| Date | Status Information Posted by 14ers.com Forum Users | Posted By |
|---|---|---|
| 2009-11-16 | Gate in place at 1st creek. Went up via snowmobile. We could only drive the truck to just after the cattle gate down low. | killingcokes |
| 2009-10-03 | A sign at the first stream corssing states the upper road will be closing for good on October 13th. Hurry, you have 9 days left! 8...7... | TravelingMatt |
| 2009-08-18 | I got a Kia Spectra and my friend driving behind me got a Toyota Camry approximately 1.8 miles beyond the "4WD" sign on 8-7-08. The main thing that was required was very slow and careful driving to get this far. I let several high clearance vehicles pass me en route. However, at approximately 1.8 miles in, or about 0.2 mi before the Rainbow Trail crossing, I reached an obstacle(a steep hill with rocks and loose dirt that I could not get over unless I had a running start, which I was unwilling to do because of numerous rocks below this hill). There was a nice pull-out just below this hill big enough for two vehicles and my friend and I parked here and walked the rest of the way up. It was useful for our situation to get this far in a 2WD vehicle because we reached a reliable water source within 0.5 miles at the first stream crossing. Had we parked at the 2WD trailhead, we would have had to walk a rather hot and dry 2.3 miles to get to a water source. This road really is a rocky 4WD road the entire way, and I would plan on having plenty of water when I arrive at the 2WD trailhead if I only have a 2WD car. | Thunder Dan |
| 2009-07-24 | Aug 11th to Sep 11th this year, the upper part of the road (just past the 1st creek crossing) will be closed during the week for construction. On Monday thru Friday, the road will be closed from 7:30am-5:30pm. There will be brief periods allowing vehicles through at 10am, 12:30pm, & 3:30pm. If you are traveling the road between 5:30pm and 7:30am, it will be open. | denvermikey |
| 2009-07-21 | The road up to South Colony is, in my opinion, much worst than last year. Last Sept, I drove my CRV to the trailhead, surprised at how easy it was, and I never bottomed out. On 7/21/09 I tried to make the same drive in the same vehicle, and it was disasterous. It was dark, so I pushed farther than I should have, but eventually stalled out on a steep section covered with loose gravel. I bottomed out a few times before giving up 1.6 miles from the trailhead. On the way down, I was stunned at what I made it past the night before. I had no business being there in a CRV. My recommendation is a CRV type vehicle could make it to the river crossing with come creative driving, but after that, it is truly a 4x4 road. Nasty. | James Scott |
| 2009-07-06 | I was there a month ago and regretted not taking my 2wd up to S. Colony Creek b/c the road was in such good shape. Do not have any illusions now about taking a Kia Sephia up a couple of miles unless you want to trash it. Road is open all the way but very bumpy and rocky- it will take plenty of time even in a good 4wd to get to the TH. | utepasspro |
| 2009-06-11 | Clear of snow all the way to the 4wd trailhead. Cars can drive at least 2 miles in on the 4 wheel road which was demonstrated by a compact Kia Sephia today. | JB99 |
| 2009-05-30 | I was able to drive about 4.2 miles from the 2wd trailhead and was stopped by major snow drifts. 2 people got across the stream that stopped me and got about .1 miles further. This will only change gradually over the next week or two | Nelson |
| 2009-05-27 | Talked to Ranger Jeff Outhier from Westcliffe yesterday. South Colony road will be open all summer, but closed permanently in October 2009 just past the Rainbow TH. | Alan Ellis |
| 2009-05-22 | I drove my forester 3.8 miles past the first private property sign (and parking area). This is 1.2 miles past the first stream crossing. We saw a Dodge Ram truck stuck in some mud, but this is avoidable. They turned around in an unlucky spot. There is a tree down at 10,650‘ on the road (not far from where I parked) and I think it will need a chain saw and/or strong arm. | dubsho3000 |
| 2009-05-12 | As of 5/10 the road is drivable for about 1.9 miles from the 2wd parking, to just below the Rainbow Trail. | tmahon |
| 2009-04-25 | Was able to make it to about 9100‘ on S Colony Rd. Hiked 500 yards in mud/dirt/snow mix. From there, about 4 more miles of snow. Snowmobile/snowshoe access only. Didn‘t have snowshoes, and it was not pleasant. South Colony Creek is melting fairly well, so be prepared with waterproof shoes. | darklich14 |
| 2008-11-24 | The road is still mostly clear dirt for the first mile, then quickly alternates between snow and super-slick ice. The icy portions are in pretty large patches. The major creek crossings are iced over with a thin layer of what I thought looked like 12 inches at the deepest. I don‘t have a lot of experience with 4WD vehicles, but I couldn‘t see how any vehicle could make it all the way to the 4WD TH. I just parked at the 2WD TH and hiked the whole way in. Will try to get a trip report up soon under Humboldt Peak with some photos. | George Kaplan |
| 2008-09-15 | With all the recent snow I thought I would update the status of the Colony Lakes TH. It is still clear and mostly dry, and the creek crossings are really of very little consequence if your SUV has decent clearance. I will warn of one nasty section immediately below the final creek crossing to the upper TH. I saw/heard at least a half dozen vehicles bottom out pretty aggresively right before crossing the river (or right after the crossing as they were descending the road) Take it slow here. I also saw a Subaru almost the entire way up the road, but it looked as if its lower right end had been completely obliterated. Take it slow and if your car doesn‘t have great clearance, don‘t destroy it. :) | ossie322 |
| 2008-09-09 | Reviewed all the previous postings about the conditions of S. Colony Lakes "road" to the TH and planned to drive as far as I could in a 2002 Honda CRV. Road conditions from the 2WD parking lot to the first stream crossing would be passable by most vehicles (cars, trucks, SUV‘s). Afterwards, I saw mostly vehicles with higher clearances that had successfully navigated the rockier terrain. I was able to drive my CRV to 10.7 miles (of the total 12.5 length) and walk the remainder of the trail to the TH. After 10.7 miles, the road becomes much more technical that a light weight SUV would not be able to handle (unless you hate your vehicle...) Conditions were dry as of 10/6-10/7/08. Good luck! | rleclair |
| 2008-09-01 | As a reference, I‘ve made it to the end of the South Colony Lakes road twice before it was "improved" (in a stock Xterra), and I just did the drive again after it was "improved" today (in the rain and the dark). Based on that, here‘s my opinion of the road, as it is now: All of the cruxes (3 or 4 of them, as I remember) have been blasted away ... but keep in mind, the road is still pretty rough, rocky and rutted. High clearance and/or driver skill/experience is definitely recommended. Today, I did see one Subaru near the end of the road, but I imagine one of the following: a.) the driver is a professional and deserves some sort of award, b.) the driver took FOREVER to get up there, as he must‘ve had to cautiously and carefully place tires constantly, and/or he bottomed out many times, or c.) he‘s insane and/or doesn‘t care about his car at all. By the way, regardless of what you hear, I‘d advise against taking 2WD and/or low-clearance vehicles to the end of this road. Halfway, perhaps, but personally I wouldn‘t go any further. As of 9/1/08, streams seemed to be running a little deeper than normal, but then again it was raining on me at the time. | Aubrey |
| 2008-08-06 | On Friday (8/1/2008), I drove my stock 2006 Toyota Tacoma (w/ Off Road Package) to the 4WD TH without too much trouble. I‘m a novice off road driver, so I just took it slow and had Sarah spot me in a few sections. The final creek crossing right at the 4WD TH was less than 12-in deep. All creek crossings down lower were 6-in deep or shallower. It exactly one hour for us to get from the 2WD TH to the 4WD TH. | CincyBearcats |
| 2008-07-14 | No problem driving my Suburban to the end of the road. The final river crossing was only about 15 inches deep. | BillMiddlebrook |
| 2008-07-12 | My Jeep Liberty and a Toyota Highlander, both non-modified made it to the top. | iowa_born |
| 2008-07-03 | Rough but passable, Water crossing is probably at 2-3 feet, Gate at the top parking lot half exposed. | Cheesehead |
| 2008-06-17 | Road is passable in 4WD up the 4WD parking area. Road seems to have been improved since 2 years ago, not quite as rough as it used to be. The gate and the trail head sign are just now starting to peek through the snow. Access from the TH to South Colony Lakes is via the snow, the trail is still completely covered, and will remain that way for at least 2 more weeks. Snow between the trees up to the lake varies from 10-30‘ deep in standard snow slide areas, to as little as 2-4 feet. | Schroder |
| 2008-06-09 | Road is passable to the 2nd major stream crossing about 1 mile from the end of the road. Still a lot of big snowdrifts in the last mile. | 49ersRule |
| 2008-06-01 | Hiked to South Colony Lakes today. Any 2WD with some clearance can get to the rainbow trail. Road becomes unpassible due to large snow drifts 1 to 1.5 miles past the large creek crossing. The creek is running high, so expect to get your shoes wet trying to cross it if you do not drive across. | cpittman |
| 2008-05-26 | The South Colony lakes road is still socked in with snow. You can drive about 2 miles beyond the lower parking lot (almost to the Rainbow Trailhead). After that, you can hike without snowshoes the additional 3.5 miles to the upper trailhead. There are several great parking/camping spots where the road becomes impassable. I would estimate the snow is about 10+ feet deep at the upper trailhead. Snowshoes are mandatory beyond the upper trailhead and a few of the slopes are sketchy, so be aware of avalanche danger. I don‘t see this road being clear until late June! | Kinesiologyman |
| 2008-05-22 | South Colony Road Update (May 22, 2008): The entire road will be open all the way to the upper parking lot through the fall of 2009. In the fall of 2009, the road will be permenantly closed about halfway up. This information was confirmed by ranger Jeff Outhier who is located at the Westcliffe Forest Service office. | Alan Ellis |
| 2008-05-04 | You can now get around the fallen tree to the left, but only about 1/4 mile up the road. The snow is melting fast, and should to be able to make it much further up the road very soon. | Georgie |
| 2008-04-23 | Lower open and clear. 1/2 mi. up 4x4 road snow pack and un-drivable. | Media Dude |
| 2008-04-19 | Zero snow to 2WD parking lot. Recommend parking at 2WD parking lot, as road almost entirely covered with slushy snow inside the trees. Plus, large pine tree down over 3/4 of road just inside the trees at about 9200‘. ATVs could pass by on left, but not much else. Snow hard-packed and icy in the morning (snowshoes not needed at all), but very slushy sugar in the afternoon (still need snowshoes for afternoon). | Scanner |
| 2008-02-17 | Colfax is blocked by massive snowdrifts 3.5 miles down the road. I looks like Custer County stopped plowing past this point. If you go up in the next couple of weeks you can expect to add 2 miles to your hike to get to the T-Junction. | centrifuge |
| 2007-07-08 | As of July 4-6, 2007, the creek crossings were much lower than two weeks ago. I'd say between 6 and 9 inches lower. Interestingly enough, the lower creeks have exposed some big rocks that I couldn't see before. Made it up and down the trail without any problems, but I think it was easier the second time. Not much else has changed since I last reported. | aubrey |
| 2007-06-26 | F^^k this road | lordhelmut |
| 2007-06-25 | 6/23/2007: Rocky, rough and rutted as ever. For the last 2.5 miles or so, that is. First half (up until the first creek crossing) was relatively easy. I saw a Subaru Outback parked just before the first creek crossing. First creek was easy to cross and not very high. Second creek crossing was very low. Third creek crossing came up to the bumper on my 2001 Nissan Xterra (see posted pic). As I wrote in my trip report, this a pretty serious 4x4 road for any stock SUV or truck. Water flows down many sections of the road, washing the dirt away from rocks and deepening ruts and mud pockets. I have a good 15 years of off-roading experience and this is about as rough as I’ll go in a stock truck. In 1999, Gerry Roach described it as one of Colorado’s roughest roads, and he said it gets worse every year. Even though improvements have been made to the lower half of the road, the upper half is still quite “interesting.” And while other 4x4 roads tend to only have a few “rough” sections that challenge you, this road has non-stop roughness from the first creek crossing to the end. Driver beware. | Aubrey |
| 2007-06-17 | clear all the way to the upper trailhead. the road is muddy in spots and all the little creeks near the top of the road have overflown. jamie | shanahan96 |
| 2007-05-24 | Drove to within 1 mile of upper parking lot this past weekend. Did do some driving through snowdrifts though. | jcwhite |
| 2007-05-22 | The first 2.5 or so miles of the road after the lower trailhead is clear and is easily driven in a stock 4x4 vehicle. After the first stream crossing, however, it is in very bad condition due to all of the runoff. I would recommend parking in the areas right after the stream crossing and hiking the remaining 3 or so miles to the upper trailhead. The last mile of the road is mostly covered in snow. As of May 22, everything past the foot bridge at the upper trailhead was completely covered in at least 3 to 4 feet of snow, so don't go without skis or snowshoes. | w5cto |
| 2007-02-04 | we were stopped 2.4 miles short of the lower trailhead by a sizeable snow drift on feb 3rd. the road is normally plowed and they expect it to be open within a few days. just don't plan on reaching in the trailhead in the next 24-48 hours. | shanahan96 |
| 2006-12-13 | The First half of the road as you pass through private property is fine. The snowpack increases as you continue up. The furthest I got up(in a jeep laredo), was 50 feet past the sign for the San Isabel forest boundary. | bmratc |
| 2006-08-23 | Ready for this? My 1985 Subaru Wagon GL made it to the TOP of the South Colony Lakes Road. I would not recommend attempting a feat like this. I just wanted to show that it could be done. BTW the new road improvements are amazing for the first couple miles. | tommy dorr |
| 2006-08-21 | On Aug. 16, I drove to the top gate in my 2002 Jeep Wrangler with barely any difficulty. There was one spot 1.5 miles from the top that gave me a little trouble, but not much. My Jeep is completely stock, including the original tires (25k miles). I removed my bumpers and hitch for extra clearance, disconnected my front swaybar, and aired down my tires to 20 psi, but no other modifications. Also, this was my very first time driving any sort of 4x4 terrain. I can't claim to have natural talent. Either this road is overrated or Wranglers are just that good. Probably both. However, there was also a Ford Ranger and an extended cab long-bed Ford F150 at the top. | donthikeangry |
| 2006-07-11 | The road "improvement" work on the lower section of road up to South Colony Lakes has been completed. It looks like they worked some sections of the lower 2.5 miles, primarily to add drainage sluce cut-offs. 4WD vehicles can easily (but slowly) navigate the first 2.5 miles (approximately half way to the upper trail head). After that point there are a number of really "interesting" sections which will challenge the best 4WD drivers. (Big rocks mixed with deep pockets.) We did see four cars at the upper trailhead, so we know it is possible for some. Two were very short/high Jeep "CJ" versions. One was a pickup and (surprisingly), one was a newer Jeep Cherokee. Being cautious, we parked near the first big chasm in the road - at 2.5 miles. From there we needed 70 minutes to walk to the upper trailhead. But since even the most adventurous driver would still need ~30 minutes to drive it, we really added very little to the total trip time. The road is plenty wide everywhere, but some of the rocks, dips and mud pockets would dictate the use of a truck with skid plates and a short wheelbase. | philbucher |
| 2006-06-24 | We arrived at this trailhead on 6-23-2006 and discovered that the Road Construction closure date has been extended to June 30, 2006. The road is still open to hiking, but not vehicles; thus you'll have to hike the road for apprx. 5.5 miles to the TH. The F.S. Office in Westcliffe also told us that there is a proposal to close this road permanently. Just FYI | mpa |
| 2006-06-19 | Road was in rough shape 6/17 in AM, worse in PM. Road repair was halted for the weekend. The right vehicles could make it to the gate. Only short wheelbase, high clearance vehicles should attempt this road. Those that made it said their vehicle took some very hard hits on the way up. Both creek crossings were quite shallow and had rocky bottoms. Vehicle coming up Saturday basically destroyed what was left of the road. ATV's and dirt bikes are the way to go here. | GoHigher |
| 2006-06-06 | June 12th - 23rd road work closing South Colony Rd. See Forum topic \"Trailheads, Roads, Camping\" Subject \"South Colony Road Closed?\" | GoHigher |
| 2006-06-01 | The road is free os snow all the way to the gate. It's still strictly a 4WD road. | nickonov |
| 2006-05-21 | I busted down the last couple snowbanks a couple nights ago, and with decent clearance you can get all the way to the top of the road. | jcwhite |
| 2006-04-23 | As of 4/22/06, the road is passable to about .25-.5 miles before the first creek crossing right around 10,000 feet. After that, there is deep (and very soft) snow that no one has yet managed to make it past. This spot is about 2.5 miles from the 2wd trailhead. The snow is melting very fast, up there, so it will only be another month or so before this is completely melted out. | Nathan Hale |
| 2005-08-29 | I would agree, to an extent, that the trail is overrated...it is NOTHING like Lake Como. We made it to the top in 2 Ford Escapes. There were a couple of times the vehicles were on three wheels, but otherwise no problems. Up and back each took about two hours. The only problems we had was a varmint ate through some wires in the engine, so we had to utilize some McGyver ingenuity to start it. | Judge K |
| 2005-08-23 | This road is overrated. I agree it is a true 4x4 road, very rocky and long, but there are only a handful of sections that require care to navigate through. I have a 2001 stock Jeep Cherokee Sport and my buddy has a 1997 Pathfinder and we had no problems reaching the gate. My Jeep was loaded with 3 adults and stuffed with gear and we maybe touched one or two skid plates on the way up at most. None coming down. At the top there were many vehicles including Tacomas, Xterras, Jeeps and pickups. Most SUVs with decent clearance and 4x4 Low should not have a problem getting to the top. It took about 1.75 hours to reach the gate. Plenty of great campsites just beyond the gate. We camped out about a hundred yards from the parking area. | ryans |
| 2005-07-13 | If you care about your car...you won't drive this road!! We took our trail rated Jeep renegade up most of the way but it took us a very long time. My driver was excellent, we has no damage to our car but we would not do it again. We saw oil dipping all along the road and several car parts on our hike up. All the cars at the top were old beaters and had lots of damage (side rails were basically destroyed!) Borrow someones ATV or old beater 4wd if you want to drive this road. | Mtnhiker |
| 2005-06-28 | This road has been a little overrated. Granted, it is a true 4x4 road but it's doable with only 4x4 hi and a bit of clearance… if you can drive. I went up in a 2000 stock Grand Cherokee and wasn't even challenged. At the top, we saw a mid 90's stock Ford Ranger. I have an 85 Subaru 4x4hi/4x4low that I'm gonna try next time. | tommy dorr |
| 2005-06-13 | Made it to the second river crossing (almost to the main trailhead) this weekend in a stock 97 4runner. No damage to the truck but it was driven well by my buddy Don. | jeffkoski |
| Location: | Sangre de Cristo Range |
| 14ers Served: | Humboldt Peak, Crestone Needle, Crestone Peak, Kit Carson Peak, Challenger Point |
| Road Type: | Easy 2WD dirt to the lowest trailhead. Very Rough 2WD (with good-clearance required) dirt to the first river crossing. 4WD above this point (if the road is open). |
| Winter Access: | Usually closed near the lower TH at the bottom of the road. |
| Directions: | Take Colorado 69 south from Westcliffe. Drive 4.5 miles and turn right on Colfax Lane. Drive 5.5 miles to the end of Colfax. There is a sign to the trailhead here. Turn right and drive 1 mile on a dirt road to a junction. Continue straight up the 120 Road for 0.3 mile to the Lower 2WD trailhead. If you park here, it’s approx. 5.3 miles to the end of the road where the trail begins.
Rough 2WD Trailhead: From the lower 2WD trailhead, continue 2.7 miles to a higher parking area at the first river crossing. In 2010, the road is scheduled for closure at this point and this will be the "official" trailhead. 4WD Trailhead (closing after 2009): From the first river crossing, continue another 2.6 miles to the 4WD trailhead at the end of the road. Note: In 2007, all of the nasty rock sections were crushed and "improved" to allow easier 4WD travel to the upper trailhead. There is a small parking area before the road crosses the river and ends at the main parking area. The trail starts past the gate in the main parking area. Calculate Driving Time from your Address | Trailheads on Google Maps |
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