• Day 1 Distance: ~ 120mi
  
• Day 2 Distance: ~ 90mi
• Day 3 Distance to Steamboat: ~80mi
• Total Mileage: ~300mi*

Nearby Camping:
Steamboat Springs KOA 
Buffalo Pass
Rabbit Ears Pass
Stagecoach reservoir

Provisions:
City Market – Steamboat
Safeway – Steamboat

Fuel:
Kum & Go – Steamboat
Conoco – Steamboat

*this route and schedule may change due to conditions/closures/fire

Sleeping Giant – aka Elk MountainThere’s no mountain in the Yampa Valley as steeped in lore as what the local’s call “The Sleeping Giant”. Known to most as Elk Mountain, legend abounds as to just how this prominent hill rising to the northwest of town got its name. One variation of the tale goes something like this:

“Many years ago there lived a gentle friendly giant. He loved life and the people of the Yampa Valley and was always ready to protect anyone who lived here from any danger. The people knew he was their friend and would always take care of them. As the story goes, the giant was told that he would be granted eternal life and always be allowed to live in the Yampa Valley as long as he never harmed another living thing. One day a bad giant ogre came to the Valley and started to terrorize the people. The Giant was very worried about their safety and lured the Ogre up to Steamboat Lake where he fell into the quicksand. The people were relieved and happy that the Bad Ogre was gone and the Giant had saved them. But – because the Giant had broken his oath not to hurt anyone, even though it was a very bad Ogre, he had to be put to sleep. The whole valley came out for a ceremony to put the Gentle Giant to rest. They surrounded the base of the giant with rattlesnakes so that he would not be disturbed. To this day, the giant rests and the rattlesnakes protect his peace. “

Sand Mountain

Sand Mountain rises from the western shore of Steamboat Lake to 10,947 feet. Long the terrain of sheepherders moving sheep between ranches to the west, and the aspen groves to the east in the Elkheads, we’ll traverse the pass from California park and drop down towards the lake before making our way north for an overnight in Big Red Park.

Zirkel Wilderness

Named after the celebrated german geologist Ferdinand Zirkel (discovered Zirkelite, has a mountain on the moon named after him, etc), the Zirkel Wilderness was first protected as part of the 1964 Wilderness Act. Providing critical snowpack for three different rivers, Zirkel Mountain is the highest point in Routt county and straddles the continental divide as part of this 160,648 acre preserve.

Kennaday Peak Fire Watch Tower 

 The last functional fire-watch tower in the Medicine Bow. Read more at the National Historic Lookout Register

North Sand hills OHV Area

If you have never played in the deep sand, the North Sand Hills OHV Area is an excellent place to up your skills. There is abundant reservation and dispersed camping near the dunes both of which give you direct access to the OHV area. Due to the popularity of this location is can be busy on weekends so please plan to disperse to any space you deem appropriate and brush up on some of the regulations and tips for driving on the dunes: https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/blm_co_kfo_NorthSandHills_info_handout_2019.pdf

Check back after the Cruise!