Old Lime Creek Road•San Juan NF

Old Lime Creek Road is a Colorado historic mining road that is well worth checking out during the autumn season. This San Juan National Forest dirt road passes through several vast aspen groves that cover the steep mountain slopes. The cool nights and shorter days practically guarantee hillsides painted with orange and yellow colors. This is reason enough to plan a fall season trek, but it is best to do some research before committing to the journey. 

A high ground clearance 4x4 is the choice for the 12 mile Old Lime Creek Road touring route. It is best to start at the north Lime Creek Road access point and travel 12 miles south on the dirt road to the alternate access point by the ski lodge. Both Lime Creek Road access points are found along Highway 550. The north access point is a few miles south of Molas Lake. 

From the Highway 550 north access point, there are several camping spots on the way downhill to the creekside. It is just a few miles downhill to the Adrenaline Falls access point. This is a hike well worth doing and the views are something to write home about. There are scenic views all along Old Lime Creek Road and the further one goes, the more solitude can be found. There are a few nice campgrounds next to the big creek, but campers should be bear aware in these mountains.

There is a roadside campsite located near the halfway mark. From the midway spot, Old Lime Creek Road turns into a narrow one lane road that goes several miles uphill on the way back to the highway. There can be two way traffic on this one lane road, so it pays to have a good look ahead in some places for oncoming traffic. Going uphill does have its benefits, because downhill drivers have to yield to uphill drivers in the mountains. The narrow road borders upon the edge of a very steep slope and as a bonus, there are very few turnouts. Mountain bikes and hikers use this road too, which is something to be aware of. 

The spring snow melt or recent rain can completely wash out sections of Old Lime Creek Road and there may be fallen trees. Rock slides in the narrow one lane section are common and when they cover the entire road it can make things dicey. For these reasons and more, it is best to check on the conditions before doing the trek. The national forest website or a local 4x4 vehicle rental shop will have the answers. 

The numerous aspen groves are thick nearly the entire length of Old Lime Creek Road. When viewing the towering mountainsides it is easy to see the primary elevations where this tree flourishes. Even when the aspen leaves are green, these trees can still be mesmerizing to view. The slightest breeze causes all the leaves to flutter and each one reflects bright light. As can be imagined, the sights and sounds of the aspen forests are a unique experience. This is especially true when the leaves change color!