[mjohnson]

Hey folks,

I'm looking to do a 3 day ride/camping trip with some friends and our quads. The skill level is casual to expert.

I've been scrounging trail guides and forums and it's really tough to figure out what to go with. I know there are 1000s of miles of trails in CO and you can't really go wrong, but it's also kind of overwhelming (I'm a quick day trip guy, not a multi-day trip with other folks kind of guy).

The group is getting together this Sunday to have a little planning meeting, so I'd like to have some options to bring to the table. Trip will be Oct 12-14.

Here is what I'm thinking. Ride in and setup basecamp in an area that has access to a variety of trails (ghost towns, hidden lakes, high altitude, mud pit, etc.). I don't expect the group to want to do heavy riding all three days, but who knows.

Thanks for any help!

 

[fishhooker]

What part of Colorado are you interested in? Two of the hot spots are Taylor Park & St. Elmo. Both areas have what you're looking for. Mud is usually hard to find but w/ the recent rains there may some. Another resource is: Stay The Trail Colorado - Home Also remember that some rifle hunting seasons will have started during that time you have listed. Have Fun!

 

[mjohnson]

Thanks for the heads up. One in the group was thinking Winter Park area, another was looking at Lower Cataract Lake. A friend recommended Cottonwood Lake which looks to be in between Taylor Park and St Elmo. We'd rather not pack up camp each morning to relocate for more terrain. I'd like the option to do extend rides each day if we're feeling up to it.

Thanks again!

 

[08TouringLE]

Like Fishhooker suggested, I believe you would be more than happy with Taylor Park. Since you are going to be here for only 3 days, it would offer the most trails to choose from with the ability to ride several trails in one day and never have load up and drive to a staging area. If you haven't got it yet, pick up a copy of Charles Welles' ATV trails book for Taylor Park. In it, he covers 30 trails, most of which can be accessed from your camp site. Note also that he has ridden each and every trail in his books so they are written from first hand knowledge. His website is: FunTreks Guide Books and Electronic Trail Guides - FunTreks Guidebooks for Jeep Trails, 4 Wheel Drive Trails, and back country roads

Here are 2 links to some pics we posted online of a 4 day trip we made, to give you an idea of what's there:

https://picasaweb.google.com/whisperingpine1/TaylorPark1
https://picasaweb.google.com/whisperingpine1/TaylorPark2

 

[mjohnson]

Thanks for the advice on Taylor Park! Just finished our 3 day trip today. There was a little bit of everything that catered to the niche of each one in our group. We wanted a summit sunrise ride, so we scouted out American Flag Mountain yesterday afternoon to get a feel for the terrain and conditions. After reaching the summit (12,700ft) and noting our trouble spots, we came up with a game plan for our ride this morning. We knew it was going to be bad weather (forecast), so we prepared with plenty of warm clothes/blankets, food, water, shovels, fuel, tow straps, and noted natural shelters along the way. It took an hour to get from camp to the trail head because of the blizzard, which was about what we were expecting. We got to the trail head and started the ascent about 6am. It definitely wasn't an "easy" ride, but it was easier than expected, despite the blizzard conditions all the way up. Only got stuck a half a dozen times or so, and made the summit on schedule shortly after 7am, just as the sun was cresting (or so we assume. Couldn't actually see it because of the storm, but everything became bright and easy to see). We took some pictures, and admired God's creation and then headed back to camp.

I would HIGHLY recommend a trip to the summit if you ever get the chance.

Thanks again!