short excursions) to get to different views of waterfalls, peaks, or other great views!
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: Cameras, binoculars, or just an eye for good vistas. Bring your most patient attitude so that everyone can get their shots without feeling rushed!
Black Bear Geocaching (Moderate/Difficult)
Geocaching is the world-wide game of using GPS to find caches that people have hidden. A few caches exist across Black Bear Road, so this will be a run over black bear that stops to locate the caches! This will involve hiking around the hill side, so come prepared to do some high-country walking. Whether this is your first time geocaching or if you have been playing it for years, this should be fun caches to find.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: A handheld GPS is the main tool of geocaching, but if you don't have one you can pair up with others who do.
Montrose Canyon Trails (Difficult/Extreme)
ONLY FOR THE HARDCORE -- EXPERIENCED DRIVERS ONLY! This trail run will head to Montrose (about 40 miles north), and meet up with Craig Ross of Rockworx 4x4. He'll lead a trail run through some of the lowland trials west of Montrose. The exact trail will be decided by the group's desires and abilities. Scratch & Dent, Calamity Canyon, Topless, Cactus Ridge, and Die Trying are all trails in the area that could be considered. These trails will test your skills! Body damage and broken parts are definitely possible, but so is a day of tremendous fun. (Craig and the good folks at Rockworx can help with repairs too!)
rockcrawler.com did a nice write up on the Cactus Ridge trail, which can give you an idea of the fun you can expect.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: STOCK IS NOT ENOUGH HERE!! Lifted and armored. 33+ tires. Lockers and A-Trac should be fully functional. Winch is probably a good idea, but the group may have enough to help out those that do not have a winch. For the harder core trails (Tie Drying comes to mind) you should have a well-equiped spare-parts pool.
Official FJ Summit Trails
These are the official and traditional FJ Summit trails.
The Alpine Loop (Easy/Moderate)
The Alpine Loop Back Country Byway in the northern San Juan Mountains of Colorado is a spectacular 65-mile tour of some of North America's most magnificent scenery. The byway boasts two 12,000+ foot passes that require a high clearance, four wheel drive vehicle. For those with an adventurous spirit (and an appropriate vehicle!), the area offers an opportunity to look backward in time to a time when early miners struggled in a rugged, often hostile environment. Description of Courtesy of www.alpineloop.com
At the FJ Summit, this trail selection includes Engineer Pass and Cinnamon Pass
Engineer Pass (Moderate)
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=76
This trail is the first half of the "Alpine Loop" outside of Ouray, It is extremely scenic and very long, filled with many things to photograph.
It starts just south of Ouray on the left side of the road as you are winding your way along the shelf. There is plenty of room to air down at the trailhead, and the trail starts out rocky right away. It gets easier after a mile or two, though. You can pick your lines through most of it and make it as easy or as difficult as you would like.
If you want to go over Engineer Pass, choose the "Alpine Loop" as one of your trail runs, as this is the first leg of the loop.
Cinnamon Pass (Moderate)
This trail is part of the Alpine Loop, and takes you through many of Colorado's historic ghost towns and mining camps. Very Picturesque and a lovely trail to take.
If you want to go over Cinnamon Pass, choose the "Alpine Loop" as one of your trail runs, as this is the second leg of the loop.
California Pass (Easy/Moderate)
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=78
This trail is absolutely beautiful from start to finish. Though it isn't a technically challenging trail it does follow very narrow shelf roads. All drivers will need to be very careful. Plan to spend a bit of time in Animas Forks if you can -- there are few towns like this one still left standing. There is a large amount of parking and pit toilets available. You can pick up a brochure and sign the guestbook, then follow the walking tour detailed in the pamphlet to check out the thirteen buildings and items of interest. There is a lot of history and it is very interesting as well as scenic.
California Pass and Cork Screw Gluch connect to form one trail run at the FJ Summit
Cork Screw Gulch (Easy/Moderate)
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=83
If you enjoy the red-colored mountains in the Ouray area you will really enjoy Corkscrew Gulch. There are three red mountains on Red Mountain Pass -- their names are Red Mountain Number 1, Red Mountain Number 2 and Red Mountain Number 3. This trail climbs between Red Mountains 1 and 2 as it connects highway 550 to highway 11.
California Pass and Cork Screw Gluch connect to form one trail run at the FJ Summit
Black Bear Pass (Moderate/Difficult)
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=79
Enjoy the thrill of true rugged four-wheeling in the San Juans! This is a heart-stopping and breath taking alpine trail to Telluride passing right by the spectacular Bridal Veil Falls.
This is one of the most famous trails in the state and for good reason. It's beautiful and slightly terrifying. You travel from south of Ouray to Telluride over Black Bear Pass, around Ingram Basin, and right through the middle of Bridal Veil Falls.
The Black Bear trail run will go from Ouray to Teluride on Black Bear Road, and return to Ouray over Ophir Pass and Highway 550.
Imogene Pass (Easy/Moderate)
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=80
Imogene Pass is the second highest pass in Colorado, making it a beautiful and thrilling ride.
The trail is wide and surrounded by trees and is fairly easy, but some shelf roads and switchbacks will keep your hands on the wheel. Views of Telluride are amazing!
The Imogene Pass trail run will go from Ouray to Teluride on Black Bear Road, and return to Ouray over Ophir Pass and Highway 550.
Ophir Pass (Easy)
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=106
This trail is fairly easy though you spend a lot of time on a shelf road. The road is usually narrow so if you have to pass someone it could be difficult and dangerous.
The trail connects Telluride and Silverton and is very scenic. If you run it in June or later it should be cleared by snowplows, and you get to pass on the trail between walls of snow.
The Black Bear Pass and Imogene Pass trail runs will return from Teluride over Ophir Pass. Ophir Pass is also a good choice to make a loop to Teluride with Last Dollar Road.
Additional Trails
We do not run every trail in the area, but here are some suggestions for additional excursions apart from the organized trail runs. There are many more in the area! We encourage you to explore!
Yankee Boy Basin (Easy)
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=81
A very popular trail, this one can't be missed if you find yourself in the area. It is short and not particularly difficult and you get to see some gorgeous sites.
It intersects with Imogene Pass, Governor Basin and basically is the end of road 361 out of Ouray. It starts with the Torpedo Eclipse Mill on your right and the Ruby Trust Mine on your left. A little further up the trail and you can see the Atlas Mill on the left.
Last Dollar Road (Easy)
This road was originally an early supply route from Ouray to Telluride. This extremely easy road traverses through picturesque ranches, passes through beautiful aspen forests, and provides scenic views of the San Miguel canyon as you wind your way to Telluride. Beautiful in the fall with its amber colored aspen stands.
Governor Basin Ouray County, Colorado (Easy/Moderate)
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=82
Because this trail is not as used as Yankee Boy Basin it ends up being a lot more private. It is a network of trails with lots of sights to see.
The network of trails starts right away after a climb on a shelf road. The whole area is fun to explore. As you are climbing the switchbacks keep your eyes peeled for a very well-hidden trail that leaves from the turnoff in a switchback as you climb and make a right turn. This is the place you will come back to if you make a loop around Sidney Basin. The trail at this end is narrow, off camber, and not traveled very often.