With states and municipalities restricting access to some of our favorite trails around the country, finding a good place to ride freely is becoming a bit more difficult each year. Luckily, there are still some great places to ride. Colorado features several that offer terrific scenery and challenging rides for every level of rider. Here are five spots in the Centennial State that you should try to visit.
Texas Creek ATV Trails
These trails run along the Arkansas River in central Colorado. They mainly run a circle around Table Mountain with some trails narrowing enough to only allow the passage of a single ATV. Beginners will want to stick to the eastern side of the mountain where the trails are pretty straight-forward. More experienced riders can tackle sandy trails and rock formations on the western side.
Cuchara Recreation Area
Cuchara offers the full experience: camping, fishing, hiking, and (most importantly) a variety of trails to ride. You are going to enjoy the diverse wildlife and riders of all levels can find trails that they will enjoy. Camping is primitive, but permits cost $13. The trails are snow-covered four to five months of the year.
Lefthand Canyon OHV
This is a great free area to ride. Well, it was free when this post was written, so checkout http://www.parks.state.co.us to make sure. The entire Roosevelt National Forest is a beautiful place to ride, but Lefthand is exceptional. Technical trails are intermingled with rocky hill climbs. Primitive camping and riding are available year-round.
Grand Valley OHV
Grand Valley is a free ride in every sense of the word. You are free to ride anywhere and there are no fees. There are 25 miles of open area that feature loose dirt, hardpacked soil, steep hills, and some rocky areas.
North Sand Hills Special Recreation Management Area
The name says it all… sand. About 300 miles of it. Year-round riding across dunes and trails that will take you through aspen and sagebrush. You get to ride fee-free and have access to primitive camping.
You can find out more about these trails by heading over to http://www.blm.gov, the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management website.
While you are on the website mentioned here, look at trails in other states as well. Colorado offers some great vacation riding opportunities, but it is not the only state where you can get your ATV dirty.
