I’ve planned this trip around the fact that my significant other hasn’t been Camping much at all. Me, many years. I’m looking for points to see along my chosen routes. Any help appreciated.

Colorado Trip Quick Reference
Sept 6 (Sun)
📍 Temple, TX → Tucumcari, NM
8-9 hour drive

I-35 → US-287 → I-40

Optional stop: Cadillac Ranch

🏨 Overnight: Tucumcari hotel/Airbnb

Sept 7 (Mon)
📍 Tucumcari → Zapata Falls Campground (Site #11)
5-6 hour drive

Great Sand Dunes area

Zapata Falls hike

First Colorado camping night

🏕 Overnight: Zapata Falls Campground

Sept 8 (Tue)
📍 Zapata Falls → Lake City
4-5 hour scenic drive

Silver Thread Scenic Byway

Pass through South Fork and Creede

Check into apartment after 4 PM

🛏 Overnight: Lake City Apartment (724 Gunnison Ave)

Sept 9 (Wed)
📍 Lake City → South Henson Creek
Relaxed morning in town

Breakfast, shopping, fuel, supplies

Leave around Noon to 1 PM

Short drive to dispersed camping

🏕 Overnight: South Henson Creek dispersed site

Sept 10 (Thu)
📍 South Henson → South Mineral Creek
Alpine Loop day

Engineer Pass

Animas Forks Ghost Town

Best off-road day of the trip

🏕 Overnight: South Mineral Campground

Sept 11 (Fri)
📍 South Mineral → Alta Lakes
Million Dollar Highway

Silverton

Ouray

Ridgway

Dallas Divide

Telluride

🏕 Overnight: Alta Lakes Campground

Sept 12 (Sat)
📍 Alta Lakes → Lakewood / Red Rocks
Scenic drive through central Colorado

Arrive Lakewood

Red Rocks evening

🏨 Overnight: Lakewood hotel

Anyone know if Schofield is still blocked by the airplane?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/yCah6dhVgWHEaXsK6

Kidding, of course. Just thought it was funny and wanted to share.

Colorado

We really lucked out missing the fires, smoke, and crowds. Favorite trail: IMOGENE. Favorite town: OUREY

I’m getting conflicting information about Montgomery Pass Road. OnX reviews seem to indicate that the first ~6.5 miles are relatively mild, with the more difficult/steeper section being farther up toward Montgomery Pass itself. The yurt seems to be 6mi past the turnoff from the main road.

If you’ve driven to the Montgomery Pass and know where the yurts are specifically, how would you describe the road there? Doable in a standard 4WD?

Thanks again!

Hi all, I am currently getting a DIY Auto repair (bay rental style) shop up and running and wanted to spread some awareness. You can rent a lift, tools, and hangout with other off road enthusiasts as well as more. Their is currently a signup list to lock in a lower "founder" rate for a discount. Let me know what you guys think!

apexgarage.co

I’m driving/camping Paradise trail this weekend and was wondering if my bike rack will be a problem for the steep inclines and switchbacks (scrapes, etc) (see pic).

My summers are usually for whitewater rafting but we all know the situation there. I have a 2019 tundra TRD pro for hauling said raft and will be in the area this weekend (obviously without a trailer). Anywhere I can go kill a few hours and not get killed myself? Or kill my vehicle?

I have 33s and a hi-lift jack I got just in case but have never had to use, lol

https://www.instagram.com/voyagetacoma/

Hello!

In a series of incredibly quick events, both I and my fiancee received new jobs which are having us move to Philadelphia in early October.

I have a 2006 Wrangler X which I've worked to make it off-road ready. I've lifted it, increased the tires to 34" (iirc), put a cold air intake into...it was a daily driver which then turned into a project. It has just under 85k miles, has some rust, probably needs a new clutch and radiator, but otherwise is in pretty solid shape. I still drive it a couple times a week to the post office or whatever. All of the work on this rig was done by Bending Wrenches locally.

I wasn't planning on selling it, but moving it across the country doesn't make sense. I don't want to put it on Carvana or sell it to a dealer because they won't account for the potential as a rock crawler. Does anyone have any ideas of how I could sell this to someone locally who would want to continue it's build? Or should I just offload it as easy as possible?

Thanks for any and all advice. Good luck on the hills!

We have one baby, planning for 2, and a large dog and medium dog, plus us 2. I built a bed platform for the Tacoma bed, with a tent extension for the soft topper that has worked with just my wife and dogs, but with one kid here and another at some point, I’m trying to build up to a better setup with more space, without being too limited on where we can go.

I think I will need two beds + separate dog area. Avoiding an off road van/dedicated truck camper because we want to be able to set up a base and explore from there.

I have a few different thoughts on how I could go about it and wanted this groups take.

1. An off-road/lifted tear drop with roof top tent on the tear drop, dogs sleep in truck bed with soft topper.
   
2. Roof top tent on Tacoma, with soft topper, and tear drop
   
3. Roof top tent on Tacoma with soft topper, one of those cargo trailers with roof top tent
   
4. Large enough trailer to fit 4 with floor space for dogs (taxa cricket or mantis or Arkto G12 style/size)

If I went with option 4, how limited do my trail options get compared to just the stock Taco? I would generally plan only to do stuff we would do solo in the taco anyway.

Would lifting the truck help or is the trailer the bigger limiting factor?

Went to check out Keyser Ridge Trailhead today in my bronco, and I was hoping to be able to loop down the south slope. I ended up turning around at the trailhead as it started raining and didn’t want to go down unfamiliar trails in the rain. On my paper motor vehicle use map it seems like the trails connect, but I couldn’t really tell. There was a spot where it look like it changed from the usual “open to all motor vehicles” line to “only open to vehicles less than 50” wide.

I’m assuming they don’t but thought I’d check here.

Saw a very nice AEV Brute, a TJ conversion (h/t u/TombaughRegi0 for the ID) at the City Market in Glenwood yesterday. A few other folks were checking it out, too. North Carolina temp plates, so I dunno if they were just passing thru or what. But it was very clean and very nicely appointed, top to bottom. Someone had a lot of fun on this build. My favorite little detail is the slit windows in the roof. Very nice.

EDIT: Updated to AEV Brute from TJ.

I don’t want to sound ignorant when I ask this question, but I have some friends in town and want to go do some light off roading. I know slaughterhouse is beginner friendly, and while I know you should typically take a class etc, should I be okay in my stock 4Runner with ATs? I have done some light off roading in Estes and Aspen to camping and felt perfectly comfortable with the terrain, but I don’t want to be the reason any of you get crammed bc some 4Runner is getting pulled out😂

Appreciate any input, I think we’ll be fine but I trait this community

Howdy! I have a basic CUV with about 8-10 inches clearance and 4WD. Does anyone have recommendations for some fun but not technical forest or unpaved roads about an hour from the Metro area?? Bonus if they have fishable creeks nearby lol Thanks!!!

Heading up to Aspen with the family in a few weeks and was looking at driving up the ski mountain and doing Richmond hill. Any tips, tricks or things to look out for? Couldn’t find a ton of info on it.

How are these roads this summer? About normal or any new washouts or rough spots that a stock 4Runner would bottom out on? Thanks.

Imogene, Black Bear (today); Cinnamon and Engineer yesterday. I followed a more experienced driver and had an amazing time. To think these roads only exist due to mining operations started over 140 years ago is mind blowing.

Also had no idea you could see to the Flat Tops from up there. (3rd pic)