
Santa Fe Mountain
Usa, north-america
N/A
3,173 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure junkies, listen up! Santa Fe Mountain in Colorado's Clear Creek County is calling your name – if you dare! We're talking a lung-busting 10,410 feet above sea level.
This isn't your Sunday drive. Hidden Wilderness Road is a gravel and rocky beast, totally off-limits in winter. Seriously, if you're not comfortable on unpaved, mountain roads, steer clear. You'll absolutely need a 4x4 to tackle this one, and a good dose of courage, because it's STEEP and the drops are HUGE. The scenery though? Totally worth it! Prepare for some seriously epic views.
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Max Elevation
- 3,173 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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