4 Wheeling in Central Colorado
Home to over 1000 miles of scenic backroads.
Four-wheeling in Central Colorado is about high mountain passes, historic mining sites, scenic backcountry lakes, and fantastic vistas. No mud bogs or slow going rock crawling in this region of pine and aspen forests, 14,000-foot mountains, alpine meadows, and crystal-clear streams. To visit Colorado for "wheeling" is to experience world class trail riding. Many of the trails will cover quite some mileage before hitting a difficult obstacle, and when the climb takes you above the tree line the views are absolutely fabulous.
One of the key elements in the Rockies is the altitudes, and the climbs to get there. Horsepower, low gearing, and a 'good working order' on your trail rig will go a long way. Many of the best riding areas are the summer range for deer, elk, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. Occasionally mountain lion and black bear are spotted in the backcountry. The mountain wilderness also includes many abandoned mountain homesteads and historic ghost towns, remnants of the original Colorado settlers, who came to the region to mine gold and silver. Some of the routes where first used by miners to reach their mining camps. Others follow the routes of old narrow gauge railroad right-of-ways. For those that don't have a four-wheel rig, local vendors offer jeep tours into some of the more popular areas. Or you can rent a jeep or other four-wheel drive vehicle.
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Featured Jeep Tours and Rentals in Central Colorado
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Anderson Motors - Rocky Mountain Jeep Rentals
Have you ever wanted to...
- Travel to the high mountain lakes or traverse passes high above timberline.
- Step back in history to the remote mining camps of the 1800's.
- Travel over narrow gauge railroad beds converted to 4x4 roads.
- Visit the first narrow gauge railroad tunnel through the continental divide.
- Visit ghost towns straight out of the Wild West.
Call today 888-539-2101 to reserve your Jeep! |
Jeep Tours & Rentals in Central Colorado
| Anderson Motors - Rocky Mountain Jeep Rentals, 345 West US Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. 888-539-2101 |
| Buena Vista Jeep Rentals, 212 US Highway 24 South, Buena Vista, CO 81211. 719-395-4418 |
| High Country Jeep Tours, 410 US Highway 24 South, Buena Vista, CO 81211. 866-458-6877 |
| Over the Top Jeep Adventures, Salida, CO 81201. 719-539-2962 |
| St. Elmo Store, 25865 County Road 162, Nathrop, CO 81236. 719-395-2117 |
| The Adventure Company, 12847 US Highways 285/24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. 800-497-7838 |
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Find Central Colorado 4 Wheeling Trails.
4 Wheeling Trails in the Pike and San Isabel National Forests. This includes the Buena Vista, Fairplay, Leadville, and Salida areas.
4 Wheeling Trails in the Rio Grande National Forest. This includes the Creede and South Fork areas.
4 Wheeling Trails in Colorado Wilderness Areas
Colorado Trail Guide to Off-Highway Vehicles
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Here are descriptions of 24 of the most popular 4-wheel drive routes in the mountains and valleys near Aspen, Leadville, Crested Butte, Marble, Redcliff, and other former mining towns of central Colorado. During the late 1800s mining had flourished in these locations, but after the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893 the area was virtually deserted. Left behind was a system of roads winding to the abandoned mining towns and mines. Today the 4-wheeler can follow these avenues of history along treacherous river canyons, through scenic alpine valleys, and over spectacular mountain passes to get glimpses of the past and to enjoy Colorado's spectacular beauty. FEATURES Descriptions & Ratings of 24 Routes, Recommendations for Route Variations, Backcountry 4-wheeling Ethics & Rules of the Road, Several 2-wheel drive Routes, along with Historical Information Maps & Photos. |
General Backcountry Safety
This training program was prepared by Charley Shimanski of the Mountain Rescue Association Education Committee. It is an introductory course in backcountry safety for those with little or no experience in mountainous and backcountry terrain. This file is in Adobe Acrobat (PDF). You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file. (All backcountry recreationalists should read this. It could save your life in an emergency.)

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