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4x4 & Jeeping

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A trip to Colorado wouldn’t be complete without a four-wheel-drive adventure! The Rio Grande National Forest offers something for everyone, from scenic, leisurely trips along the back roads, to technical trips that might leave your jeep with a new scratch or dent!

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Know Before You Go

Tell Someone: Where you’re going When you’ll be back
Buy a Search & Rescue Card ($3 online). The card helps reimburse local SAR team’s expenses for search and rescue missions
Check the Weather
Maps - don’t rely on cell service. Either have them printed or downloaded before you go
Stay the trail where you won’t damage flora and fauna. Nothing will break a local’s heart like a bunch of mudboggers spinning circles in our pristine meadows
Stay on the Trail! Going around obstacles widens trails, and causes erosion. Challenge yourself by staying on the trail.

Our Favorite 4x4 & Jeeping Adventures

Silver Thread Byway from South Fork to Lake City Hwy 149 (I5-C1) Take the Silver Thread Byway/Hwy 149 from South Fork to Lake City for spectacular views of mountains and a patchwork of color. Be sure to stop at North Clear Creek falls. Look for bear prints in the mud of North Clear creek. Pick up a milepost guide at the Visitor Center before embarking. Learn More

Summitville #380 (H/I7) • 18 miles • EasyTake Park Creek Rd/FSR380 for about 15 miles, then turn left on FSR330 and in 3 miles you will reach Summitville, an 1870s gold mining town that was once home to over 700 people. Mining continued off and on here until 1985. The site is now in the reclamation process but you will see many old buildings and structures, as well as an interpretive site. Learn More

Bachelor Loop Historic Tour (F3) • This 17-mile driving tour loops through Creede’s historic silver mining district and ghost towns. The tour’s first interpretive stop is just north of Creede in Willow Creek Canyon. A passenger car can traverse the graded gravel road to the Equity Mine and then return to Creede via Bachelor Road and the old town site of Bachelor. Learn More

Beaver Creek Road (H5-7) • Take Hwy 160 west 3 miles from South From to Beaver Creek Reservoir FSR360. Head south toward Poage Lake. The first 5-7 miles are through Aspen forest. You will pass through the pines then the spruce and fir for great views of the surrounding mountains.

Willow Creek/Del Norte Peak (I5-6) • Head two miles east of town on Hwy 160 and turn south onto CR60/Forest Service Rd 345 (just east of Tiny Timbers). Follow FSR 345 south, then east, and then south again. You may follow it to the turn-off for FSR 350.2B, where you will turn back to the northwest and travel around Del Norte Peak for beautiful views of the mountain. Go south on FSR 350 to return to town.

Platoro (H6-I8) • 40 miles and 2 hours, one way • Take Hwy 160 south out of town. Take Park Creek/Forest Service Road 380 toward Summitville. Take the turn to Elwood Pass, which will take you into Platoro. On the way down the pass you will drive through canopies of Aspen and have incredible views in all directions. There is a Lodge in Platoro that serves delicious burgers, among other things. The drive is around 40 miles one way and should take around two hours to reach Platoro.

Alpine Loop #20 & 30 (B1-C2) • 65 miles • This Scenic & Historic Byway travels through a surreal landscape of treeless tundra and mountains seemingly splashed with red and yellow paint near Ouray, Lake City and Silverton. An early start is required, as the trip takes a full day.

ATV / OHV

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Looking for adventure, but less work than hiking and mountain biking? Try any of the trails designated for motorized traffic. These trails will take you to mountain peaks and amazing vistas of the San Luis Valley, to creek bottoms and dense forest growth. No matter what your skill level, beginners to advanced riders will find limitless possibilities day after day. Best time to travel the trails is April to November, depending on snow conditions.

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Know Before You Go

Register your ATV if you plan to ride in Town: $10 ATV/OHV Registration
Tell Someone: Where you’re going When you’ll be back
Buy a Search & Rescue Card ($3 online). The card helps reimburse local SAR team’s expenses for search and rescue missions
Check the Weather
Maps - don’t rely on cell service. Either have them printed or downloaded before you go
Stay the trail where you won’t damage flora and fauna. Nothing will break a local’s heart like a bunch of mudboggers spinning circles in our pristine meadows
Stay on the Trail! Going around obstacles widens trails, and causes erosion. Challenge yourself by staying on the trail.

Our Favorite Easy ATV / OHV Drives

Willow Creek/Del Norte Peak (I5-6) • Head two miles east of town along Hwy 160 and go south onto CR60/Forest Service Rd 345 (just east of Tiny Timbers). A staging/parking area is just up the road. Load up on your ATV/OHV, and follow FSR 345 south, then east, and then south again. You may follow it to the turn-off for FSR 350.2B, where you will turn back to the northwest and travel around Del Norte Peak for beautiful views of the mountain. Go south on FSR 350 to return to town.

Our Favorite Moderate ATV / OHV Drives

Wheeler Geologic Area #600 (G3) • 14 miles • Moderate to Difficult • 10,900ft • Wheeler is located 24 miles from South Fork. Go north on Hwy 149 to Pool Table FSR600. The trail starts at the East Bellows Trailhead. The 14 mile, grueling 4-wheel drive road to the area is quite rough and in wet weather it can get very slick and become impassable. Your efforts are rewarded by views of a remarkable geologic formation of moderately coarse volcanic tuff eroded into many different shapes. Plan to leave early for this full-day trip. Must have a high-clearance jeep or OHV/ATV.

Rat Creek Loop #505/503 (F2) • 8.5 miles • Moderate • 10,200-12,800ft • This loop starts and ends off of the Bachelor Loop Road outside of Creede. The lower portion weaves in and out of spruce trees, and then climbs up to a section of tundra near the Continental Divide. Be sure to take the short spur leading up to the Divide. The trail then drops down into Willow Creek on #503 and passes the Equity Mine, and ends back on the Bachelor Loop Rd.

Silverton/Rio Grande Reservoir #520 (A-C4) • Request Info

Bristol Head #532 (D3-E4) • 15miles • Moderate • 12,700-11,400ft

Our Favorite 50" ATV or Motorcycle Trails

Cross Creek #812 (H6) • 4.7 miles • Moderate • 8400-9000 • Motorcycle and 50” ATVs. Trail begins at Beaver Creek FSR360 and ends at FSR350. The end of the trail offers some beautiful views of Del Norte Peak, Willow Park and surrounding area.

Shady Creek #898 (I6) • 11.4 miles • Moderate • 9400-11,200ft • Motorcycle and 50” ATVs. From Del Norte, travel southwest on CR14 for 13 miles. Turn right and travel west on FSR331 . The trail starts right as you drop down into the Pinos Creek bottoms. The trail follows west Pinos Creek down stream about a mile then climbs up Shady Creek to its headwaters. It then crosses the Hogback ridge and terminates in Willow park.

Tewksberry #842 (H6) • 6.1 miles • Moderate • 8400-10,200ft • Motorcycle and 50” ATVs. Take Hwy 160 south 1 mile to Beaver Creek Reservoir turn-off. Turn left on FSR20 for 3 miles. Turn right and travel west on FSR355 to the trailhead just behind the Tewksberry Corrals. The trail makes a gentle ascent over scenic Meadow Pass between Cattle Mountain and Demijohn Peak. Throughout the trail, spruce, Douglas fir and aspen stands shade the pathway, interspersed with open grassy meadows. For the first 2 miles, Tewksberry Creek meanders near and occasionally crosses the trail. The trail ends at FSR361.

Bachelor Loop Tour

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This 17-mile driving tour loops through Creede’s historic silver mining district and ghost towns. The tour’s first interpretive stop is just north of Creede in Willow Creek Canyon at the juncture of East and West Willow creeks. A passenger car can traverse the graded gravel road to the Equity Mine and then return to Creede via Bachelor Road (FS Road 504) and the old town site of Bachelor.

Guidebooks, keyed to numbered markers along the loop, are available at the Creede Visitor Center and various businesses. The 25-page guidebook with map costs $3.00. The loop road has some narrow stretches and steep grades that require caution. Check on road conditions during inclement weather. Several 4-wheel-drive roads lead off the tour route into less accessible terrain. Allow a minimum of 1 hour for the tour.

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Backpacking

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Almost 2 million acres of the Rio Grande National Forest surrounds the South Fork area, providing a mulitude of backpacking opportunities, including the Continental Divide Trail.

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CDT Gateway Community Check Fire Bans

Know Before You Go

Tell Someone: Where you’re going When you’ll be back
Maps - don’t rely on cell service. Either have them printed or downloaded.
Stick to the trails; Leave any gates the way you find them!
Buy a Search & Rescue Card ($3 online). The card helps reimburse local SAR team’s expenses for search and rescue missions
Check local fire conditions. After the forest fire in 2013 that ravaged our economy and our national forest, we take fire bans SERIOUSLY. If you do have a campfire, extinguish it fully!!!
Plan for cold nights, even in July! At high elevations, temperatures drop significantly once the sun goes down

Beaver Creek Reservoir

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Classic Rocky Mountains

Encompassing 102 acres within Rio Grande County, the Beaver Creek Reservoir State Wildlife Area beckons as a captivating outdoor recreation area, renowned for its fishing, boating, picnicking, hiking and camping opportunities. Its scenic expanse features sandy beaches and rugged shores. The historic Beaver Creek Reservoir Dam, with over a century of history, holds immense importance in the water management of the San Luis Valley. In the 2010s, notable enhancements were undertaken by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, followed with regular reservoir fish stocking ever since.

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Features of the Recreational Site

Campgrounds: Three campgrounds provide access to the reservoir. Cross Creek is closest (12 sites with tables and fireplaces; access to vault toilet). Upper Beaver Creek and Lower Beaver Creek are nearby.
OHV riders will enjoy the staging areas and access to nearby Cross Creek Trail.
Fishing: Endless reservoir banks and boating options allow anglers to cast for rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon.
Boaters have use of a concrete boat ramp to gain access to more than 4,400 acre-feet of water. No wakes are allowed, trolling motors are okay. Canoes and float tubes are allowed. Learn More
Winter Recreation: South Fork's favorite sled hill is located on the upper end of the reservoir and it's a favorite location for local ice fishing.

To Acces the water at Beaver Creek Reservior State Wildlife Area:
All visitors aged 16+ are required to purchase a State Wildlife Area pass
or carry a valid Colorado hunting or fishing license!

Giant Fir Tree

Hikers of all ages will enjoy the 1/2 mile hike up Cross Creek Trail 512 on the south end of the reservoir. This trail offers a straightforward hike through picturesque meadows and into the alpine forests, leading to the Rio Grande National Forest's largest fir tree. While it doesn't rival the towering redwoods of the west coast, this tree is a distinctive marvel within Colorado. Its stunted top hints at a past encounter with lightning, adding to its allure. The trail is ideal for hiking between May and November, while winter visitors can access it with snowshoes or cross-country skis.
Photo of Giant Fir Tree courtesy of the South Fork Silver Threaders; photo by Michael David Lick

To Get There

Go south of town on Hwy 160 and turn left on Beaver Creek Road. Follow this road for 7 miles to the Beaver Creek Reservoir. Fish, boat or just admire the scenery. Great creek fishing stretches below the dam for several miles. Continue on this road another 13 miles to Poage Lake. A short 1/4-mile hike gets you to the banks of the picturesque lake. Back-track to the turnoff, and the route also continues on to Summitville and loops back through Del Norte, for a full day’s trip.

Nearby Shaw Lake and Hunter's Lake

Depending on road conditions, you may choose to continue past Big Meadows for 3 miles to Shaw Lake. If you still have a few hours of daylight, drive an additional 11 miles to the parking area for a short walk into Hunter’s Lake. A nice 1-mile hiking trail circles the lake and gives fishermen access to the trout swimming in its waters.

Cross Creek Campground & Picnic Area Boating Site The Reservoir

Big Meadows Reservoir

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Into the High Country

This State Wildlife Area is a delight to campers, fisherman, hikers, and boaters alike, and is a state wildlife area, where deer, bear and moose are easy to spot.

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Features of the Recreational Site

The Campground: The campground meanders up a mountainside above Big Meadows Reservoir in a series of 3 loops. Sites offer campfire ring, picnic tables, and access to toilets and drinking water. No electricty.
Learn More and Book a Site
Hikers and horseback riders will enjoy the nearby, 6-mile Archuleta Trail, that gives access to the Weminuche Wilderness
Fishing: Endless reservoir banks and an accessible fishing pier, located on the north shore of the reservoir, allows anglers to cast for rainbow, brown and brook trout.
Boaters have use of a boat ramp to gain access to more than 600 acres of water. No wakes are allowed, trolling motors are okay. Canoes and float tubes are allowed.

To Acces the water at Big Meadows Reservior:
All visitors aged 16+ are required to purchase a State Wildlife Area pass
or carry a valid Colorado hunting or fishing license!

To Get There

Take Hwy 160 southwest of town 12 miles and turn right on FSR 410 to Big Meadows Reservoir, a 600-acre lake with a spillway waterfall, boat ramp, fishing pier and amenities.

Nearby Shaw Lake and Hunter's Lake

Campground & Picnic Area Boating Site The Reservoir

Camping

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The Rio Grande National Forest offers a multitude of camping opportunities. Whether you decide to stay in a portable camper trailer, tent, or rough it under the stars, you are sure to find the perfect location. Almost 2 million acres of national forest surrounds the South Fork area, and mor than 20 campgrounds have been developed along highways 149 and 160. Most accommodate both camper trailers and tents.

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Forest Service Campgrounds usually offer the following items: Tables, Toilets, Fire Grates, Garbage Cans, Parking Spurs and Drinking Water. Fire rings must be used. Visitors are allowed to stay up to 14 days. Reservations can be made for many of the campgrounds, although some are on a first come first serve basis.

Dispersed Camping - The Rio Grande National Forest also has many undeveloped camp sites and wilderness areas. There are private properties throughout the forest, so please beware and do not cross the boundaries. Keep our land as pristine as you found it! Dispersed campers should choose spots that are previously used sites, 200ft from water source, and that keep vehicles within 300ft of a road

Forest Service Campgrounds Local RV Parks Check Fire Bans

Know Before You Go

Tell Someone: Where you’re going When you’ll be back
Trash the Trash - pack it in, pack it out. South Fork offers paid trash drop _________. Bury human waste/tp 2ft deep, and 200ft from water; or pack it out!
Pets: Scoop their poop and keep them leashed
Plan to find and claim your site mid-week for best options
Check local fire conditions. After the forest fire in 2013 that ravaged our economy and our national forest, we take fire bans SERIOUSLY. If you do have a campfire, extinguish it fully!!!
We don’t usually recommend camping during the winters (the locals will think you’ve lost your mind!) It’s COLD... and believe us, your “minus 300 sleeping bag” won’t cut it!
Plan for cold nights, even in July! At high elevations, temperatures drop significantly once the sun goes down
Bring plenty of water. There are only a few places to fill up: at the Visitor Center for a donation; or at the gas station
Maps - don’t rely on cell service. Either have them printed or downloaded.
First aid kit - you’re a long way from medical assistance. If you need help, call 911, visit the South Fork Clinic at 52 Jackson Street, or drive to the Rio Grande Hospital in Del Norte (about 20 miles)

Enjoy your forest and natural resources.

CAMPGROUNDS	Sites	Fee	Water
Big Meadows • Access to several lakes and hiking trails MORE INFO	42	Paid	•
Cathedral • Access to fly fishing on Embargo Creek MORE INFO	22	FREE
Cross Creek • Located at Beaver Creek Reservoir, at hiking trail head	8	$18
Highway Springs • On the banks of the South Fork	13	$18
Lower Beaver Creek • Access to Beaver Creek & Beaver Creek Reservoir	18	$18	•
Palisade • Along the Rio Grande River, between South Fork and Creede	12	$18	•
Park Creek • Access to the historic Summitville Mine	13	$18	•
Tucker Ponds • Access to Tucker Ponds and Pass Creek	15	$18	•
Upper Beaver Creek • Access to Beaver Creek & Beaver Creek Reservoir	14	$18	•

Climbing

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Nestled within the majestic embrace of Colorado's San Juan Mountains lies an unparalleled haven for rock climbers. With its awe-inspiring landscapes, rugged terrains, and majestic peaks, this region offers an unparalleled playground for climbers seeking both challenge and serenity. Locals favorite Penitente Canyon showcases sheer cliffs, while the intricate formations at Big Meadows entice climbers in search of diverse challenges. Whether you're a seasoned climber or a beginner seeking exhilaration, the area offers an unforgettable rock-climbing experience.

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Penitente Canyon

Penitente Canyon is an internationally recognized climbing area, providing an abundance of incredible sport climbing routes. The unusual volcanic landscape (rock that eroded and cracked over time) not only created a mystical backdrop for recreation, but the smoothed and rounded rock-face provides good hand-holds! South facing routes can be climbed year-round and range from beginner to advanced levels.

The area includes Penitente, Rock Garden, Sidewinder, and Witches Canyons and offers over 300 bolted climbing routes ranging from 5.2 to 5.13c (Yosemite DecimalSystem), with dozens of sport and trad climbing opportunities rated at 5.10 and above within the Canyon. There are also several other sites available across the 4,552-acreRecreation Area for climbers looking for a less crowded experience.

Big Meadows on Wolf Creek Pass

Big Meadows is a small, quiet area that can be pleasant in the summer. Winter offers some ice climbing, too.

Elephant Rocks /Stone Quarry

For those in search of bouldering adventures, these Bureau of Land Management sites offer scattered boulders. While no designated routes exist here, climbers will enjoy looking for less challenging bouldering problems, while also hiking or biking in the area.

Know Before You Go

Tell Someone: Where you’re going When you’ll be back
MUST HAVE plenty of water, sunscreen, a hat, and a first aid kit
Check the Weather
Rattlesnakes call the edges of the San Luis Valley home. Be on guard and always check holds or holes!

San Luis Valley Climbers Alliance Guided Climbing - Narrow Ridge Outfitters

Colorado 600

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Arguably the best time of year to ride in Colorado, riding in the South Fork area in September offers stunning scenery along with challenging singletrack, dual sport and adventure riding opportunities. The Colorado 600 is a five day ride and trail symposium. Each day the riders will learn about trail riding challenges and opportunities in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico.

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Participants have the option of single track, dual-sport or adventure rides. You’ll get to choose your ride for the day based on what you’re in the mood for. Registration is limited to 75 participants

Learn More

All proceeds from the ride will go to support the Colorado Trails Preservation Alliance. The Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with its principal goal focused on preserving the sport of motorized single-track trail riding.

Continental Divide Trail

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Gateway Community

In December of 2015, South Fork was named the first designated Continental Divide Trail Gateway Community in Colorado. The Continental Divide Trail Coalition seeks to benefit communities along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Launched in 2013, this program recognized communities for their part in promoting awareness of the CDT as an important national and local resource.

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Established by Congress, in 1978, the Continental Divide Trail is one of the most significant trail systems in the world. Considered one of the greatest long-distance trails in the world, it is the highest, most challenging, and most remote of our National Scenic Trails. The CDT passes over US Highway 160, approximately 17 miles west of South Fork, at the top of Wolf Creek Pass, as part of the 3100 miles it traverses from Mexico to Canada.

Long distance hikers and day hikers use South Fork as a base or a stopping off point during the most beautiful section of the hike, the majestic San Juan Mountains. South Fork is the only Gateway Community to provide bicycles to hikers, generously donated by the Greater South Fork Community Foundation, now known as the South Fork Friends Foundation.

If you would like to help with keeping the CDT the treasure it is, volunteers will be working on trail stabilization and improvements in the summertime. Volunteers are needed and can get find out more at https://continentaldividetrail.org/volunteer/

CDT Coalition - South Fork