Fall trip to Ridgway CO

[Canonman]

We are planning a trip to the Ridgway Colorado area the end of September this year. Looking for CG ideas to give close access to the Dallas Canyon, Last Dollar Road and other scenic places for fall color. We are already looking at the Ridgway State Park as one option but thought there might be camp grounds a little closer to the Sneffels range and Lakes areas. Forest Service CG's are a good option as well as State Parks and private RV parks. Also if anyone has some good/favorite photo locations we'd appreciate knowing about those as well.
Thanks in advance!

[f5moab]

Only campground I have used is in Ouray, and that is with a tent.
But my favorite photo locations are up in the passes southeast or southwest of Ouray.
Bridal Vail Falls, Telluride. (We arrived at this spot while coming down blackbear pass a pretty harrowing 4x4 trail down into Telluride. However, from Telluride up to this location is a two-way road that basically any vehicle can make.)



From Cinnamon Pass...4x4 trail


From Cinnamon Pass looking down onto California Pass and Lake Como...4x4 trail


And looking down into Telluride from Imogene 4x4 trail...


Go further south and Silverton is a nice short visit...off Hwy 550


So, if you have a 4x4 with a decent lift or an ATV/UTV I can give you some great trails to run in that area.

If not, it is still a fantastic area with many places to visit and millions of photo opportunities.
Another idea is Black Canyon of the Gunnison is not far up the road.

How are you going over? I-70 to GJ and then down through Montrose? Or coming through Moab and over route 46?

[NO3putt]

Be sure to pack some warm cloths for the evenings, average temp at night in Sept is 36, and 26 degrees average in Oct so nights could be cold and even some snow.

[Canonman]

Thanks F5
Some great shots!
We are pretty much on the same page w/you on driving the roads less traveled. Our Dodge is 4x4 so back roads don't bother us much. Will definitely take your advise and check out the area around Ouray. We've been through there and Silverton a couple of times now and love that area for color and mountain scenery.

[f5moab]

Depending on weather, most of the "fun" trails may be closed such as Engineer, Cinnamon, Imogene, California, Ophir and some of the smaller ones like Corkscrew. Yankee boy and Silverton to Animas fork usually close last.

I guess I should head out that way in the fall sometime in the future just for some photos. When I'm in the area I'm more into off-roading than taking photos.

[f5moab]

Just a friendly reminder, some of those trails south or Ouray require a good angle of entrance, departure and breakover, and stock pickups don't have great angles. In some locations, trucks can get hung up on a ledge due to breakover; pulled a few out of my way at times with a strap. (And a few times, I have had to be strapped over some ledges by a H1. Such as on Moab Rim.)

And in some cases, there might not be any place to turn around for quite a few miles.
This is a long, very easy, stretch on Engineer Pass....



And on some trails, there is not much width....such as on Blackbear pass...


And then there are the switchbacks that require a fourpoint turn by a short JK...and a six (or maybe seven) point turn by a H3...


But if you ever want to do some tent camping where no one but crazy people and bears go, I have some great GPS locations in that area....

.

And no mail delivery...


But it is a lot of fun when you get to the top....


And sometimes, Mother Nature throws in some white stuff...this is Engineer Pass in July 2011....the year of the heavy snow in CO...


All the other photos were taken in August of 2009.

Most of those trails traverse through BLM and Forest service lands, so plenty of disperse camping areas.

[Canonman]

Thanks for the photos and the technical 4 wheeling info. Personally I never got into the high end technical off roading but several family members are, and have the "bionic jeeps" to prove it. Since we are traveling mostly solo on our trips I try and consider a proper exit strategy as we go in to new areas since there is usually no help to rely on getting us out. We are looking forward to doing some fall camping in the foothills around Ridgway and exploring some of the back roads looking for places to stop and get a good photo of some really pretty country!
Appreciate your input and your photos, Thank you