Spring Creek

Traveling along a portion of the Paradox Trail, Spring Creek is a fun and moderate 4x4 route crossing the rugged Uncompahgre Plateau. The trail traverses a recovering landscape where new vegetation thrives in this high desert forest, once charred by the 2018 Bull Draw fire. The trail requires 4x4, durable tires, and high clearance for the numerous moderate challenges on this unmaintained trail. The impacts of the fire are still being felt today, as narrow ledges are becoming washed out due to a lack of vegetation stability, and several narrow spots require extra attention from the driver. In addition, deep rocky ruts are forming in the trail, and at times, grass can partially hide the track, making navigation difficult at times. One deep dry wash crossing, Big Atkinson Creek, is a tricky spot to find where to enter, it drops steeply down into a grassy trench and back up the otherside. Drivers should use caution in this are during rain events as the flash flooding risk is extremely high. One small campsite was found in the trees around the mid-point of the route, where there was adequate room for one vehicle with a tent.