Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails, 2nd Edition [Paperback]

Charles A. Wells (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2005

Not pictured above, this book now has a new 3rd edition available on Amazon. To view it please search for "Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails 3rd Edition." The second edition (pictured above) has 75 trails....25 all new. Book includes detailed directions with GPS waypoints, 83 custom maps and over 425 quality photos. All trails are south of Interstate 70 and were redriven by the author. Twenty-five trails are easy, 25 moderate and 25 difficult. Easy and moderate trails are suitable for most stock sport utility vehicles. For complete trail listing and a look inside the book visit the FunTreks website. Book is black and white printing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Guide to Colorado Backroad & 4-Wheel Drive Trails" is one of the best trail guidebooks we've seen to date. -- 4-Wheel Drive and Sport Utility Magazine

"Guide to Colorado Backroad & 4-Wheel Drive Trails" is one of the best trail guidebooks we've seen to date. --4-Wheel Drive and Sport Utility Magazine

From the Publisher

All books have a full money-back guarantee. If you are dissatisfied in any way, regardless of where you bought it, call our toll-free number (shown in book). We'll do whatever it takes to make you happy.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: Funtreks Inc; 2 edition (May 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096649766X
• ISBN-13: 978-0966497663
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #516,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles A. Wells graduated from Ohio State University in 1969 with a degree in graphic design. After practicing design in Ohio, he moved to Colorado Springs in 1980 and worked 18 years in the printing business. Over the years, he and his family enjoyed a wide array of outdoor activities including hiking, biking, rafting and skiing. He bought an SUV in 1994 and immediately got addicted to exploring the backcountry. He later joined a four-wheel-drive club and learned more about hardcore four-wheeling.
Dissatisfied with the four-wheel-drive guidebooks on the market, he decided to write his own. His first book on Colorado sold well enough for him to leave his regular job to write full time. He presently has six SUV/Jeeping books on the market-two on Colorado, one on Moab, one on Arizona and two on California, visit www.funtreks.com. He also started down a new path with a brand new ATV book on Moab. More SUV and ATV books are planned.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Area Covered, February 5, 2006

By 

D. Beaver "deb2153" (Matthews, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I wasn't sure whether to order volume 1 or 2. I found this info:

Vol 1: "covers spectacular areas south of Interstate 70 including Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, Crested Butte, Aspen, Buena Vista, Vail, Leadville, Breckenridge, Idaho Springs, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Pikes Peak Region, Sangre De Cristo Mountains and Great Sand Dunes National Park."

Vol 2:"this book covers trails in Northern Colorado. Many trails are near Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins.Other trails are near Steamboat Springs, Grand Junction, Loveland, Nederland, Grand Lake, Winter Park, Central City, Rollinsville and Battlement Mesa."

I ordered volume 1 and we love it.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Every Penny, July 20, 2007

By 

Chad (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I've lived in Colorado since 1989 and have spent an unbelievable amount of time in the mountains here. I purchased the first edition of this book at a little gift shop at the top of Monarch Pass, gave it a permanent home in my Jeep, and I haven't looked back since. It's a fairly pricey book, but given the accuracy of the information contained within, not to mention the time and effort it takes to amass that information, it's worth every penny and then some. Mr. Wells has driven every trail personally, and the maps, presumably created from a fusion of USGS maps and personal observation are very clear and useful.

Apart from the individual trail guides, which are laid out cleverly using Colorado's ski slope difficulty symbols (green circle for easy, blue square for moderate, black diamond for difficult), there is a lucid and very in-depth introduction as well. This isn't a couple of hastily written paragraphs admonishing you to use caution and get out there and have fun, but rather a nearly 20-page essay on how to be a safe, conscientious, and well-informed backroad and trail driver. It's very useful and relevant information, thoughtfully and intelligently presented.

Bottom line: If you plan to explore Colorado's wonderful backroads and trails, buy this book, period. Give me this book, my GPS, camping supplies, food and drink, and my camera, and I could happily wander the Colorado Rockies in my Jeep for weeks!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Necessary for off-road enthusiasts, September 18, 2009

By 

C. Johnson "WalleyeAssassin74" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

While planning a ghosttowning trip through parts of the Rockies west of Denver recently, I cam across Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails. I thought it might be helpful and was right. I probably drove six of the trails in the book, but all were exactly as the author described them. I own a 2000 Honda Passport, and found that I could handle most of the moderate trails pretty easily, but I don't think I would attempt of the books more difficult routes. The trails are ranked by their difficulty, and again, I thought the author was correct with his rankings. The book also contains tons of helpful advice for first-timers, and great reminders and tips for proficient to advanced drivers. Why you need this book: it is the single best source for all the information it has. But, if you buy it, pick up the Delorme's Colorado map book as well. Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer Essential, and more detailed than this book when it comes to the trails. Used together, and maybe a decent GPS and you have everything you need to plan your next off road adventure.