Colorado BDR Central Segment — Salida to Gunnison via Marshall Pass and Cochetopa Hills

The Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route’s central segment is where the route finds its rhythm — long, sustained dirt miles through the Cochetopa Hills with genuine solitude and Colorado’s signature high-country terrain underfoot. Leaving Salida, the track climbs Marshall Pass Road, a Continental Divide crossing at 10,842 feet that the Denver & Rio Grande narrow-gauge railroad used in the 1880s before Moffat Tunnel made it obsolete. The grade is smooth but exposed, and the views back toward the Sangre de Cristo range are the kind that make you pull over and sit on the tailgate. Dropping into the Gunnison Basin, the route threads through Cochetopa Creek drainages and national forest two-tracks before rolling into Gunnison on pavement. It’s not a white-knuckle technical section, but the elevation, remoteness, and afternoon lightning season keep it real.

This segment is accessible to most capable 4WD vehicles with adequate clearance — stock Jeeps and mid-size trucks handle it fine. High-clearance is the primary requirement; lockers are helpful but rarely essential in dry conditions. The route is typically open June through October, but early-season snow on Marshall Pass can persist into late June and storm in again by September. No permit required on national forest sections. Salida and Gunnison both offer full resupply, fuel, and lodging at each end — treat them as your bookends and carry water for the middle miles. Cell service is spotty to none through the Cochetopa corridor.