Jeeping in Rocky Mtn Ntl Park?

[jimstehn]

I'm planning a trip to the Rocky Mountain National Park and would like to do some off-roading in my TJ. I can't find any reference to off-roading on the RMNP web site; only hiking and biking. Does anyone know if the park has trails open to jeeps???

[Rit]

Jim,

Right in the park, I'm not sure of, but there are lots of trails up from Boulder around Ward and Nederland. Nederland has restaurants in the center of town. You can also go up Jamestown Cayon (just north of Boulder on Rt.36, take a turn at Lefthand going west into the mountains) pass Jamestown (10 mi) and you can take any roads you see. You'll be on dirt roads after Jamestown.

Jamestown has one restaurant (only four buildings) in the ctr of town. Check a CO map.

Botton line is there are hundreds of places and lots of climbing.

Have fun

Rit

[hookerb1694]

i did a trail once called cimiron pass or something along those lines, it was a nice trail, easy trail, i was in a stock tahoe.

[Missin44]

As I understand it, all Nat. Parks are off limits to 4-whling inside park bountries. Though I don't live in CO, I do know there is tons of BLM and Nat. Forest land to wheel in all onver the state.

[Water Buffalo]

If you want to do a lot of trail riding try Silverton Co. They encourage Jeep and all Off Road Vehicles to visit and ride there. The area is loaded with old mine roads and the scenery is just plain spectacular. Very little mud almost all rocky roads. The rocks are sharp like dirving on broken bricks. The altitude is in the 10,000 ft. plus region with peaks at 14,000 ft. You can get that high. I cut a tire at that altitude on top of the mountain and had to put on the baloney spare in the rain and snow. I was in Low Low at an idle when I did it so be cautious. It was one of those rocks along the edge of the trail that put a 3 cornered cut in the sidewall cutting against the rim.

I wouldn't recomend venturing out without 5 real tires, no 50 mph spare!!!

They sell maps in town including TOPO maps and detailed books describing the best trails. Camping is available in town or if you're so inclined camp in the mountains. This year the trails are already open due to the lack of snow last winter.

I was raised in the Pennsylvania oil fields and spent time all over the eastern areas where oil and gass are found. This is the most spectacular place I have ever been. Off Roaders are part of the economy there so they welcome us.

Another thing, this is a tourist town and there is enough shopping to keep the better half entertained all day if she doesn't get into riding all day or scares easily. There are trails where you can look over the edge and barely make out the crunched up vehicle at the bottom. Makes you think.

The town has a web site so you can get an idea of the scenery.

www.silverton.org (http://www.silverton.org)

Check them out.

[jimstehn]

Thanks, WB. We're headed for Ouray in Sept 2002 for the Jeep Jamboree. In the Estes Park area, the only off-roading we found is in Roosevelt National Forest. We got maps at the ranger station in Estes Park. The maps were pretty poor quality and in one case wrong; Pole Hill Road dead-ends. The trails we drove were Pole Hill and Pierson Park. I would rate they in the 1-3 range; pretty easy.

[Andrew98TJ]

Jim -

I returned from a cross country trip just before the holidays and Rocky Mt. Ntl. Park was the second park on my journey (the first was Great Sand Dunes Ntl. Monument, also a worthwhile off-roading and hiking destination, in south central Colorado).
The only off-roading I did inside the park was just inside the Estes Park northeastern entrance. It wasn't very challenging, just a one way dirt road running parallel to the main paved tourist road. The views are spectacular though, and the trail eventually rejoins the tourist track at the top of the pass.
On at least three sides of the park are National Forests. These are crisscrossed with dirt roads and off-road trails, many of which enter the park in the middle of the wilderness (no tourists there). The towns nearby have National Forest ranger stations where you can get free maps and stuff.
Also, just south of Denver between Canon City and Cripple Creek are a series of dirt roads and trails that cut through many miles of mesas and canyons, with no ntl. park regulations.
All of these places were reached with a stock 98 TJ, no lift and the original really small tires. Enjoy your trip.

Andrew