Poverty Flat Road to Idarado Mine — Uncompahgre Gorge Rim to Red Mountain Pass Backdoor
Mining ruins and shelf roads above Ouray's box canyon.
Ouray sits in a box canyon so tight that most visitors never look up and ask what’s on the benches above them. The answer, reached via County Road 14 off the Million Dollar Highway, is a string of old mining camps, collapsed tramway towers, and ledge roads cut directly into the canyon wall above the Uncompahgre River. Poverty Flat Road climbs out of the valley floor past the Camp Bird Mine access and works its way northeast across exposed shelf track to the Idarado Mine complex — one of Colorado’s largest hard-rock operations, which ran gold, silver, lead, and zinc until 1978. The ruin field is substantial: headframes, tailings piles, processing buildings, and ventilation shafts scattered across a plateau at 11,500 feet with Red Mountain’s rust-red flanks filling the skyline.
High-clearance 4WD is mandatory; sections of shelf road leave no room for error and the surface breaks down to loose shale on the steeper pitches. Not extreme, but not a place to test a stock SUV with highway tires. Best season is late June through September. No permit required for the road itself, though mine structures are private property — look but don’t enter. Fuel and supplies in Ouray before heading up. No cell service above the canyon floor. Dispersed camping exists on BLM parcels below the private mine ground. The history alone — a century of hard-rock mining layered into these cliffs — is worth the climb.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Difficult |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Backcountry, Technical 4x4 |
| Surface | Dirt, Mixed, Rock |
| Features | High Altitude, Historic, Remote, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 18 mi / 29 km |
| Duration | 1 day |
| Max elevation (ft) | 11500 ft |
| Best season | June-September |
| Minimum vehicle | 4WD high-clearance with skid plates |
| Nearest town | Ouray, CO |
| Land manager | BLM — Uncompahgre Field Office / Private (Idarado Mine) |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | No |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | BLM Uncompahgre Field Office |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
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Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
Can a stock Tacoma or 4Runner handle this trail, or does it need to be built?
A stock high-clearance 4WD with skid plates can make it, but you'll want at least all-terrain tires and genuine low-range capability. The shelf road sections and loose rock approaches to the Idarado area will punish anything with stock highway rubber or minimal underbody protection.
When does this trail typically open in spring, and is it runnable in October?
Most years it's passable by mid-June once snowmelt clears the upper sections near 11,500 ft. October is borderline — early-season snow can close it fast, and afternoon storms are common through September. Stick to June through early September for the best odds.
Do you need a permit to run this trail, and is any part of it gated off at the Idarado Mine?
No permit required for the BLM-managed portions. The Idarado Mine complex is private property — you can view it from the road, but don't enter the structures or cross onto posted ground. Check with the BLM Uncompahgre Field Office if you're unsure where public land ends.
What's the hardest section on this trail and what specifically makes it gnarly?
The shelf road sections above the Uncompahgre Gorge rim are the crux — narrow, exposed ledges with zero guardrails and significant drop-offs. Loose rock and eroded edges mean one sloppy line can put a tire over the edge. It's not the terrain that's technically extreme, it's the exposure and the consequence of a mistake.
Is there any reliable water source on trail, and how far is the nearest gas from the trailhead?
There are no guaranteed water sources on trail — carry everything you need. Gas up in Ouray before you leave; it's the closest town to the start and there's nothing between the trailhead and Silverton on the south end. Don't count on cell service anywhere on this route to call for help.
Trail track
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