East Fork Adventures by: Incredible Pagosa

The East Fork Road allows people with bicycles, ATVs, off-road motorcycles or four-wheel-drive vehicles access to this beautiful valley. This off-road adventure is a real thrill for drivers and passengers alike.

Photo courtesy: Incredible Pagosa Vacation Rentals

• Always navigate with a U.S. National Forest Service Map and U.S.G.S. Topo Maps when possible.
• On the maps, FDR numbers refer to like numbers on the Forest Service Map identifying forest access roads. Other three-digit numbers identify non-improved roads and trails.
• The Forest Service Map is difficult for people with impaired vision. Hiking trails are shown with very fine single dashes and 4×4 trails with equally fine double dashes. A magnifying lens is very helpful.

Major 4×4 Off-road Trails on the San Juan National Forest

No. 1 – DEVIL MOUNTAIL TRAIL FDR626
This motorized trail travels north from Hwy 160 about 18 miles west of Pagosa Springs and just west of the Chimney Rock Archaeological Area. It is about 10 miles in length and generally uphill to the end. There are some very steep sections and lengths of loose rock and areas that become slick when wet. Driving this road in spring to early summer can be dangerous because of slick areas and a few stream crossings. Near the end of the road is an old Forest Service lookout tower and a spectacular panoramic view of the divide ridge west, north and east.

No. 2 – EAST FORK/ELWOOD PASS 4×4 TRAIL FDR667
NOTICE, CAUTION! This 4×4 trail is the “real thing” and the best off-road experience in the Pagosa Country area. It climbs about 18 miles to the top of the Continental Divide and meets with a forest access road just east of the divide. There are two crossings of the East Fork River that are impossible in the spring when snow melt-off makes a raging torrent of the river. Do not attempt in this condition. Later in the summer the crossings are passable with four-wheel drive and high clearance. Just beyond the second crossing is a sharp right turn and an immediate steep climb; be prepared, stay to the inside and don’t stop. There are many other steep and rocky climbing sections along the way and these can be treacherous when wet. Near the top, right at timberline, the road flattens out and mud can be a problem when it’s wet. Once on top there are a lot of interesting things to do, see articles on history of Elwood Pass/Summitville on this site.

No. 3 – BLUE CREEK 4×4 TRAIL
This is a fun ride, it doesn’t go anywhere important but is a “roller coaster” type ride with enough challenge to keep you awake. The trail is about 13 miles long and connects The Blanco Road, 7 miles south of Pagosa to the Buckles Lake Road near Chromo, Colorado. There is a crossing of the Blanco River that can only be done after spring runoff season is over. The trail can be muddy in wet weather and life has been lost on this road, near the Blanco side, under wet conditions. There are some shorter 4×4 trails off the main route to try as time allows.
No. 4 – RIO GRANDE SIDE OF THE DIVIDE TRAILS
There is an interesting network of trails on the eastern slopes of the divide. If you go over East Fork/Elwood Pass turn left at the top to find these trails. An alternant route is to drive over Wolf Creek Pass and turn south on Tucker Ponds Road or Park Creek Road. Use the forest service map to navigate this network of trails.

Part of this trail was the original road from Chama, New Mexico to Pagosa Springs. Few signs of this early use remain except a couple of cabins and small barns in poor shape. It does give one pause to consider that what we think of as a jeep trail was once a main road.

This trail is a “roller coaster” as it rolls around or up and over many ridges and low mountains. There is one river crossing (Blanco River) that can be a problem in early spring or during hard rain run-off. There is also a spring fed bog near the south end that you should pay attention to.

In very wet conditions this is a poor trail because of muddy and steep sections. A life was lost on this trail recently during wet conditions near the north end.

DEVIL MOUNTAIN JEEP TRAIL and WILDLIFE AREA
These two roads provide a full day of off-road adventure. Look for these roads west of Pagosa turning north from Hwy 160 in the area just west of Chimney Rock. Between these two roads is the First Fork Road that is not a Jeep trail, but is well worth the drive for the excellent views along the Piedra River. The Devil Mtn. Trail is no longer open to the fire lookout tower, but you can hike the short distance. Road 620 connects the highway with Beaver Meadows Access Road, has a nice loop and is a fun Jeep trail with excellent views.

The Piedra River drainage system attracts a lot of wildlife so be alert and you may see deer, elk and other animals.

San Juan Outdoor Club Enjoys a Group 4-wheeling event

The East Fork Road and Elwood Pass are special places in Pagosa Country. The East Fork of the San Juan River flows down from the lofty heights of the Continental Divide. Water from melting snow plunges down a narrow canyon and then flows into a great wide valley at lower elevation and then into the San Juan River. This is one of the few remaining hardcore jeep trails that crest the Continental Divide.

The East Fork Road allows people with bicycles, ATVs, off-road motorcycles or four-wheel-drive vehicles access to this beautiful valley.

An extra treat is that once you are over the summit of the Continental Divide at Elwood Pass, there are a variety of jeep trails, forest access roads, and Summitville, a gold mine, ghost town and site of the USA’s largest environmental disaster, and the town and lodge at Platoro, Colorado.

Driving East Fork and Elwood Pass is great adventure. From Highway 160 the East Fork road is good enough for cars for a few miles. It follows the river through a narrow rocky canyon and then opens into a wide valley. Note the private property signs. It is on this property that the river way was turned into a channel by gravel pit operations and later returned to a more natural meandering river by its owner and a river hydrologist.

Near Silver Falls, the road has a dip that challenges the ground clearance on lower cars – judge for yourself. The road grows rougher as it leaves the wide valley. At the right turn to Quartz Creek there is a large sign designating the road beyond as four-wheel drive only, BELIEVE IT! Lock the front axles and use first gear and low range to continue.

Driving up to the divide is steep, rocky and a real challenge. There are many points to stop, rest and look around. Some places exist where you drive up and over steep rounded bare rock so that you cannot see the road ahead. Look first and stay to the inside or left and do not stop once climbing. There are places where the road is cut into near-vertical rock walls with sheer drop-offs to the valley below. Go slowly and carefully, as the right shoulder is a long, long way down.

Be on guard when the road is wet and in spring when the two river crossings are deep and swift. In spring, snow run-off down the river could sweep a vehicle away. Hard rain during the summer can refill the river crossing and make the road muddy and slick in many places. In autumn, snow can blanket the area and stop passage as early as October.

At the only fork in the road you’ll see an aspen tree with directions to turn left to Elwood Pass cut into the bark. The road straight ahead is a short but rough drive to the Black Diamond Mine and is a nice side trip and stop. Don’t venture into the mine. In the area of this fork is the site of Elwood Mining Camp. There are no visible remains of this camp that, in 1879, had the first post office in the area.

Once you crest the divide, you’ll find a nice forest access road. A right turn will take you to Platoro, Colorado and ultimately to New Mexico Highway 17 and Chama, New Mexico. This is a stunningly beautiful drive to Platoro and beyond. There is a sign denoting the scenic spot where the state’s song was written. Another place is passed with a small lake and a bit of private property with small cabins. It is so beautiful here that the mind is stressed to leave.

A left turn at the summit of Elwood Pass takes you to an intersection in a couple of miles. A sign points the way down Park Creek Road to US Highway 160 for a return drive to Pagosa or to Summitville-Grayback Mountain.

Don’t miss Summitville. This is a ghost town where you walk down the streets between old rickety houses. Watch children carefully and don’t enter the buildings because the floors are weak from age. Across the road from the ghost town you can’t miss the Summitville Mine, it is a mammoth scar on the earth where the many mining operations blew out and removed half of the mountaintop to get at the gold. Just beyond the ghost town is a short lane left from the main road up to a large billboard that displays the Environmental Protection Agency’s work repairing the Summitville environmental disaster. This is a superb educational opportunity for everyone and especially for youngsters.

Along all of the roads in this area watch for unusual formations of dirt on mountainsides. They are obvious and stand out in the trees. The formations look exactly like what they are, dirt thrown down the mountainside. These represent mine sites where dirt, called tailings were dugout and cast aside while mining for gold.

Check your forest service map for other features and drivable trails. This off-road adventure is a real thrill for drivers and passengers alike. There are few places where the scenery and excitement of East Fork Road and Elwood pass can be found. Be cautious and have a great time!

Consider that the San Juan Mountain area was one of the last conquered places in our country. The ruggedness and altitude of the Continental Divide stopped most people from entering the area. Indians traveled the area in summer on hunting trips. Whiteman learned to navigate and travel east -west by detouring many miles south of the mountains on what became the Santa Fe and Old Spanish Trails. Many people traveled these routes moving west to California. The California Gold Rush and settlement of most of the rest of the country was over while the San Juan remained an unknown wilderness.

The Indian populations lived south of the highest mountains and hunted the high country but left very little trace of their passing. They followed river ways into the mountains camping and processing deer and other game meat in wide places along river banks. They traveled up the San Juan River and its East and West Forks and Wolf Creek. All three tributaries have their head waters in a large bend in the Continental Divide that focuses their waters into a single river, The San Juan. They also traveled along the Rio Grande on the east side of the divide and made connections on trails across the divide.
Lt. McCauley, an army engineer, traveled the area and noted the Indian trails across the divide. One was a trail from the east and down the East Fork of the San Juan and west along the San Juan to the hot spring. The spring was the center of a greater newwork of trails from all directions. It was McCauley’s information that ultimately led to the military road being built on the East fork trail.

The Spanish claimed this area and other vast territories. In 1821 the Mexican Independence War left Mexican rule and later in 1848 the American-Mexican War left America in charge.

In the early 1800′s fur and particularly beaver fur, became highly valued back in the United States and Europe for coats, hats, and trim. Reports of almost unlimited wildlife in the San Juan brought trappers known as Mountain Men, into the area. There are many historic references of trapping along the San Juan River, and we can surmise they both trapped the East Fork River and traveled the Indian trail over the divide.

In the 1790’s, according to old stories, a team of French explorers found their way into the area of the divide close to the Upper East Fork River and found gold in great quantities. They were preparing to haul the gold out when disease and Indians attacked the party. They buried the gold and left. Only one of them survived to return to France. Other expeditions failed to retrieve the gold. A large mountain near the summit of the East Fork is named “Treasure Mountain”. The treasure has never been found.

By 1860, a half century later, gold had been found and mined in the area west of Denver. A clever prospector named Charles Baker made a realization that as prospectors fanned out from the mining area west of Denver, the only direction that they continued to find ore was to the southwest but the rough mountains slowed prospecting adventures. Baker realized that if he could find another way to enter the southwest mountains he might find more gold. He organized a party of four other men and entered the San Juan Mountains from Santa Fe to the south.

Prospectors “pan” for gold in rivers. When they find gold they work their way up river to find the place where the ore is eroding into the river. Baker’s team worked from the east side to near the divide. The prospects looked good during the summer of 1870, but the party failed to legally stake a claim. They did tell others, however, and spring of 1871 saw a hoard of prospectors working the area. Prospectors named Peterson and Brandt made the find at Summitville.

The summit of Summit Mountain was loaded with gold. By 1875 Surnmitville was a large mine and town. 1,000 or more hardy people operated the mine, hotel, bars, a general store, a school, a church, and a newspaper. Other mines were opened and back down the valley to the east the town of Del Norte sprang to life as a supply center for the mining area.

Baker also forged west to the Animas River and up the Animas until he found gold. This gold town he named Eurika. It is now a ghost town just outside of Silverton. Baker gave life to the first two gold strikes and towns in southwest Colorado and began the movement that would bring civilization to this remote land.

Between 1870 and 1875 as Summitville was growing several parties explored westward. One of these was in 1873 when a Mr. Salle, his daughter Mrs. M.O. Brown, and her son Tom Reavis had an adventure following the Indian trail down the East Fork from Summitville to the Pagosa Spring. This trip, which was recorded in early history records, took three weeks. This is the same route is now a one day jeep tour.

In about 1876 Welch Nossaman made the trek from Summitville along the trail. Nossaman realized the potential of a town around the Pagosa hot spring and filed for the right to build and operate a toll-road from Summitville down the East Fork and to Pagosa. Welch improved the trail and was the first to drive wagons down the East Fork trail and the first to build a cabin at the Pagosa hot spring.

All of the people who helped clear the East Fork Road is not known. It was probably a combination of Nossaman, the few men at the Elwood mine site and others. In 1873 Army engineer Lt. E.H. Ruffner began to survey various paths across the divide in order to connect Fort Garland with the newly planned Fort Lewis at the Pagosa hot spring. Ruffner recommended against the East Fork path because of it’s roughness but by 1879 the Army was building the road. The road was called the Old Government Road or the Old Military Road for many years.

It was during this same time an entirely different story was playing out. There was man in Pennsylvania who was a civil engineer and a person of some standing and intellect. He was a Free Mason which was a group of men that studied religion. For reasons unknown he killed a man. Aided by Masons he changed his name to Joe Mann, escaped and fled the United States for the west. Being a wanted man he was looking for a place to settle so remote from civilization that he would feel secure. He traveled until he found the East Fork Valley. Joe built a cabin in the valley at about the same time that prospectors were discovering gold just over the divide.

Joe worked at various jobs transporting supplies for the army and carrying mail along the East Fork Road to Surnmitville. He became a respected member of the area. He died in 1912 and is buried near his garden on his homestead.

The Joe Mann homestead is in ruins but is still there. As you climb a mild hill there is a turn to the left on an unimproved road/trail by a few aspen. It is a short distance and it is best to stop on the main road and walk up to the homestead.

A Mr. E. L. Wood and a few men operated a small mine along the East Fork. The site is now between the two river crossings on the road marked by a sign carved into an aspen tree saying, Elwood Pass. No signs of the camp exist now but it was all close to the tree. Wood’s initials and name was shortened to Elwood and became the name of the pass.

The East Fork route was used as a path for a large natural gas pipeline. Evidence of this pipeline can be seen along the road at a valve station in the lower valley.

So, although the East Fork Valley has seen some real history it remains the same enchanting and lovely valley that it has been for millennia. A four wheel drive off road tour up the East Fork Road and over Elwood Pass is a joy and now you know the history it should be more interesting.