BUSHDUCKS
COLORADO JEEP TRAILS-
WHEN ARE THEY PASSABLE?
DATES FOR 2003

The status of many popular high elevation 4x4 trails is listed below and updated as the trails open or close. The list only includes the main trails and the updates come from many sources, including the National Forest service, the BLM, and interested individuals. As the Colorado mountain weather can be highly unpredictable, please check with the relevant information body yourself for any recent changes. Conditions can change without notice. It is also subjective - a trail one person says is open, may be considered too dangerous to travel by another.

This list is intended as a guide only and no responsibility is taken for any incident arising from mis-information. The ultimate responsibility as to whether the trail is safe to travel, within the capabilities of yourself and your vehicle, or indeed open at all, is taken by YOU. Information compiled from many sources, including individuals, the forest service and BLM, but is not necessarily verifed. Where passes are left blank, no current information has been submitted.

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TRAIL NAME	NATIONAL FOREST NAME/DISTRICT	PHONE NUMBER	STATUS	DATE UPD.
Argentine Pass/Waldorf Mine	White River/Dillon	970-468-5400	Partially open	7/27/03
COMMENTS: 7/27/03 - The east side of the trail is passable all the way. The west side of the trail is so rocky and narrow, it's only passable by foot. This is a moderately easy trail. There are only a few moderately difficult obstacles that can be overcome easily with some skill. 5/11/03 - The Waldorf Mine trail leading to Argentine Pass is unpassable without 4WD, chains and/or locking differentials. The first ~2 miles of Waldorf Mine trail are passable with light snowpack intermintent on the trail. Approximately .5-1.0 mile from the Argentine Pass trail head, 9"-15" of snow cover the Waldorf Mine trail completely. Waldorf Mine trail is muddy and rocky. A vehicle with greater than 7" ground clearance is recomended due to large rocks scattered across the trail. Snow pack is intermitent for about 2 miles of the Waldorf Mine trail. Snowpack becomes deeper approx. 1 mile before the Argentine Pass trail head.
Bangs Canyon	BLM		Open	6/25/03
COMMENTS:
6/25/03 - This is an odd trail. At one time, it went all the way to CO Scenic Highway 141, but to honor private property, the trail ends at a small sign that states simply, "Trail Ends." Located in the Grand Junction area, it is a challenge to find it the first time. The best way to get instructions are from the BLM website (I just put "Bangs canyon" into Google.) Here they are for your convenience: "From Grand Junction, go west on Grand Avenue, cross over two bridges, at the next stop light turn left on to Monument Road, heading towards the Colorado National Monument. Turn left on to "D" Road. Stay on D Road until you come to the "No Outlet" sign, go right, you are now on Little Park Rd. At mile 7.7 turn left on to dirt road into the Bangs Canyon staging area." Once there, you'll get the very best of what the desert southwest can offer. You'll see slickrock, sand, red soil, single lane shelf roads to rockfields. There are many obstacles on the way to the bottom of the canyon. There is also an easy and a difficult way to take over them. From the Grand Junction side to the bottom of the canyon is very well marked. The climb up the other side becomes private property near the bottom. The trail is not closed here, but you are reminded to respect the privacy of the patron allowing us to travel it. You drive through off and on rockfields until the trail ends. It is an interesting 4X4 trail near to a city on the western slope.
Bill Moore Lake	Clear Creek	303-567-3000
COMMENTS:
Black Bear Pass	Uncompahgre/Ouray	970-240-5300	Closed	08/16/03
COMMENTS:
8/16/03 - NO!!! Pass closed just before switchbacks going down into Telluride. Huge slide down the middle of the switchbacks cut off several of the switchbacks. 7/5/03 - Trail is open all the way from 550 to Telluride. Lots of jeep traffic since it just opened on the 3rd or 4th. Trail is in good condition with only a few wet spots from some remaining areas of snow. Difficult areas are dry and clear. 7/3/03 - Trail was closed for final maintenance on July 2nd and 100% open the morning of the 3rd. A little wet and a bit of mud, nothing to worry about however. 6/30/03 - Open all the way according to post on Colo4x4.org website. 06/04/03 - Even hiking the lower reaches of this trail are difficult at the moment, with snow banks between Bridal Veil Falls and the bottom. Will be a long while before this one opens, I think.
Blowout Pass	Rio Grande/Divide	719-657-3321	Open	6/28/03
COMMENTS:
6/28/03 - The trail is open and passable by most stock 4x4 vehicles. The trail is dry and dusty. Some water bar work has left the trail rougher than before, with loose rock and scree. The surrounding area is extremely dry. Use caution with fire when camping in the area.
Boreas Pass	White River/Dillon	970-468-5400	Open	10/10/03
COMMENTS:
10/10/03 - Still open. Very little snow in the region generally, only a scattering at high elevations. I can't see any of the passes in this region being closed yet. 6/22/03 - Open all the way. We traveled from the Como side into Breckenridge. Dirt road dry, some ruts. Need 4-6 inch clearance. Saw many cars on the road. Great Scenic Drive. 6/19/03 - Trail was open all way from Breck to Como with no probs. A little wet, but we've been getting a lot of rain.
Cinammon Pass	Uncompahgre/Ouray BLM/Gunnison	970-240-5300 970-641-0471	Open	6/14/03
COMMENTS:
6/14/03 - The trail is open all the way. 6/6/03 - According to the Ouray Plain Dealer newspaper, the trail is accessible. 5/25/03 - Trail is open all the way. a little wet and muddy in spots from run-off.
Corkscrew Gulch	Uncompahgre/Ouray BLM/Gunnison	970-240-5300 970-641-0471	Open	7/4/03
COMMENTS:
7/4/03 - Open all the way from 550 to California Pass. Trail in good shape. No remaining ice and lower part dried out. 7/2/03 - The trail is open all the way. A few wet spots on the east side of California Pass. The first switchback east was very muddy with some ice on the road. 6/14/03 - The trail is open all the way. 6/6/03 - According to the Ouray Plain Dealer newspaper, the trail is accessible.
Cumberland Pass	San Isabel/Salida	719-539-3591	Open	7/5/03
COMMENTS:
7/5/03 - Road is mostly in good shape. I wouldn't worry about driving a passenger car over it if you go easy through a couple of spots.
Elwood Pass	Rio Grande/Conejos San Juan/Pagosa	719-274-8971 970-264-2268	Open	7/5/03
COMMENTS:
7/5/03 - Open all the way, from Pass Creek/Stunner road to Hwy 160. Dry and Dusty
Engineer Pass	Uncompahgre/Ouray BLM/Gunnison	970-240-5300 970-641-0471	Open	7/2/03
COMMENTS:
7/2/03 - Open from Hwy 550 to Engineer Pass. I did not travel the east (Lake City) side of the pass, but drivers I met stated that the road was open all the way to Lake City. The first few miles of Engineer Pass road east from Hwy 550 is even rougher and rockier than it was last year. The climb to the pass has a few wet spots, but I had no problems with traction. 6/14/03 - The trail is open all the way.
Georgia Pass	White River/Dillon	970-468-5400	Open	6/29/03
COMMENTS:
6/29/03 - The trail is open the whole way from 285 up to tiger road near Breck. Hardly any snow was on the road, and it is open. Trail was pretty much dry the whole way except on the north side it got a little wet but still very passable. 6/19/03 - Traveled this trail at night from the Breck (Tiger Rd.) side and got within about 1/2 mile of the summit. We were blocked by questionable snow, we prob could've made it through, but it should be good to go in a week. Pretty wet, couple stream crossings no more than hub deep(I have 33's).
Governor Basin	Uncompahgre/Ouray BLM/Gunnison	970-240-5300 970-641-0471	Open	8/5/03
COMMENTS:
8/5/03 - Trail is open all the way to Governor Basin. Governor Basin Road Y's to the left just before you enter Yankee Boy Basin road. Road is narrow and rocky. In a few places it looks impassable because the trail appears too narrow. With care and nerve, you can negotiate these places and be rewarded with magnificent views above the timber line.
Hancock Pass	San Isabel/Salida	719-539-3591	Open	8/3/03
COMMENTS:
8/3/03 - Hancock Pass is open in both directions. Can be negotiated without problems with a jeep. Long wheelbase vehicles may be challenged with tight switchbacks and narrow shelf road. No snow and very little mud. Water crossing was not a problem. 7/5/03 - Hancock Pass is completely open. Trail is in regular condition. There were a couple of stock Grand Cherokees at the top. 6/26/03 - Road is open as far as the timberline and about one-half mile from summit of pass going South from St. Elmo. Road is very rough for a quarter mile or so, just before snow covers the road at the timberline about one-half mile before the summit
Hagerman Pass	San Isabel/Leadville White River/Sophris	719-486-0749 970-963-2266	Partially open	6/23/03
COMMENTS:
6/23/03 - We were able to travel 6.6 miles to just past the Skinner Hut Trail blocked by about 30 yds. of 3-4ft. of hardpacked snow.Trail dry run-off on road past tunnel
Hayden Pass	Rio Grande/Saguache San Isabel/Salida	719-655-2547 719-539-3591	Open	9/03/03
COMMENTS:
9/3/03 - Traveling from west to east I got within a quarter mile of the summit before calling it quits not wanting to risk vehicle damage. The Hayden Pass trail has become much more difficult than previously advertised due, I think, to rock slides. According to a 1999 4WD Trails book this trail was rated easy to moderate for stock vehicles (3 on a scale of 1 to 10). I've driven on a few of the trails described in that book and would rate this trail a 6 today if traveling west to east. I attempted the trail in a 2002 Xterra 4X4 and had to turn back about a quarter mile from the summit to avoid vehicle damage. Going uphill on the west side is extreme for a stock vehicle. The difficulty is climbing over large loose and imbedded rocks on a steep incline. Turning around was very hairy! 6/17/03 - Yes it is open all the way. I was told at Villa Grove that the trail was still closed but decided to try it anyway. I (we) were successful. I found the trail to have no problems that you would normally see on this type of pass. There were two stream crossings of about 8-12 inches. On the east side, near the area where the bristlecone pines guard against a rather long drop and where the road is very narrow, there was loose dirt that made me very cautious.
Imogene Pass	Uncompahgre/Ouray	970-240-5300	Open	7/5/03
COMMENTS:
7/5/03 - Trail is open from Telluride to Ouray. Still some muddy spots near the summit and on the lower portions of the east side near the Yankee Boy cutoff. 7/3/03 - Open all the way. Good condition, no issues. 6/30/03 - Open all the way according to post on Colo4x4.org website.
Italian Creek Road	Gunnison/Gunnison	970-641-0471	Open	7/12/03
COMMENTS:
7/12/03 - Trail completely dry and open. Wildflowers in bloom. No rain for three weeks so tons of dust.
Jones Pass	Clear Creek	303-567-3000	Open	10/10/03
COMMENTS:
10/10/03 - Open all the way to Bobtail Mine on west side. Freshly graded. Road dry and free of any snow. Both gates locked at bottom of pass on the west side. Need to return back over Jones pass. 7/13/03 - There is still a snow cornice blocking the very top. It's best to park at one of the switchbacks below the pass and hike up. The road is dry and fine, but the cornice probably won't melt out till later in July or even August. 6/8/03 - Blocked by snow at stream crossing at old mine dump area - about 10,600' elevation.
Lamartine Pass/Saxon Mountain	Clear Creek	303-567-3000	Open	6/17/03
COMMENTS:
6/17/03 - Trail is open all of the way. We took the trail from the Idaho Springs side. From I-70 take Exit 240. We took highway 103 (the Mt. Evans Road) away from the city for 5 miles and turned onto Ute Creek Road. This is a dirt road that starts to climb immediately. There is a turn onto FS7122 some miles up. It is marked by an arrow sign that says, "LAMARTINE / CASCADE." The sign has fallen down in back so it is harder to see than it used to be. The excitement of this trail is two-fold. First are the magnificent vistas of Mount Evans and of the Never Summer Range. Secondly are the many rock fields! I drive a lifted, skid-plated 1994 Ford 4X4 Ranger. In low range, this thing is a tank. I love to find the line through the rock fields. It is always a fun challenge to take this drive. I tried the trail three weeks ago and found it impassable due to high levels of snow. This time it went straight through. With the strange winter this year, I was expecting the trail to be snowed in and was somewhat surprised when it wasn't. Snow was right alongside the road in places (especially on the North side of the mountain). Deepest water was just past the summit. It was a river size pool in the middle of the road. It went up to the hubs. Wasn't that bad. Don't miss the switchbacks on the Georgetown side. It is a classic example of many miles of road in a short bit of space. It also makes for a great picture from the top.
Lead King Basin	White River/Sophris District	970-963-2266	Open	7/4/03
COMMENTS:
7/4/03 - Open all the way. Dry and dusty all the way around. No snow left. Talcum powder dust on the North side switchbacks. Not enough rain in the area.
McAllistair Gulch	White River/Holy Cross	970-827-5715	Open	7/05/03
COMMENTS:
7/5/03 - This is a classic trail that is a wonderful example of what Colorado offers to the 4X4 enthusiast. We entered from Shrine Road. We caught it from behind the Vail Pass rest area. Shrine Road gets its name from the Mount of the Holy Cross. Secular or not, there is a very visible cross on the side of the mountain, especially on the Saturday that we went. Wearyman Road is about 7 miles or so in. Wearyman Road has 5 water crossings. The water went no higher than the top of the wheel well. It is a fun beginning to a great set of trails. We went up the Ptarmigan side first. The trail rises steadily to the pass. There is water on the trail from the Wearyman road end up about 1/3 of the way. It is not a real challenge, but there are areas that can get you to concentrate. After you reach the pass, there are some great beaver ponds that make you want to stop and fish. Camp Hale is at the bottom right at Highway 24. It is worth some of your time to see the information displays of this outdoor museum dedicated to the 10th Mountain Division. McAllister gulch is a lot of fun, especially if you like challenging climbs. We followed a stock SUV with highway tires that was tearing up the road. It is important to remember that you need to be configured to reduce wear and tear on trails due to our misuse (Tread Lightly). The climbs are frequent and often. Every time you think you are at the top, another climb awaits you. At the top, there are some wonderful views of the Colorado back country so make sure you take a camera. When you reach Wearyman Road, it can be easily missed, so be on the lookout for it. The turn almost looks like a turn off made so you can watch the creek as it flows below you. It is actually Wearyman road and the next step is to go through the first of the five water crossings on your way back out. Great trails, great fun, great fishing and great photographs. 6/20/03 - Rode McAllister from the Camp Hale side. We had no problem riding across Hornsilver mountain and down to Shrine Pass Road. Trail was damp from the rain the night before. It was in good shape.
Medano Pass	Rio Grande/Saguache San Isabel/San Carlos	719-655-2547 719-269-8500	Open	6/20/03
COMMENTS:
6/20/03 - Trail open all the way. The creeks were about 14" deep in some places. The trail was easy going with a little mud.
Mosquito Pass	Pike/South Park San Isabel/Leadville	719-836-2031 719-486-0749	Partially open	8/3/03
COMMENTS:
8/3/03 - open all the way from near Alma into Leadville. No snow on the road at all but pretty wet from all the rains. 6/28/03 - Fairplay side took four jeeps over the snow field at the mill should now be open till a big drift at about 12,700. Put some tire tracks in the snow there to start it melting. 6/24/03 - Got as far as the North London Mine, going west-bound, on the east side of the pass. Elevation was just over 12,000 feet. Road is covered with 2 to 3 feet of snow begining about one mile from the summit. 6/12/03 - Came up from the Hwy 285 side near Alma. Closed at the mill building at about 12,200 ft. About 6 - 8 ft of snow from that point on up.
Ohio Pass	Gunnison	970-641-0471	Closed	5/11/03
COMMENTS: 5/11/03 - Trail is still closed - still a fair amount of snow on the road at lower elevations.
Ophir Pass	Uncompahgre/Ouray	970-240-5300	Open	6/6/03
COMMENTS: 6/6/03 - According to the Ouray Plain Dealer newspaper, the trail is accessible. 5/12/03 - This is one of the first trails to open in the San Juans, and is normally plowed through by the county in time for Memorial Day. The Forest Service expect it to be open by Memorial Day this year. Check back later.
Owl Creek Pass	Uncompahgre/Ouray BLM/Gunnison	970-240-5300 970-641-0471
COMMENTS:
Pearl Pass	Gunnison/Gunnison	970-641-0471	Closed	7/14/03
COMMENTS:
7/14/03 - Were in Crested Butte this weekend and numerous people told us it was not yet open. Snow up top.
Poughkeepsie Gulch	Uncompahgre/Ouray	970-240-5300	Open	7/5/03
COMMENTS:
7/5/03 - Open all the way. Good shape all the way up. Hurricane and California Passes at the top are also open. 6/14/03 - From the California Pass trail, Poughkeepsie Gulch was not plowed at Lake Como and couldn't even get to the trail. 5/24/03 - The Alpine Loop Road, from the north off of Hwy 550, becomes impassable due to snow approximately a half mile off of Hwy 550. The road off of this to Poughkeepsie Gulch can't yet be reached. Snow depth is still significant on the Alpine Loop Road. No plowing has been done.
Ptarmigan Pass	White River/Holy Cross	970-827-5715	Open	7/5/03
COMMENTS:
7/05/03 - See entry under McAllistair Gulch
Red Cone	White River/Dillon Pike/South Platte	970-468-5400 303-275-5610	Open	10/10/03
COMMENTS:
10/10/03 - sign at Hwy 285 still says it is open. Very little snow so should still be all right. 7/6/03 - Trail is open all the way through. Wildflowers on the tundra are awesome right now. Somebody has put a handwritten sign at the beginning of the trail that says there is a "rock slide" on Webster Pass and there is no way open to Montezuma. It says "USFS" on the bottom to make it seem official. This is an absolute lie. We travelled all the way through to Montezuma and there is no rock slide or any sign of a rock slide.
Rollins Pass - East Side	Clear Creek	303-567-3000	Open	7/20/03
COMMENTS: 7/20/03 - Moffat Road East up to the gate (boulders) before the closed Needleye tunnel is open and in fine condition. Easy for standard SUV. Lots of campers at Yankee Doodle Lake. After making up to the east end of the Moffat Road trail at the large boulders, I drove my XR400 back down to Yankee Doodle lake and turned left up the 4x4 by-pass trail to get to the train tressels on the other sided of Needleeye tunnel. This route will always allow you to go down the Winter Park side. Got to the point above Yankee Doodle Lake where you can see the tunnel and at that point the the trail splits. The easier right most route trail had a snow bank over it making it impassible. The series of very steep, very rocky trails to the left were to much for my XR as I layed it over about 1/4 of the way up. 4X4 or quad could make it. Estimate 2 weeks for snow to melt on trail to right. Headed back down and overall very beautiful area and pretty fun. 5/18/03 - I traveled about 0.45 miles from road the to Moffat Tunnel. Shallow cut had about 2 feet of snow. Tire tracks in snow with small tree branches and other materials to help extricate stuck vehicles. Watched a Jeep Cherokee drive through the cut with little problem. After going to the Moffat Tunnel, I saw the Cherokee returning about 20 minutes later. With that much snow in the first cut, I doubt the deep vertical cuts at higher elevations would be passable.
Red and White Mountain	White River/Holy Cross	970-827-5715
COMMENTS:
Schofield Pass	White River/Sophris District	970-963-2266	Open	07/30/03
COMMENTS:
07/30/03 - We traveled from Marble to Crested Butte via Schofield Pass and found it to be free of snow. In spite of what the forest service said, the pass, including Devil's Punchbowl, is clear. 07/05/03 - Pass is blocked by snow near Emerald Lake. On July 5, a "road closed" was across the road about 1/4 to 1/2 mile below the lake on the Gothic side. Hikers coming down the road reported snow across the road at the lake.
Shrine Pass	White River/Sophris District	970-963-2266
COMMENTS:
Taylor Pass	Gunnison/Gunnison	970-641-0471	Closed	6/22/03
COMMENTS:
6/30/03 - Road from east side of the lake to the summit was open. There was a snow drift and mud at the top but it had been busted through and was passable in a stock Wrangler. The road from the west side of the lake was still blocked by a deep snow cornice at the summit and will not be passable for a while. 6/22/03 - I approached Taylor from the Taylor Resevoir/Cottowood Pass side via FR 742. The trail is clear until the summit. The summit is still blocked by snow up to 8 feet deep. 6/7/03 - From the southern approach, you can go 3 of the 5 miles on FR 761 before the trail is blocked by 3-4' snow drifts. Following the Taylor River creek bed section is no problem as far as water depth during mid-day. It doesn't get any deeper than 12".
Tincup Pass	San Isabel/Salida	719-539-3591	Open	7/13/03
COMMENTS:
7/13/03 - Tincup pass was open when we drove off it from St. Elmo to Tincup. Trail was dry for the most part. No snow on trail. Can be negotiated by most stock 4 x 4's in either direction. 7/5/03 - Tincup Pass is still closed by a snowdrift on the east side a few hundred feet past the summit. The trail up the west side is clear to the summit of the pass. We spent a couple of hours digging but weren't able to clear a wide enough path for a full size vehicle to pass completely through. There was still about one hundred feet to go that we were only able to open up to ATV width and even then there was still 2'-3' deep snow through that area. 6/26/03 - Road is still blocked a few hundred yards from the pass on east side going west from St. Elmo toward Tin Cup. Road is still covered by snow patch 2 feet thick and a couple of hundred yards in length over the road near the summit on St. Elmo side. 6/25/03 - The trail is passable from the St. Elmo side to just about 100 yards from the summit. At that point the trail is blocked by a substantial drift. Trail is very rocky in places and rough. High clearance is a necessity. 6/7/03 - The trail is not passable at the trail head near Mirror Lake. A large snow field approx. 4 feet deep blocks the trail head at Mirror Lake. Another snow field blocks the trail approx. 1.75 miles in.
Tomichi Pass	Gunnison/Gunnison	970-641-0471	Closed	8/3/03
COMMENTS:
8/3/03 - Tomichi Pass is open in both directions. Can be negotiated without problems with a jeep. Long wheelbase vehicles may be challenged with tight switchbacks and narrow shelf road. No snow and very little mud. Water crossing was not a problem. 7/5/03 - Tomichi Pass is still closed by a large snowfield approximately half way up. We didn't drive up to the snowfield but you could see it from the top of Hancock pass. We talked to a couple of people that had driven up to the snowfield and they said that it was still 6'-7' deep and several hundred feet long. 6/5/03 - Field office told me that she had no reports of Tomichi being passable yet. Did say snow lighter this area and expected open in July, but some snow was predicted for that night.
Webster Pass/Handcart Gulch	White River/Dillon Pike/South Platte	970-468-5400 303-275-5610	Open	10/10/03
COMMENTS:
10/10/03 - sign at Hwy 285 still says it is open. Very little snow so should still be all right. 6/29/03 - From Montezuma, we made it all of the way to the summit in our ATVs but might still be blocked for jeeps. Where the river crosses the road, you have to go over the river on top of some snow that is slowly melting by the river, so it might not be good for a jeep yet. 6/25/03 - Traveled to about one mile from the summit, going Southeast from Keystone through Montezuma. Road is blocked by about 2 feet of snow where the Snake River crosses the road, just at the beginning of the timberline. According to hikers, there are 4 or 5 more small snow patches this size before reaching the summit.
Weston Pass	Pike/South Park San Isabel/Leadville	719-836-2031 719-486-0749	Open	10/10/03
COMMENTS:
10/10/03 - No snow to talk of yet, and the aspens are still golden at the lower elevations around the pass. A lovely drive. 7/6/03 - Open and dry all the way.
Wheeler Lake			Open	7/27/03
COMMENTS:
7/27/03 - Just to confirm ... Wheeler is definitely open all the way to the lake. The mud bog close to Bowling ball hill was surprising empty, and the "waterfall" is completely a non-obstacle if you stay right. 7/9/03 - Have heard from a few people that it is open all the way to the lake.
Yankee Boy Basin	Uncompahgre/Ouray BLM/Gunnison	970-240-5300 970-641-0471	Open	6/29/03
COMMENTS:
6/29/03 - The trail is open all the way to Yankee Boy Basin. The road is rough and muddy in a few places, but otherwise an easy drive until you pass the toilet. There the trail becomes rough, narrow and steep. 6/6/03 - According to the Ouray Plain Dealer newspaper, the trail is accessible. 5/21/02 - THe road is open until just before the overhanging cliffs before Camp Bird Mine. There the road was blocked by a large snow bank.

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