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Best of Salida - 4 Wheeling One of the best and most exciting ways to see the spectacular Colorado back country scenery is by four wheel drive. Whether you rent a vehicle, drive your own four wheeler or take a four wheel drive tour, you can expect a thrilling experience. The Salida/Buena Vista Area provides numerous trails with striking views of the Sawatch Range and Sangre de Cristo's as well as ghost town and mining district sites. Mount Antero Hancock Pass Hayden Pass Four Wheel Drive Trips
The Mount Antero Route begins at the intersection of CR 162 and FR 277, Baldwin Creek Road, 12 miles west of US 285. Very rough and rocky, the road is extremely narrow in spots with difficult water crossings and dangerous switchbacks. The first two miles are the most difficult.This is a rough, rocky shelf road through pine and aspen forest. The track is narrow and has steep drop offs. At mile 2.7 you will cross Baldwin Creek usually only a foot of water or less. The next section of the road climbs through talus slopes and then emerges above timberline. A series of narrow switchbacks at this point impedes passing. An intersection at the 3.8 mile point provides the last opportunity to turn around before the road's end. The right hand track is a dead end. Walk the last half mile. Hancock Pass was a mining route in the 1880's but was not significant commercially. Much of the route on the eastern side of the pass follows the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railway grade toward the Alpine Tunnel. Take CR 162 past St. Elmo on the Chalk Creek Road. It reaches 12,00 feet and is nine miles long. The surface is poor and is recommended for experienced drivers only. The route passes the old townsites of Romley, a mining camp for the nearby Mary Murphy Mine, which was the primary supporting mine for the St. Elmo township. Hancock was a construction town for the railroad workers building the Alpine Tunnel in 1880 to 1882. Romley is located about 2.5 miles from St. Elmo. Just past Romley is the turnoff for the Pomeroy Lakes road. At mile 4.8 you will see a precariously supported building perched to the side of the road. This building was the storage place for ore from the Allie Belle Mine. Above the structure are several other mine buildings. Just beyond is the last remaining building of the Hancock site, the collapsed timbers of the town saloon. A parking lot marks the beginning of the hiking trail to the Alpine Tunnel. Immediately after the parking lot, you will find an intersection. Take the right road to continue on the trail to Hancock Pass. Veer left to a 1.4 mile road to Hancock Lakes trailhead. Walk one half mile along this trail to the Hancock Lakes. This part of the road marks a more difficult ascent and is meant for 4wd only. At the summit of Hancock Pass you will see an awesome view of Brittle Silver Basin. The road descends into Brittle Silver Basin the last mile and it can be difficult to get traction on the loose rock on the last hundred yards.
First used by Indians and then as a pack trail, the Tin Cup Pass Road was established in the 1870's and was originally used to move supplies between the St. Elmo and the town of Tin Cup. When trains came to the mining towns, none came to Tin Cup. There was a train that came to St. Elmo. There was a need to get ore, people and supplies between both cities and Tin Cup pass was used every day of the year during the early part of the 1880's for that purpose. In 1881, it became a toll road and three stage lines were running daily routes over the pass. During WWI, the road was used to train the cavalry. Take CR 162 at St. Elmo. Initially the road climbs toward the pass following the North Fork of Chalk Creek. The surface of the road is poor, very rocky and it is narrow in places as it winds through old mining areas, back country campsites and across the Continental Divide.The view from the summit is spectacular with panorama's of the Arkansas River Valley and Taylor Park. As the road travels west of the summit, it skirts Mirror lake, a popular fishing spot. If you want a full day trip, Take CR 306 for an 18 mile trip to Cottonwood Pass through scenic areas. Proceed west over the pass about 15 miles father into Taylor Park country. At the Taylor Reservoir, turn left and proceed south 10 miles to the village of Tincup. In Tincup, turn left and head east passing Mirror Lake.
Teams of workers on both sides of the Alpine tunnel started digging and blasting with the intent of connecting St.Elmo to Pitkin via a rail line in November of 1879. This area looked as though it was going to be very profitable so the railroad felt this would be a successful expansion. Approximately 350 and 400 workers labored through nasty winters and summers until July 1881 when the two crews met each other in the tunnel. The length of the Alpine Tunnel is 1771.7 feet long within the mountain. The headings were off by only 11/100ths of a foot, amazingly accurate considering that it was a blind bore, on a curve laid to opposing grades. An engineer's drawing stored in the restored Station validates the accuracy of the job. The route begins at the old Quartz townsite, 3 miles northeast of pitkin on the Cumberland Pass Road (FR 765) at the Alpine Tunnel Road turnoff (FR 839). Remains of the Old Midway water tank lie 3 miles along the route. This was the halfway point between Pitkin and the Alpine Tunnel. Two miles further is the restored Tunnel Gulch water tank. The Mile High Jeep Club is gradually restoring many old buildings and relics in the area. The route continues past the site of Woodstock which was totally wiped out by a snowslide in 1884 killing thirteen people. The remnants of the old Woodstock water tanks remains. You will pass the Sherrod Loop which is marked by an information board. This loop enable the trains to turn and remain on the sunnier south side of the valley. The Palisades,11,300 ft., a man-made terrace, enabled the train to travel along a spectacular, steep cliff face. Hand-cut stones, dry stacked 33 feet high and 425 feet long, supported the ledge. Brown's Lake Trail The trail begins at the intersection of Mt. Antero road (FR278.A) and Brown's Lake Road (FR 278.2) Proceed along the road into the valley. At 1.9 and 2.0 miles you will see cabin ruins on the right and left. At 2.5 miles Cross Brown's Creek. The road ends at miles 3.3 at the Brown's Creek Trailhead. This road is less traveled than the Mt. Antero road. It travels through Brown's Creek Valley, enters timberline where the track can get quite narrow through the pine trees. At the end of the road you will enjoy picture-postcard views of Brown's Lake at altitude 11,286 feet. The Mary Murphy Mine was discovered in the mid-1880's and was active until 1926. The mine tremendously successful and was the chief economic vehicle for the towns of St. Elmo, Romley and Hancock. When it closed the area died with only a few hardy souls remaining in St. Elmo. Begin on the road to Hancock that follows the Alpine Tunnel grade. Turn onto FR 297 and pass through the remains of the Mary Murphy Mine. You will see the remains of old tramway towers which extended into Pomeroy Gulch. Also there are a number of building where the tramway deposited ore.You will pass numerous backcountry camp sites. As the road approaches the lake, it becomes more rutted and eroded. There is a parking area near the lakes, 2.7 miles from the start. Old Monarch Pass Road The discovery of gold and silver on both sides of Monarch pass lead to the establishment of several towns including Maysville, Garfield (Junction City), and Monarch (Chaffee City). The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad built a spur line from Salida to Monarch that operated until 1982. A stage route traveled the old route on an old wagon road which is now closed to 4WD traffic. In 1939 the present Hwy 50 route over Monarch Pass was completed. From Hwy 50, turn onto Monarch Pass Road (FR 237) one mile east of the present summit. Cumberland Pass Trail One of the highest 2WD roads in the US, the main road was built in 1882 as an upgrade to a more primitive pack trail. Until the construction of this road, most of Tincup's supplies came across at Cottonwood Pass. At Tincup take the Cumberland Pass Road (FR765). The turnoff from the main Cumberland Pass road at the .3 mile point is unmarked on the left. The road passes abandoned mines, mining camps and cabin ruins on its journey to the pass. Above timberline, panoramic views lure you on as the road progresses. There are many 4WD pathways here and you must be careful to stay on the right track. At the summit, you will see the magnificent Sawatch Range to the east with the Elk Mountains to the west. The descent toward Pitkin is an easy 2WD road passing through the old Bon Ton Mine site. Five miles distant is the Alpine Tunnel turnoff. Four Wheeling Guides and Outfitters High Country Jeep Tours St. Elmo General Store Fun Time Jeep Tours |
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Mount Antero Trail
Hancock Pass - alt. 12,120 Ft. Hancock Pass
Tincup Pass
Alpine Tunnel Road
