Jeep & ATV/OHV

Stoney Pass? Alpine Loop? Wheeler Geologic Area? Or any other or our hundreds of back-country roads? Venture out in your 4x4 or ATV! There are many rental options; Cottonwood Cove or Elk Country Jeeps for jeep rentals, Creede ATV, Big Country Fun, Rio Grande Off-Road, and Snowshoe Lodge all rent ATVs and/or UTVs. Looking for a guided adventure? Check out Mountain Skillz! Have a blast in the back-country!

Be sure to stop in the Visitors Center for your copy of the City of Creede OHV Route & Regulations and a Motor Vehicle Use Map for Rio Grande National Forest (click on both links for a complete map).

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 Jeep / OHV Drives

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.

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.

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.