Westcliffe, Colorado

Phantom Canyon Road is a point-to-point trail that takes you past scenic surroundings located near Penrose, Colorado.

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, ...

NOTE: As of September 2021, Mount Lindsey has been closed to public access indefinitely. (Source)  At 14,042 Mt. Lindsey is not one of the tallest 14ers, but it is a fun objective regardless. The Lily Lake trailhead can be somewhat difficult to access without a high clearance car, but most cars ...

Where to camp: San Luis State Park is located 15 miles west of Great Sand Dunes National Park, San Luis State Park features views of San Luis Lake, the Great Sand Dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The campground provides water and hot showers, which we enjoyed after a day of hiking the d...

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...

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...

Driving towards the Sand Dunes, you will see a sign marker that indicates the road up to Zapata Falls. Turn right onto the road a follow it for about 2 miles until you hit the parking lot at the top. The road is in pretty rough condition so if your car doesn't have high clearance make sure you ta...

The sunset is great all around the park, but if you're looking for a bit of an adventure and one of my favorite unknown spots follow along below: Entering the North entrance of the park turn right onto the gravel road right before entering the park gates. Continue down the gravel road through the...

The Basics: Pueblo Reservoir is one of the largest bodies of water on the Front Range, which isn't saying much, but in my opinion this is the best recreation area around Pueblo! Thanks to Southern Colorado Trail Builders, there are dozens of miles of well-maintained trails throughout 3 main arms ...

This hike starts on Lake Como Road with the goal of eventually reaching Lake Como.  If you have a modified 4WD car you can get all the way to the lake in it, but if you do not feel like risking damage to your vehicle park as low as you deem necessary to do that.  Most 4WD stock vehicles can make ...

Blanca Peak is nestled at the heart (and the top) of a four peak ceiling located at the southern-most tip of Colorado's intimidating Sangre de Christo range. The peak is known for its impeccable 360 degree views, as you can see well over 100 miles in every direction thanks to Colorado's clean, c...

Construction of the Skagway Plant began in 1899 and was complete in 1901. In 1965, 15 days of rain brought floods washing out a lot of the pipeline and other infrastructure. Fixing the power plant didn’t make sense and funds weren’t in place. The land was reverted to the government. The hike b...

From Colorado Springs, follow RT 24 to the town of Florissant (34.5 miles). From Florissant, follow Teller County Road 1 south for about 9.2 miles, until a Y fork, and bear right, into County Road 11. Follow County Road 11 for 4.1 miles, until a T intersection, and make a right turn at the inters...

Gold Camp Road is a road that begins near Bear Creek Regional park. As you drive up the winding road, the road will turn to dirt. Continue driving down the dirt road, turn the corner and BAM, you're hit with some mountain views that will take your breath away. As you continue to drive Gold camp r...

Located in the San Luis Valley of south central Colorado, this beautiful piece of BLM land is a place loved by locals and most Colorado climbers.  Upon arriving at the Penitente Canyon parking area, which is free of charge, head towards the map at the entrance on of the canyon. From here hang a r...

The Area: The maze of large round boulders in Penitente Canyon was once a refuge for a radical Christian sect. Now it is home to some radical mountain biking trails! Think Moab features, Fruita flow, and no crowds. Read below to find out the best trails to ride in this area, and combine riding wi...