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Boulder Mountain
From Dirtopia, The Off-Road Encyclopedia
 Photo: Switchbacks at the top | |
| Off-Road Information | |
| Other Names: | |
|---|---|
| Terrain: | 4x4/atv/dirtbike |
| Off-Road Use: | |
| Difficulty: | Moderate(5) |
| Camping: | {{{camping}}} |
| Geography | |
| County: | Chaffee |
| Nearest Cities: | |
| Map Links: | Google Map |
| Satellite Map: | {{{satlinks}}} |
| Special Map: | |
| GPS Coords: | 38.7046/-106.276 |
| Google Earth: | Boulder_Mountain.kmz |
| Climate: | |
| Area Size: | |
| Elevation: | |
| Last Visited: | |
| Open/Closed/Date: | |
| Season(s): | |
Excerpt borrowed with permission from TrailDamage.com
This trail spurs off of the Mount Antero trail, just a little way from where the Antero trail starts. The trail is not very used, is extremely narrow, and could be dangerous if not impossible if you were to meet someone coming the other direction. It is probably best for ATVs but 4x4 vehicles can manage it just fine. Full-sized vehicles might have problems.
There are a total of 15 switchbacks to the top of Boulder Mountain. The lower 5 are in trees with very tight switchbacks. One of the switchbacks is even too tight for a Wrangler to make without having to back up a little.
There is a small area of trees and flat grassy land before you tackle the remaining 10 switchbacks above timberline. They are on loose rock or dirt and sometimes you feel like you are the first person to drive the trail in a long time.
Once you reach the top you see an old mine and a shack at the very end, where you turn around to head back down. The views from the top are incredible. You can see a large portion of the Mount Antero trail and you have a great view of Mount Princeton, another 14er.
There are no real challenges other than the pucker factor. It might be a good idea to have the lead vehicle act as a scout and remain one switchback ahead of the rest of the group. The only places to pass someone else are the meadow in the middle and on a couple switchbacks that could hold one or two vehicles. Use caution on this trail -- large groups are not recommended.
External Links
TrailDamage.com pictures, movies, maps, GPS coordinates and additional trail information.
Maps and GPS Coordinates
A comprehensive list of GPS waypoints and tracks in Google Earth format can be found here: Boulder_Mountain.kmz
Boulder Mountain Coordinates: 38.7046° -106.276°
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Find nearby Geocaching locations
- Find this location with Google Earth
