Before venturing out into the forest and backcountry be sure that you are familiar with current weather conditions and forest regulations.  Each visitor should study the information on the trailhead bulletin board and/or go into the Forest Service office at 680 Blue River Parkway in Silverthorne to obtain the latest copy of the RECREATION OPPORTUNITY GUIDE (ROG) before heading out on any particular trail. 

TIPS FOR OHV USERS:

Always be prepared for sudden afternoon thunder or snowstorms with adequate rain gear, warm clothing and plenty of food and water.  Be careful not to accidentally leave any litter along the way, including cigarette butts.  Avoid running over young trees, shrubs and grasses.  Stay off soft, wet roads and trails - they can easily be torn up by vehicles (especially during the hunting season).  Repairing the damage is expensive and time consuming, requiring the access to be closed.  Resist the urge to pioneer a new road, trail or cut across a switchback.  Obey gate closures and regulatory signs.  Vandalism costs tax dollars.  A spark arrestor must be on the vehicle along with a working muffler.  Always be careful with fire - a camp stove is the preferred method for cooking in the backcountry.  REMEMBER - NO VEHICLES ARE ALLOWED IN WILDERNESS AREAS!  The best way you can help the land survive is to challenge yourself to make the least possible impact on the land.  CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON TREAD LIGHTLY.

If you see a particular OHV trail the interests you, click on the trail name and you will be taken the ROG sheet for that trail.  The trail links contain the same Recreation Opportunity Guide (ROG) sheets that you can get at the Dillon Ranger District office.  The front side of the ROG sheet contains route information such as: route difficulty, length, directions on how to get to the trailhead, interesting information on the route and any important information that route users might need to know.  The back side of the ROG sheet contains a custom topographic map highlighting the OHV route along with an elevation profile.

RETURN TO RECREATION HOMEPAGE

EASY ROUTES

1.  BOREAS PASS ROAD FDR 59 - THIS ROG IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

2.  BRUSH CREEK ROAD FDR 1695 - BECAUSE THIS ROAD TRAVELS TO THE EAGLES NEST WILDERNESS BOUNDARY, YOU MAY NOT TAKE YOUR VEHICLE INTO THE WILDERNESS AREA.  THIS ROAD IS USED FOR MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE OHV USE, HIKING AND MTN. BIKING.  PLEASE RESPECT OTHER USERS.  STAY ON DESIGNATED ROADS TO PREVENT RESOURCE DAMAGE.  The road begins at an elevation of 8,031 feet and ends at an elevation of 8,980 feet, with a highest elevation of 9,022 feet.  The elevation gain is +949 feet.  The first mile of the Brush Creek Road is steep and leads through sagebrush offering an excellent view of Green Mountain Reservoir and the Lower Blue Valley.  Once in the trees the road becomes narrow.  The road continues to the Eagles Nest Wilderness boundary.  The route difficulty is rated EASY.  For directions and a topographic map please see the ROG sheet.

3.  MINERS CREEK ROAD FDR 1000 - THIS ROAD IS USED FOR MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE OHV USE, HIKING AND MTN. BIKING.  PLEASE RESPECT OTHER USERS.  STAY ON DESIGNATED ROADS TO PREVENT RESOURCE DAMAGE.  The road begins at an elevation of 9,134 feet and ends at an elevation of 9,918 feet, with a highest elevation of 9,988 feet.  The elevation gain is +784 feet.  The first item of interest that can be seen is Rainbow Lake, which is on the right-hand side.  The main Miners Creek Road is bisected by side roads which provide access to several old mining sites.  These roads may narrow quickly and large OHVs may find these side roads impassable.  At the end of Miners Creek Road travelers are rewarded with a majestic view of the northern portion of the Tenmile Range.  The Miners Creek and Peaks hiking trails can be accessed via the Miners Creek Road.  The route difficulty is rated EASY.  For directions and a topographic map please see the ROG sheet.

RETURN TO MAIN OHV PAGE

4.  PERU CREEK ROAD FDR 260 - THIS ROAD IS USED FOR MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE OHV USE, HIKING AND MTN. BIKING.  PLEASE RESPECT OTHER USERS.  STAY ON DESIGNATED ROADS TO PREVENT RESOURCE DAMAGE.  The road begins at an elevation of 10,025 feet and ends at an elevation of 11,305 feet, with a highest elevation of 11,305 feet.  The elevation gain is +1,280 feet.  The Peru Creek Road follows the Peru Creek Drainage to Horseshoe Basin.  After .5 miles, Morgan Peak comes into view on the right and soon thereafter the top of Copper Mountain is visible to your left across the valley.  Another mile further on you can see the Pennsylvania Mine to your right.  Travel another .88 miles and the Shoe Basin Mine will be seen to your left.  NO VEHICLES ARE ALLOWED PAST THIS POINT!  Travel another .34 miles to the Argentine Pass Trailhead.  The hiking trail then continues 1.76 miles up into Horseshoe Basin and then curves around to west to an unnamed lake.  A great deal of the Peru Creek Drainage is privately owned.  Because of this, visitors are asked to respect all private property.  The route difficulty is rated EASY TO MODERATE.  For directions and a topographic map please see the ROG sheet.

5.  SPRING CREEK ROAD OHV AREA FDR 1831 / 1832 / 1833 - ALL OF THESE ROADS BORDER THE EAGLES NEST WILDERNESS, YOU MAY NOT TAKE YOUR VEHICLE INTO THE WILDERNESS AREA.  THIS ROAD IS USED FOR MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE OHV USE, HIKING AND MTN. BIKING.  PLEASE RESPECT OTHER USERS.  STAY ON DESIGNATED ROADS TO PREVENT RESOURCE DAMAGE.  There are many roads available for use.  Road elevations and elevation gain depends on which road you are using.  The Spring Creek area offers miles of roads through beautiful spruce and fir forests.  FDR 1831 travels past Sheep Mountain, along Elliot Ridge to the Elliot Ridge Trailhead and then down toward Mahan Lake.  FDR 1832 travels through the South Fork Deep Creek and Martin Creek drainages and ends shortly after that.  FDR 1833 is a road joining FDR 1831 and FDR 1832.  The route difficulties are rated EASY TO MODERATE.  For directions and a topographic map please see the ROG sheet.

6.  WEBSTER PASS ROAD FDR 285 - THIS ROAD IS USED FOR MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE OHV USE, HIKING AND MTN. BIKING.  PLEASE RESPECT OTHER USERS.  STAY ON DESIGNATED ROADS TO PREVENT RESOURCE DAMAGE.  The road begins at an elevation of 10,590 feet and ends at an elevation of 12,083 feet, with a highest elevation of 12,098 feet.  The elevation gain is +1,493 feet.  Webster Pass Road provides OHV enthusiasts with an excellent opportunity to view the alpine environment along with spectacular views of the Continental Divide.  A loop can be made, which is shown on the ROG topo trail map.  This loop is rated "MORE DIFFICULT".  Route spotting is recommended in some places.  The loop can be made by Radical Hill to Deer Creek; or over Glacier Ridge to Saints John and back through Montezuma.  Montezuma was discovered by miners and settled during the silver boom in 1863.  Webster Pass Road was opened in 1878.  The town hit its peak in 1880 when the population reached 800.  Montezuma was incorporated in 1881.  A large portion of this route travels above timberline.  For this reason, be sure to check the weather forecast and choose a clear day for your trip.  The route difficulty is rated EASY TO MORE DIFFICULT.  For directions and a topographic map please see the ROG sheet.  Photos of this road may be viewed by clicking HERE.

7.  WILLIAMS PEAK ROAD FDR 200 - THIS ROAD IS USED FOR MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE OHV USE, HIKING AND MTN. BIKING.  PLEASE RESPECT OTHER USERS.  STAY ON DESIGNATED ROADS TO PREVENT RESOURCE DAMAGE.  The road begins at an elevation of 7,785 feet and ends at an elevation of 10,895 feet, with a highest elevation of 11,376 feet.  The elevation gain is +3,110 feet.  Williams Peak Road takes the traveler through sage brush at the lower elevations.  Approximately 2.59 miles from the beginning of the route you will come to Haystack Mountain.  Haystack Mountain offers spectacular views of the Gore Range, the Lower Blue Valley and Green Mountain Reservoir.  Travel further on the road and you will find aspen groves mixed with stands of lodgepole pine at the higher elevations.  Use extreme caution in fall or spring.  This road becomes slick and very hazardous when the road surface becomes wet due to snow or rain.  This road travels into both the Dillon Ranger District of the White River National Forest and the Sulphur Ranger District of the Arapaho National Forest.  The route difficulty is rated EASY.  For directions and a topographic map please see the ROG sheet.

RETURN TO MAIN OHV PAGE