Colorado Mountains, Skiing, Ghost Towns, 4×4, and Vacations

If four-wheeling is your idea of fun, Summit County Colorado is the place to be.  There are countless trails and roads deep in the Colorado Rocky Mountains open to 4×4 vehicles.  Some of the trails are scenic and easily negotiated.  Other trails require the use of four-wheel drive vehicles in low range.  There are also very difficult trails that require dedicated “rock crawlers.”

Many of these Summit County trails remain closed until after the spring runoff as to not damage the environment or cause severe erosion.  Other trails are so high up in the Rocky Mountains that they are not accessible until mid July when the snow finally melts.

Summer is the perfect time to visit the Colorado Mountains.  But even in August, heavy snows continue to melt and make the damp ground a perfect hang-out for the mosquitoes.  If you decide to go exploring on foot, make sure you bring plenty of bug repellent.

As the snow melts and the water drips off the tips of the Colorado Rockies, it feeds many large ponds and the water is so clear you can see the fish swimming around in it.  From there, the water makes its way down the picturesque valleys which are perfect for exploring on foot.

Several of these old roads and trails in Summit County lead to former mining towns and ghost towns.  One of my personal favorite four-wheel adventures leads south from Keystone, through Montezuma, then Saints John, and finally up to the Wild Irishman Mine.  If you have a motorcycle or quad, you’ll do fine.  Otherwise, you will need a four-wheel drive SUV and will do most of your traveling in four-wheel high.

If you are brave, and your vehicle is equipped with four-wheel low, you can continue up the steep winding road past the Wild Irishman and visit the General Teller Mine.  The General Teller Mine is, literally, on top of the world.  The views from this high are breathtaking and you can see for miles in every direction.

Many of the old mining towns in Summit County cling to life as several old buildings are still standing where they have stood for over 100 years.   The pioneers who built these buildings obviously knew how to build them right because this is one of the worst possible climates you could ever imagine.  Looking at the location and terrain of these mining towns makes you wonder how these pioneer families could have possibly survived so high up in the Colorado Rocky Mountains!