This site is a journal of solo overland trips in and around Colorado. All of these routes were run in our Nissan Xterra with minimal modifications and basic camping gear. You can read about our rig and gear on our Xterra page.
COLORADO OVERLAND PHOTO SAFARI This route is our easiest and longest, with the most varied terrain and degrees of solitude. We completed the basic loop in five days, but it could have easily been double that. This journey was designed for a friend and his photographer wife that lived too far to bring thier own rig to Colorado; the plan was to fly into DIA, rent a stock 4Runner or Wrangler, pick up some basic camping gear and go Overlanding without (hopefully) damaging the vehicle…
Start Point: Empire
End Point: Georgetown
Total Mileage: 750+/-
GATEWAY TO MOAB Alternative backcountry route to Moab from Grand Junction via Gateway. It begins with John Brown Canyon, a stunning desert setting with sweeping views back towards Colorado as you climb the first hill. The adventure continues on beautiful Beaver Mesa and Thompson Canyon, ending with the incredible Onion Creek.
Start Point: Gateway
End Point: Onion Creek / Highway 128
Total Mileage: 55+/- each way
EXPEDITION: DINOSAUR Seven dirt roads make up the core of this route, Yampa Bench road in Dinosaur National Monument is by far the standout. There are many historic and interesting stops along the way, including the Rial Chew ranch, a mud and stick hut, cabins, petroglyphs, incredible overlooks and the Whispering Cave. The five notable roads leading up to Yampa Bench were excellent as well, however our exit through the gorgeous West Rifle Creek area south of Meeker was the best surprise of this overland odyssey.
Start Point: Fraser
End Point: New Castle
Total Mileage: 468+/-
THE GREAT EATSPEDITION From Kittredge to Westcliffe we eat our way south on our way to the Great Sand Dunes National Park along some fantastic dirt roads and easy trails. This route goes along more old railroad beds than everything else combined: Platte River Road, Old Stage / Gold Camp, Phantom Canyon and Oak Creek Grade are all railroad beds created during Colorado’s gold rush. We also stop at three excellent local eateries to fuel our trip.
Start Point: Kittredge General Store
End Point: Westcliffe
Total Mileage: 198.2 Miles
THE MULE Named for a gentle mule we met along the way, this route was slow, cool and beautiful. There is a lot of camping the whole way, along with lakes, reservoirs, creeks, the tragic Hayman burn scar, the odd town of Guffey, and some of Colorado’s best and least used forest roads.
Start Point: Conifer
End Point: Salida
Total Mileage: 152.7 Miles
LOS PINOS We took this route after finishing The Mule and spending some time in Salida camping on FR 185 Aspen Ridge in the Fourmile Area. Most of this route is along excellent dirt roads, with less than 12 miles of pavement and 10 of those are at the end. The scenery along the whole route is fantastic, and there is a lot of camping. The best camping is along Cebolla Creek within an hour of Lake City and the Alpine Loop, which is possibly the most beautiful section of a beautiful route.
Start Point: Monarch Pass
End Point: Lake City
Total Mileage: 100.9
Colorado Overland Routes
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Colorado Overland Routes 