Good Unpaved Passes in Western Colorado

Mountain and desert motorcycle roads,
western Colorado and eastern Utah. Many interesting and beautiful roads in western Colorado and eastern Utah are widely known and frequently visited. Roads don't have to be famous and popular to be worth traveling. Most roads mentioned here are lesser known, sometimes even to local riders. These roads not only feature stunning scenery but are often lengthy, remote and lightly traveled. Many include long unpaved sections ideally suited to adventure-touring motorcycles with large fuel tanks and all-day comfort. All but a few of the unpaved roads are easy going, suitable for newer riders, cautious older riders or anybody wanting beautiful scenery. It should be understood the following descriptions represent snapshots in time. Unpaved mountain and desert roads vary from season to season and may even be impassable after major storms.

Colorado roads and places:
Black Mesa Highway 92 north of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Gateway to Delta Off-pavement across the Uncompahgre Plateau.
Highway 141 A favorite loop and a special fondness for Dolores Canyon.
Los Pinos Camp A primitive camp near Los Pinos Pass.
Moab-Telluride A big plateau, desert, mountain loop, 450 miles, 250 unpaved.
9 Passes/1 Day Nine unpaved passes, all in one day, a modest endurance ride.
13 Passes/1 Day Thirteen unpaved passes, all in one day, a serious endurance ride.
Paradox Trail Unpaved roads between Paradox and John Brown Canyon.
Road to Nowhere Way up north in Western Colorado.
Uncompahgre Over 100 miles of unpaved Divide Road with no towns or houses.

Utah roads and places:
Adams House A historic house in Bluff makes a good overnight stop.
Aquarius Plateau A beautiful high plateau between Escalante and Bicknell.
Burr Trail Mostly Paved but still beautiful route between Boulder and Bullfrog.
Butler Wash Road A short, sandy ride along east side of Comb Ridge.
Cafe Diablo Over Baxter Pass into UT and a seasonal master chef in Torrey.
Canyonlands 450 mile mostly unpaved circumnavigation of Canyonlands NP.
Canyonlands rally Canyonlands Motor Classic, a mostly KLR650 rally.
Cave with a View What to do when it rains and you don't have a tent.
Comb Wash A short, sandy ride along west side of Comb Ridge.
Cottonwood Canyon Canyon-rim view of Cottonwood and Dolores canyons.
Cow Canyon Excellent Cow Canyon Restaurant in Bluff, Utah. Seasonal.
Dolores River River road north out of Gateway along the Dolores River.
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, south-central Utah.
Hells Backbone Boulder Mountain, Hells Backbone, Burr Trail.
Hovenweep A National Monument off the beaten path.
Muley Point Overnight camping with a distant view of Monument Valley.
Navajo Winter Monument Valley in January.
Pucker Pass A 2-day loop ride beginning with Baxter Pass.
San Rafael Desert Well over 100 unpaved miles to Hite from Green River.
Snow Flat An interesting road from UT261 to Comb Wash.
Utah Highway 72 One of my favorite little- known highways in Utah.

Good Unpaved Passes in Western Colorado These unpaved mountain passes are all in western Colorado, west of or crossing the Continental Divide. Some dirt, mostly graded gravel, these passes are suitable for passenger cars and motorcycles with good clearance. Condition can vary depending on weather and road maintenance. May be impassable when wet.

Baxter Pass Between Mack, CO and Bonanza, UT.
Black Sage Pass Between Sargents and Pitkin.
Buzzard-Muddy Divide Between Collbran and McClure Pass.
Cochetopa Pass Parallel to North Pass on CO114.
Columbine Pass On Divide Road, Uncompahgre Plateau.
Cumberland Pass Between Pitkin and Tincup.
Kebler Pass Between Paonia Reservoir and Crested Butte.
Last Dollar Pass Between Dallas Divide and Telluride.
Lone Cone Pass Between Dolores and Norwood.
Los Pinos Pass Between Slumgullion and CO114.
Marshall Pass Between Sargents and Poncha Pass.
Ohio Pass Between Kebler Pass and Gunnison.
Old Monarch Pass Parallels the current Monarch Pass.
Owl Creek Pass Between Ridgway and Cimmaron.
Waunita Pass Between Sargents and Pitkin.