Salida, Colorado

Skyline drive is a one way scenic roadway mainly going north to south. The 3 mile drive takes you about 800 feet above Cañon City. It starts on the west side of 50, and ends in a residential neighborhood southwest of where it begins. There are multiple pull offs on the right and left side of the...

Follow Colorado Highway 24 South from Leadville for 14 miles, then turn right onto Colorado 82 towards Aspen. Turn left onto County Road 25, then follow the road for 1 mile to a small parking area for the Colorado Trail. You have arrived!This trail starts near 9,200 feet of elevation and while yo...

Nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, Willow Lake offers a stunning destination to a rigorous hike. The hike is approximately 9 miles out and back with 2800 feet of elevation gain. The trail is well marked and maintained. However, the hike rarely levels off. Be prepared for a steady incline...

There are a couple different trailheads that lead to Kit Carson Peak, but the one from Willow Creek Trailhead will give you the opportunity to peak another fourteener, Challenger Point, and let you pass through and/or camp at Willow Lake, which is a beautiful destination by itself. If approaching...

Shelf Road is secluded, rural, and has great climbing. There are so many areas to choose from and it has a great diversity of route levels (mostly sport routes). My personal favorite area is "The Gallery" and "The Bank." Everyone is friendly and gives each other a hand.Sand Gulch Campground, righ...

The Basics: Picture this: Winter on Colorado's Front Range. It snowed yesterday. You're stir crazy because today it's 60 degrees and sunny outside, but the trails are a muddy mess! Cue Oil Well Flats. Located just an hour outside of Colorado Springs, this trail network rarely sees precipitation, ...

Shelf Road, which was once a toll road from Cripple Creek to Canon City, is now a maintained dirt road that most high clearance two wheel drive cars can make.  It will take over an hour to travel the 25 miles or so, and it can be completed going from north to south or the opposite.  I will explai...

Hope Pass is accessed from the Willis Gulch trailhead about 25 miles outside of Leadville, Colorado. To get to the trail head, follow Highway 24 East for about 16 miles until you arrive at the junction for Highway 82. Turn right and follow Highway 82 for about 8.3 miles. You will see a sign on th...

Twin Lakes are two bodies of water that are connected by a short run of water with a dam at the eastern end. There are a few different places to put in your boat including boat ramps by the access point on the east end of the lake. There is also a boat ramp and a place to seasonally rent boats by...

This area is located on the other side of Independence Pass from Aspen, which is only accessible during the summer, or can be reached year-round via Leadville, which is about 20 miles away along Highway 24. From Twin Lakes Village drive approximately 1.5 miles east on Highway 82 and take the exit...

Directions:  Heading south from Leadville from U.S. 24: West on CO 82 for 10.5 miles to a hidden right turn that leads to a trail head. If you make it to the Mt. Elbert Lodge, you have gone just a bit too far. The parking lot (aka: dirt access) should be relatively empty as everyone tends to hik...

Classic Route to the Summit of Colorado's highest peak Great for All Seasons this is the Recommended Winter Route with minimal Avalanche Danger.  Known as the South Mount Elbert trail, the East Ridge trail or a combo of both, this trail is truly beautiful and remote. DIRECTIONS: To reach the t...

At the base of Mt. Elbert there are three campgrounds. One is a National Forest campground - you have to pay for a spot and it is closed from October-May. The other two are first-come, first-serve free campground areas. As you drive past the south trailhead, right before the reservoir, there is a...

This is the way to see fall colors if you're into empty trails and endorphins. Grind up the trail starting from South Elbert Trailhead. You'll turn right onto the Colorado Trail at .3 miles and stay here for as long as you like, or 7.3 miles to the Mount Elbert Trailhead. Turn around and go back ...

Your trip starts at the winter trailhead for Weston Pass, approximately 6.7 miles from the hut. Depending on road conditions, you may be able to cut off a few miles by driving further up the road.In the summer, you can drive all the way to the hut, and enjoy a great basecamp for hiking and trail ...

The Northwest Ridge is the most easily accessible and popular route, and for good reasons. The trailhead is on the side of Hwy 82, otherwise known as Independence Pass, about 14.5 miles from the Hwy 24 junction, or about 10 miles from Twin Lakes to the east. The trailhead is hard to miss, and you...