4 Wheelin’ in Colorado’s Rio Grande National Forest

A couple of summers ago, I had the amazing opportunity to visit a little known place in Colorado, in the Rio Grande National Forest.  Jasper, Colorado is not what I would consider a tourist destination. Jasper is the remnant of an old mining camp from the late 1800s, and it’s really little more than that now! There are no stores, no gas stations – in fact, the only vacation rental that I know of is the Lost Elk Lodge, which is directly across from the above-pictured sign!  There are a handful of private residences in the area, and most people don’t live here year round due to the harsh winters and more primitive living conditions. Many of the people who live here have solar power or generators. The Lost Elk Lodge is no exception! When we stayed in the Lodge, we got to experience life with solar panels/generators first hand! (I enjoyed the experience because I would one day like to pursue this kind of living, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea…just so you know!)

This area of the Rio Grande National Forest is a fantastic place to come and enjoy outdoor activities! There are all kinds of wildlife up here – including black bears and even moose! It’s a hunters/4-wheelers/hiking/camping/scenic driving/fishing kind of outdoor paradise! The best part about it is that it has relative solitude, which is hard to come by in the more touristy parts of Colorado.

Did I mention the harsh winters? At 9,108 ft elevation, you can imagine winters are no walk in the park! It’s rumored that the snow gets so high in the dead of winter that people can drive over barbed-wire fences with their snowmobiles!! There’s a full-time caretaker that lives in Jasper year-round tending to daily maintenance issues, but to my knowledge, there aren’t many more who brave these conditions! Jasper lies 40 miles west of Alamosa, but it takes much longer than Google’s 1.5-hour estimation, due to the twisting and winding mountain roads. You can imagine how hard it would be to get to town in the dead of winter! (Read more about Jasper)

My suggestion? If you want to come up here to enjoy the outdoors – and I highly suggest you do because I have not seen more beautiful scenery in Colorado than here – stay in Platoro. Platoro lies about 13 miles further west of Jasper, and even though it’s small, it has a General store with a restaurant, vacation rentals, as well as an RV Park. This would be an ideal hub for your vacation to this unsung area of Colorado. Here’s the link for all the options Platoro has to offer!

Remember, summer is a phenomenal time to go, but heading into the area towards the end of September will reward you with beautiful fall colors!

Now I know what you’re thinking – how did you hear about this area?? Well, you know when you’re talking to someone, and their stories always start out, “My cousin’s boyfriend’s sister’s best friend’s boyfriend knows…” blah blah blah? Well, that’s how this story kind of starts out! My in-laws have close friends who have a cabin around Jasper.  A couple of summers ago, these people invited my in-laws and, by extension, my husband and myself, to come up to their cabin and ride around the Rio Grande National Forest on 4 wheelers.

And so began my new passion in life: 4 wheelin’

We spent the whole day on 4 wheelers, and we drove all over the area! We saw lakes, rivers, deer, and beautiful scenery! I never realized how awesome playing around on 4 wheelers could be! Maybe it was just the scenery though – I’m not sure I would enjoy it as much in West Texas! Here are some pics to give you an idea of the breathtaking scenery in the area!

(PS, excuse some of my pics if they are blurry, the majority of them were shot from a moving 4-wheeler!)

After a good portion of the morning, we started to backtrack and head toward Platoro.

Platoro is actually known to get even more snow than Jasper! This mountain town closes around November because as this article will tell you, the area usually gets upwards of 60 inches of snow!!

While we were in Platoro, we ate at the restaurant attached to the General Store.  Their pizza is definitely worth trying out!

I can’t stress to you enough, this is a very roughing-it, outdoorsy destination. But if that’s your thing,then this is your spot! I promise you will find nothing but gorgeous scenery in the Jasper/Platoro area of the Rio Grande National Forest!

Many thanks to the family friends and my in-laws who provided such a great time to us!

Don’t forget to leave me a comment and lemme know what you think!! Have you been in the area?? I want to know!!

Until next time!