Clear Creek Canyon Road

Clear Creek Canyon Road follows the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad grade from Georgetown up toward Grays and Torreys Peaks, past the ruins of Silver Plume’s glory days. The road starts easy but gets progressively nastier as you climb, with loose rock, off-camber sections, and a few spots where the original railroad cuts leave you hugging cliffsides with barely room for a full-size truck. Stevens Gulch junction marks where things get serious — beyond here it’s loose shale and exposure that’ll pucker your shorts.

Stock high-clearance vehicles can handle the first half, but the upper reaches demand 4WD and confidence on narrow shelf roads. Summer’s your window — snow closes this one hard from October through May. No permits, but Georgetown’s your last chance for fuel and supplies. The payoff is massive: ruins of old mining camps, killer views of the Continental Divide, and access to some of Colorado’s easiest 14ers if you want to stretch your legs.