A 39-mile loop Jeep and ATV trail, this track welcomes trail bikes as well. The trail fords many creeks and accesses the trailheads of a number of hiking trails. This trip is especially dramatic in the spring when the alpine flowers are blooming and in September when the aspen trees have begun to turn yellow. The loop's parking lot can be reached by Forest Road 385, which exits Highway 184 between Mancos and Dolores about 20 miles from Cortez.
Called the "Grand Canyon of Colorado", the Dolores River Canyon's walls rise more than 1,500 feet above the road. This trail fords the Dolores River so it is important to contact the Dolores Public Lands Office (co.blm.gov) to determine if the river flow volume is low enough for crossing. This trail starts and finishes on San Miguel County Road 13, about 45 miles from Cortez on Route 141. The canyon is also accessed by a number of marginally maintained tracks off Route 491 within 30 miles northwest of Cortez.
There are at least a dozen Forest Service routes which begin or end within 30 miles of Cortez, between or near Mancos and Dolores. Although all of these roads are best suited for four-wheel drive, Jeep-like vehicles, Forest Service roads 385 and 386 are categorized specifically as "4WD Trails." Passenger vehicles should not attempt to drive them. Forest Road 385 travels northeast up Chicken Creek Canyon to the mountain summit, where it connects with a number of other forest roads, traversing the high country at elevations well over 10,000 feet. Jeep aficionados may also take the Forest Road 386 4WD trail back down the mountain west to Highway 184. The best way to navigate the many four-wheel drive roads in this area is to purchase a San Juan Forest Service map through the US Forest Service web site: fs.fed.us.
