About

Directions

To get to Taylor Park, you have two options:

#1. Cottonwood Pass – through Buena Vista. Take County Road 306 (Main Street) West out of town. Go about 35 miles to Taylor Park. Turn left on Country Road 742 to get to the Trading Post.

#2. Southwest Access – through City of Gunnison. Take Highway 135 North out of town, then turn right onto Country Road 742 at the town of Almont, and go about 25 miles to Taylor Park and the Trading Post.

Do not attempt to come over any other mountain pass to get to Taylor Park – no matter what your GPS may tell you! This includes Tin Cup or Cumberland pass.

Camping

A dry camp is available on the event grounds for a fee, and is an option which may be selected during online registration. There are approximately 100 spots available, and attendees will have to utilize other dispersed camping locations once they have been filled. Spot sizes will vary to accommodate everything from a small travel trailer, all the way up to a large toy hauler.

Dry camp rules include, no fireworks, no open wood campfires (propane fire pits are okay), quite hours beginning at 10:00 pm (which also includes generators – unless medically required), etc.

The Gunnison National Forest offers a couple rustic campgrounds in the area (River’s Edge and Dinner Station), which are close to the event grounds. Link

However, most people prefer to take advantage of all the dispersed camping in the area. If you aren’t familiar with this concept, it is basically camping in the forest (no fee or reservation required), but not in a campground. There are numerous places to camp along National Forest Road 742 to the north of the Trading Post. Link

In the past, there have been some dispersed camping areas along National Forest Road 742 to the south of the Trading Post. However, there are now some restrictions in this area. Link

Lodging

SkyHighColorado RV Park is our host for the event. They are most likely booked at this point. However, there are some other rental cabins in the area. Link

Services

The Taylor Park Trading Post offers fuel, ice, snacks, apparel, tackle, etc. It was established in 1940. The Trading Post, Nugget Cafe and all cabins were personally built by the family that started it all. That in itself is a bit of Americana history. Link

Dump Stations:

There is a fee dump station along National Forest Road 742 about 4 miles to the south of the Trading Post. Link
In addition, there is free dump station in the town of Gunnison as you leave the area. Link

Potable Water:

In Gunnison, there is potable water available on the west side of Legion Park on Teller Street. Link
In addition, there is potable water on the West side of Jorgensen Park (by the ball fields) on Teller Street. Link
Update: There is a possibility these locations were closed in 2022. I have not been able to verify at this point.

Weather

Taylor Park is located at about 9,200 feet. The sun typically shines bright during the day, but afternoon rain showers are also frequent, so don’t leave your rain gear at home. It is usually cold when the sun goes down at night, and for a bit yet when it comes up in the morning. Therefore, pack a wide variety of clothing for your trip, and layer up for your ride during the day as well. Don’t let your trip be ruined by not being prepared for the mountain weather. Link

Organizations

Stay the Trail (Colorado) - Link
Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO) - Link

Trails

If you are looking for a true Rocky Mountain adventure, then this is the place. The area offers numerous off-road trails of ranging difficulty to provide all riders with an incredible experience. Yes, many of the trails are rocky (which is to be expected), but nothing any stock machine can’t handle.

There will not be any organized rides with trail guides due to Forest Service regulations. However, there will be a “Rider Rendezvous” each night at the event tent for you to meet other people and plan your adventure for the following day. In addition, the trails are well-marked, and maps are readily available from the National Forest, and a variety of vendors. Link

Planning

There will be plenty of opportunities for you to meet riders who are familiar with the area, willing to share their knowledge, and let you follow them all over. The opportunity to meet people, and plan your own adventure is one of the best parts of the rally. You can decide where you want to go, what kind of riding you want to do, when you want to leave, and when you want to return.

The variety of trails range from easy to moderate to difficult. Some of them are out and back, while others may be looped together. Therefore, you can plan a ride that is a few hours long, or one that is all day long. Consider traveling to the General Store in Pitkin for an ice cream or feed the chipmunks in the rustic ghost town of St. Elmo. You may also climb to the top of Mt. Antero at nearly 14,000 feet on one of the highest off-road trails in North America, or gaze upon Old Glory on American Flag mountain. Link

Permits

All OHVs owned and operated in Colorado (including motor vehicles and motorcycles that are not licensed for public road access) must display current Colorado OHV registration stickers when in a person’s possession in an OHV staging area or operated on designated OHV trails or routes in Colorado.

All out of state OHVs (including OHVs that display an out of state OHV registration) must also display a current Colorado OHV use permit sticker when operated on designated OHV trails or routes in Colorado. Permits are available for purchase on line prior to arrival. Link

Preparation

These are the Rocky Mountains, so set your tire pressure to an appropriate level, and bring a tire repair kit (and maybe a portable air compressor). A tool kit is also a good idea for any unexpected repairs to keep you on the trail. All OHVs are required to have a spark arrestor (and they do spot check).

Safety

Please obey all traffic signs and speed limits. It’s preferred if you ride with your lights on for added visibility on the trails, as they can be dusty. In addition, the use of hand signals warns oncoming riders of the number of vehicles in your group. There isn’t any trail that requires you to carry any additional fuel.

Another important item is to keep your group together when riding. One of the keys to this element is to never take a turn without waiting for the person behind you to see where are going. In addition, the last rider in the group should be familiar with the route, and not let anyone get behind them.

Also consider that all drivers are subject to federal DUI laws which pertain to operating a vehicle in a National Forest. Don’t drink and drive!

Courtesy

Please be respectful of the residents in the area. We are guests in the area, and don’t want to give people a reason to not welcome us back. This means observing all OHV rules and regulations, following National Forest rules and regulations, keeping stereos turned down in town, not dusting hikers or pedestrians, etc.

Removal

Attendees in violation of the event guidelines or state and federal regulations are subject to removal from the event without a refund.