County RD 56 Jefferson, Colorado
Directions
Take 285 South from Denver for about 50 miles. Before Jefferson, less than 2.5 miles after the parking lot for the Kenosha Pass segment of the Colorado trail, you will see the blue sign with yellow letters for CR 56 on the left. It will be right after you come over a hill to an incredible vista. You will know it when you see it.
Road Description
This is my favorite place to camp in Colorado (so far) it’s such a gem. Its loaded with aspen and will take your breath away in the fall when they change color and makes for a nice little Sunday afternoon drive if that’s all you have time for. There are 4 different trail heads near this road that connect to a network of more than ten different trails. There are also a ton of good creeks and rivers to fish nearby that are within 30 minutes by car. We went out there Memorial Day weekend and there were a lot of folks, but we were able to find a camping spot on Friday and another one on Saturday. However, you may need to take a day of PTO to get out a little earlier and snag one of the more coveted spots. It’s a real hot spot of activity. You will see RVs, ATVs and dirt bikes, hikers and backpackers, mountain bikers, and anglers. Live action everywhere but still feels very remote. You can make it all the way down and back on 56 and 39 in a two-wheel drive sedan, but you will have to drive pretty slowly, because it is a very bumpy road. Cr 56 is about 20 miles long and CR 39 is less than 6 miles. I would recommend a four-wheel drive vehicle with good shocks. I wouldn’t even try to go down any of the four-wheel drive roads (purple) in a sedan, although I have seen some brave souls make it up to some curious places in one. Really makes you wonder. The map was a little too big to put into one PDF so I made three. Avenza maps allows you to keep 3 maps saved in the free version. I have also included the link to the full map below. I recommend familiarizing yourself a little bit with the full map before you head out to better understand the lay of the land. The purple roads are 4-wheel drive roads and many are seasonal. The red roads (56 and 39) are suitable for any highway vehicle. I have explored most of this area but did not travel down every road so if you notice any flaws with the map or any cool discoveries please let me know!
Trails
CalTopo Map: CR 56 Full Map
US Forest Service Website: Lost Creek Wilderness US Forest Service Website
CR 56 PDF Map 1/3
CR 56 PDF Map 2/3
CR 56 PDF Map 3/3