This is a rocky road that doesn't typically require much clearance. However, there are a few mildly loose climbs on a narrow shelf road that makes low-range recommended.
Location
Marble, CO
Trailhead
This starts in the small mining town of Marble, CO. Follow county road 3 through Marble and it will turn into a dirt road. There are a number of turns to take through the small town, however you just follow the main road and you shouldn't get lost.
GPS coordinates are: 39.072659, -107.181725.
Follow this road for about 1.5 miles after you leave town (measured from the parking lot at Beaver Lake) and there will be a right turn to go to Crystal Mill. Just follow the sign that directs you to the right.
History
According to the US Forest Service the Crystal Mill was constructed in 1893. It was originally known as the Sheep Mountain Tunnel Mill. It had a horizontal wooden water heel at the base of the shaft that turned a steel driveshaft. The driveshaft transmitted power to the gear house which ran an air compressor. This are was used to power air tools and ventilation for the nearby silver mine.
When the mill was working, there was a dam above the waterfall to raise the water for the mill. High water runoff frequently washed out the wooden dam so they built a long wooden flume to take water from higher up the stream to fill the shaft that powered the water wheel.
Remember, the Crystal Mill is privately owned. Please, do not cross the river and enter the mill.
Description
This is an easy trail that takes you to a popular site for photographers. It is about 5 miles from Beaver Lake to the Crystal Mill. This is a slow, bumpy ride. Unless you are pushing through the bumps, expect this to take 60-90 minutes to drive the 5 miles.
Although the road is slow, this is an easy trail. There are often some mud puddles next to Lizard Lake which can be moderately deep. When we went this fall one of the muddy spots had water that was about 1.5 feet deep. If you are in a small vehicle with low clearance, make sure you check the depth before crossing. The base of the puddles isn't bad and I never spun a tire, but it could be troublesome for lower vehicles with street tires depending on conditions.
The rest of the road is manly a road with a rocky base. It is slow and often narrow. There are multiple areas where you are on a shelf road that is wide enough for one vehicle. These can be awkward for a full sized pickup, but I have seen a pick-up make it through. These spots can be interesting as this is a well traveled road. Make sure you watch for upcoming vehicles and you need to be comfortable backing up across narrow areas to pass oncoming vehicles.
The Crystal Mill is located just off of the road to the right, you cannot miss it. After you enjoy the mill, you have 3 options. The easiest option is to turn back and return to the town of Marble the way you came in.
Option 2 is to continue along the road and go through Lead King Basin which completes the loop back to Marble. This road is harder than the road to Crystal Mill, but I would still give it a rating of 3. The turn to Lead King Basin is just under a mile beyond Crystal Mill and it is a left turn. This is road takes you through a basin that has multitudes of wild flowers. It only added about 30 minutes to go this way instead of returning back the way you came.
The third option is to go through Schofield Pass. I have yet to do this road, but I have seen it rated a 4-5. This includes the Devil's Punchbowl, which carries the reputation for being dangerous. This has a loose climb on a shelf road. If you take this option, you will not return to Marble but will come out near Crested Butte. I do not recommend this option for drivers without offload experience as there have been deaths from people sliding off the road at the Devil's Punchbowl.
Here is the map with KML file (generated from Google Maps, this is not my actual track):
Here is a video my cousin made from the trip:
And now for some pictures!
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