IntrepidXJ's Adventure Blog

Black Bear Pass (Telluride, CO)

Black Bear Pass is a well known trail that seems to be on every four-wheelers list of places to go. It has a reputation of being pretty scary on it’s descent into Telluride, however in my opinion it did not live up to that reputation. While there is one or two places that look a little sketchy, they didn’t bother me one bit when I drove through. However, the great scenery and views along this trail do live up to it’s reputation. I highly recommend driving this trail if you get the chance!

The trail starts out near Red Mountain Pass on US 550 and takes off up Mineral Basin. This basin offers some great scenery including wildflowers and a few small waterfalls. Eventually you climb up to Black Bear Pass at an elevation of 12,840 feet. From that point you head down into Ingram Basin and follow some shelf roads where you will pass Ingram Lake and Black Bear Mine. This is the area where you will get your first views of Telluride down below.

When you start the final and steep descent into Telluride, you will have to drive down an area called ‘the Steps’. This is a very steep and narrow section of road next to Ingram Creek that looks pretty scary as you approach. However, looks can be deceiving and this section is not as bad as it looks. There still is not much room for error here. Once past the Steps, you will cross Ingram Creek and start down the switchbacks into Telluride. The top three switchbacks are pretty tight, but I was able to navigate them with 3-point turns in my Cherokee. The lower you get, the easier the switchbacks get.

Black Bear Pass makes for a great day of wheeling when combined with Imogene Pass.

Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from Black Bear Pass below.

Black Bear Pass KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.

Arch Canyon (Blanding, UT)

Arch Canyon is a fun trail with outstanding scenery. This trail starts out from Comb Wash a few miles north from Highway 95. It stays in the bottom of Arch Canyon the whole way and crosses the creek a number of times. The day we ran the trail it had rained all night, so the crossings were deep early in the day. Normally the creek crossings are not very deep.

Near the beginning of the trail are some Anasazi ruins that are pretty cool to check out. Once at the end of the trail there is a nice primitive camping area and the beginning of a hiking trail that takes you past Cathedral Arch and to Angel Arch. The hike is well worth it.

You can combine this trail with Hotel Rock for an excellent weekend of exploring. Plus, there are numerous Anasazi ruins in this area near Comb Ridge that you can spend a lot of time exploring.

Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from Arch Canyon below.

Arch Canyon KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.

Hotel Rock (Blanding, UT)

Hotel Rock is a very fun trail that takes you to some nice Anasazi ruins on top of Little Baullie Mesa. This trail takes off from Comb Wash just past the Arch Canyon trailhead. While the trail is not overly difficult, it does have a few rocky sections and steep climbs along the way. Near the start of the trail, there is a side trail that takes off to the left and offers a great overlook of Arch Canyon.

A little further up the trail is a narrow and off-camber section of shelf road that may bother some less experienced drivers. The biggest obstacle is a large steep ridge that needs to be climbed, with a sharp turn halfway up, and a steep descent on the other side.

This trail is a must-do for anyone interested in exploring Anasazi ruins. It makes a great weekend when combined with Arch Canyon. Plus there are a number of other Anasazi ruins to explore along Comb Ridge and Butler Wash.

Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from Hotel Rock below.

Hotel Rock KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.

Thompson Canyon (Moab, UT)

Thompson Canyon is a pretty easy trail with a few steep sections that any stock 4×4 should be able to handle without any problems. This trail offers great views of both the La Sal Mountains and over Fisher Valley.

This trail combined with Onion Creek and Polar Mesa makes a good day of wheeling. There are also a number of other trails in the area that can be explored.

Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from Thompson Canyon below.

Thompson Canyon KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.

Uncompahgre Plateau (Delta, CO)

The Uncompahgre Plateau is huge. This trail barely covers any of it, but it does offer a great overview of the plateau. Most of this route follows Divide Road, which is the main road that splits the plateau pretty much down the center from north to south. I started in Montrose and headed north. This route will take you over Columbine Pass, past the Windy Point Overlook and next to Uncompahgre Butte. There are great views of the La Sal Mountains to the west and the drive down Jacks Canyon and into Unaweep canyon are great.

The Uncompahgre Plateau offers a lot of 4WD trails to explore and a number of great camping areas. If you are looking to beat the heat in western Colorado and get out and do some exploring, the plateau offers some great opportunities.

Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from the Uncompahgre Plateau below.

Uncompahgre Plateau KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.