Owl Creek Pass (Difficulty 1)

Difficulty Rating: 1. The first 15 miles I followed a Buick sedan, so this is passable in a car in dry conditions. Depending on recent weather, however, the rating may go up to a 2 if there are a lot of ruts. The south end on the trip had about 6 inch deep ruts. A passenger car still could have gotten around them, but it would have required some careful driving to not bottom out in a small car. I never shifted my Cherokee into 4-wheel drive during the trip.

Location: Just east of Montrose, CO

Trailhead: 22 miles east of Montrose, CO. There is a sign pointing to Cimarron Rd, which is the road you follow. Coordinates are 38°24.87'N 107°31.61'W.

We ended on County Road 8 at 38°13.40N 107°43.61W on highway 550, just north of Ridgeway. We came out at that road because it was closer to home since we live north of Montrose. You can end at Ridgeway on County Road 10 at 38°10.43N 107°44.52W. The benefit of going through County Road 10 is that it is marked with sign for Owl Creek Pass and Silver Jack Reservoir if you are starting from the Ridgeway side.

Description: Easy, graded dirt road. There were moderate washboards in a few areas, but generally a smooth road. According to the visitor information on the website for Montrose, this road was originally a cattle-drive trail from 1885. Initially the scenery seemed to be rolling hills and scrub brush, but later it turned into pine trees and aspen tress. The features that most stick out are the jagged peaks and spires of Cimarron Ridge, Courthouse Mountain, and Chimney Rock. Every time I drove down Highway 550 toward the San Juan Mountains, I always admired the jagged skyline that Cimarron Ridge forms, and I was pleased to have a much closer look. There are numerous jagged cliffs and spires that make the trip worthwhile. As an added bonus, you get a few great views of the San Juan Mountains in the distance.

Expect to see a lot of traffic on the road. There are many campgrounds and access to numerous roads in the area. This is also the access to Silver Jack Reservior, which is a nice lake in the mountains. Supposedly it has good fishing, but I wouldn't know too much about that.

All in all, it was a fun day.

Here are the GPX and KML files. The GPX file is incomplete (only the red portion on the map below). I am using my phone for the GPS and it died right at the beginning. I didn't realize it wasn't working until the red portion started (it recorded the first 200 yards, which I didn't include). I included the rest of the trip on the KML file with google maps, which should have both portions of the track.