Off-road Guidebooks:
Charles Wells Colorado Book (the best): amzn.to/3CJLir2
Charles Wells Moab Book: amzn.to/3R6RSfu
Red Cone is Colorado's most remarkable off-road trail. Come along for a ride on this impressive Jeep trail to Red Cone’s breathtaking summit at 12,801’.
Why is Red Cone Trail so impressive?
Red Cone is a peak and not a pass. Many high country trails in Colorado follow old mining roads to high elevation mountain passes. Red Cone Trail is different than most high country trails because this trail takes you to the top of a small summit of 12,801’. Other Colorado high country pass trails usually have nearby peaks that are taller than the pass. While on top of Imogene Pass you look up at the nearby Telluride Peak which is taller. On Black Bear Pass, Trico Peak (13,321’) and another mountain to the south stand above you. On Engineer Pass, Darley Mountain (13,260’) and Engineer Mountain stand taller. Ophir Pass cuts through Lookout Peak and Vermilion Peak. Holy Cross Trail is exciting but it doesn’t have good views. Black Bear Pass has amazing views and the switchbacks are fun, but I don’t get the same feeling as I do on Red Cone. Wheeler Lake trail is full of exciting obstacles, has a great ending at the lake and you are surrounded by nearby towering peaks, but it doesn’t have the same dramatic crescendo like getting to the top of Red Cone. Mosquito Pass, Devil’s Punchbowl, Schofield Pass, Cinnamon Pass, Corkscrew Gulch, Chinaman Gulch , et al. are all amazing but for me, Red Cone takes the cake. The summit and parking area on top of Red Cone is small (maybe 1,200 sq-ft) and the contour lines are close together on the topo map. There is room for probably 8 to 10 vehicles on top. Landslide Peak to the north stands taller at 13,238’ but it is 1.75 miles away. Handcart Peak 1.3 miles to the west stands at 12,518’ and Webster Pass (12,103’) also stands below you. The climb out of Handcart Gulch is a constant climb upwards with several tricky sections to navigate. I don’t cover them in detail in this video but maybe I will make a trail guide video for this trail at some point if you would find that useful. The final push to the summit of Red Cone follows a ridge line with your driver side exposed to a 2,000’ drop. The color contrast between Red Cone and the surrounding peaks is mesmerizing. The lush green alpine vegetation contrasted with the red oxidation of pyrite on Red Cone adds to the excitement. The views to the west to the Tenmile Range and the Holy Cross Wilderness are stunning. If you bring some binoculars along you will probably spot mountain goats living their high country lives. The descent of Red Cone can be intimidating. There are no tight switchbacks but the descent is steep and the rocks are loose. If you look closely you can see Camron’s Jeep LJ rear tires slide a little bit. There is a washed out section about a third of the way down from the summit that has gotten worse over the years, but just take your time and focus and you shouldn’t have any issues. Another big positive to this trail is that you can connect to many other nearby trails and make an epic wheeling day. Connect to Webster Pass, Radical Hill, Santa Fe Peak, Saints John, Deer Creek, Middle & North Fork Swan River Trails, SOB Hill and Georgia Pass. You will also find less traffic on Red Cone and these other neighboring trails than you will see on the San Juan trails.
So is it Colorado’s most remarkable off-road trail? I say that it is. If for some reason someone came to me and said, “Off-roading is about to be banned. You can only run one more trail in Colorado one more time, take your pick.” My pick would be Red Cone.
Off-road Guidebooks:
Charles Wells Colorado Book (the best): amzn.to/3CJLir2
Charles Wells Moab Book: amzn.to/3R6RSfu
My Camera gear:
DJI Mini 3 Pro: amzn.to/3Ayy8dC
DJI Mini 3 Pro Fly More Kit Plus: amzn.to/3wDeNa7
DJI Mini 3 Pro ND Filters: amzn.to/3CFYvB6
DJI RC controller: amzn.to/3Q3qZb3
GoPro (mounted on top of windshield): amzn.to/3pVqdCb
Rode microphone: amzn.to/3TujNI0
Viltrox Speed Booster: amzn.to/3CFYLA4
Canon M50: amzn.to/3KxXAVe
Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 lens: amzn.to/3Q33fDG
DIY CO2 Tank (cheaper than Powertank):
10 lb CO2 cylinder: amzn.to/3Tvr3mD
300 psi air hose: amzn.to/3PWOy5i
Digital tire inflator: amzn.to/3AZUk1C
150 psi regulator: amzn.to/3CJCZLL
Powertank mounting bracket: amzn.to/3PWP8Qw
Offroading essentials:
Tire deflator: amzn.to/3cu9Nhf
Tire plug kit: amzn.to/3KxJ7Zk
These are all Amazon Affiliate links, and purchasing here does not cost you any more but I do get a small commission. Thank you for your support! - Geoff