Most of the lakes in the Flat Tops have no fish. They freeze solid every winter. There’s a few hidden secrets, and they are the deepest up there. The Flat Tops are absolutely enormous. Always bring extra fuel. I don’t go up without it. The Flat Tops were craaazy busy this past season. It’s started attracting the attention of the TH-cam overlanders and bringing the crowds as a result. You barely scratched the surface on the Flat Tops. There’s much spicier stuff as you go deeper in. If anyone wants to go up, Eagle County 4x4 is one of the local clubs that hits up this area frequently. They’re headed to that Gypsum Hills BLM area containing the crater on 4/28
We used to be excited not many people from the front range came to this area but I’ve been seeing various magazines have articles on it and of course you tubers. Guess we have a few more years to enjoy the more unknown spots within the flat tops
@richard-witty I doubt it will ever get as popular as the San Juan's which are overran with rude out of staters. I ran pearl pass then onto tomichi pass last year over 3 days and just saw a few people and they were nice. Lots of cool trails to run. Weekdays is key.
@@Desertquartz79 oh wow glad you got pearl pass in with the very short window it was open last year. I’m definitely planning on doing it this year along with some stuff north of there
So many areas are accessible in Colorado, I've added this area to my summer trip list. How much fuel would you recommend? I usually pack a couple of 2 gal. rotopax
My only suggestion is "as much as you need". This will depend on the vehicle, the payload, which roads/trails you do, etc. The vast majority of people don't take any extra gas in. For us, we had planned over 200 miles and we had extra gas, but the steep climb into the area with a loaded Jeep and trailer totally killed our gas mileage and we burned through more than was planned for.
Very good and informative video! Sounds a bit crowded, but a lot of Colorado seems to be. Last year I went to central Idaho for the first time. LOVED it! Similar to Colorado, but almost no people. 😊
We used to go up that way to Deep Lake and boy were there a lot of mosquitoes. Big old beautiful aspen groves on the way and some nice side trails, but that main dirt road back then had some heavy washboard stretches. Kept the crowds down.
That route just went to number one on our June list and hopefully the snow lets us see it. We looked in our 4th edition fun treks and no listing of the grizzly Jeep trail or coffee pot road unfortunately but we’ll use the trails off road app. Great video!
I'm assuming you didn't stop at broken rib spring? That water is cold and amazingly good. We ALWAYS stop and fill up whatever empty water containers we have there. The road going in grizzly cow used to be much, much worse. They bladed that road a few years ago when they had the grizzly canyon fire.to get forest service vehicle to fight the fire. Great video.
@@TrailTraveler definitely miss it up there. If you get a chance next time head into budgess resort past deep lake. One way in and out. But worth the trip. If you're looking for more extreme trails. Go to elk lake. You won't be disappointed.
Love your videos. Wondered if you guys use the soft top much on trips where your Jeep is loaded up? I very rarely see anyone with their soft top open and wondered why? cheers
During the nicer times of the year, we will open the top up and we have an Alien Mesh screen to help keep sun from cooking us. You will more often see us with it closed just to keep dust down.
@@TrailTraveler typically recording the route as you go is best but you can map it using an app. I prefer Gaia GPS for stuff like that. Then you save it and can share as a GPX file
Open campsites are getting harder to find in these remote areas as they become more and more publicized. Some utubers are not sharing locations anymore so as to keep them from becoming overloaded and to let people find their own adventures. Interesting that you felt it was "really busy" but still post.
Some TH-camrs are not sharing their locations and make their viewers pay them for it by being Members or using Patreon. I will not force our viewers to pay for location info. I don't know a single one that doesn't share their location "to keep an area from getting overloaded".
@@TrailTraveler Independence overland is one example, I know of some others that have recently stopped giving that info as well. I dont mean this as an attack, just something to think about.
@@KD-yf1ym Independence Overland does it to give value to paid members. His tracks and waypoints are available for patreon. This is a revenue generator, not an altruistic move to protect areas from over use.
@@TrailTraveler I dont subscribe to him, I see he gives "map info" on his patreon, whatever that means. He says he doesnt share all his spots, if he does, I stand corrected. Doesnt really change my point though. Maybe with some more "hey look at me and where I am" videos, the Flat Tops will be another Taylor Park or Alpine Loop. Hope not. Do you have any favorite fishing holes, hunting spots, restaurants, secluded beaches, quite sunset locations or any other special places where you like to go to get away from it all? Maybe you would like to share those with the world?
A area like this to really enjoy it requires camping. I saw tons of campsites everywhere. Most off-roaders don't camp. You want to avoid crowds go on weekdays. I never go on weekends. Holidays forget it.
Most of the lakes in the Flat Tops have no fish. They freeze solid every winter. There’s a few hidden secrets, and they are the deepest up there.
The Flat Tops are absolutely enormous. Always bring extra fuel. I don’t go up without it.
The Flat Tops were craaazy busy this past season. It’s started attracting the attention of the TH-cam overlanders and bringing the crowds as a result.
You barely scratched the surface on the Flat Tops. There’s much spicier stuff as you go deeper in.
If anyone wants to go up, Eagle County 4x4 is one of the local clubs that hits up this area frequently. They’re headed to that Gypsum Hills BLM area containing the crater on 4/28
We used to be excited not many people from the front range came to this area but I’ve been seeing various magazines have articles on it and of course you tubers. Guess we have a few more years to enjoy the more unknown spots within the flat tops
@richard-witty I doubt it will ever get as popular as the San Juan's which are overran with rude out of staters. I ran pearl pass then onto tomichi pass last year over 3 days and just saw a few people and they were nice. Lots of cool trails to run. Weekdays is key.
@@Desertquartz79 oh wow glad you got pearl pass in with the very short window it was open last year. I’m definitely planning on doing it this year along with some stuff north of there
Great review of the flat tops trails. My kind of trails.
So many areas are accessible in Colorado, I've added this area to my summer trip list. How much fuel would you recommend? I usually pack a couple of 2 gal. rotopax
My only suggestion is "as much as you need". This will depend on the vehicle, the payload, which roads/trails you do, etc. The vast majority of people don't take any extra gas in. For us, we had planned over 200 miles and we had extra gas, but the steep climb into the area with a loaded Jeep and trailer totally killed our gas mileage and we burned through more than was planned for.
Spent many years in my youth in the flattop Steamboat area. Most beautiful rugged part of Colorado imo. You can easily get lost up in them parts.
Tip of the iceberg as far as trails go in that area. Take the trail over to Adams Lake, there will be no Subarus's. LOL.
It’s on the to do list!
That’s beautiful country. Thanks for sharing!
If you wanted harder trails, better fishing and less people you just needed to keep going west a few more miles.
Got a spot I can look up?
@@TrailTraveler theres a fun loop from heart to Adams lake and back to heart. You might want to check it out before pulling your trailer though.
@@jeremiahallen4676 I'd hesitate to pull a trailer up to Adams.
@@bryanwoods4192 Me too, there’s a couple spots that could be pretty difficult.
Very good and informative video! Sounds a bit crowded, but a lot of Colorado seems to be. Last year I went to central Idaho for the first time. LOVED it! Similar to Colorado, but almost no people. 😊
We used to go up that way to Deep Lake and boy were there a lot of mosquitoes. Big old beautiful aspen groves on the way and some nice side trails, but that main dirt road back then had some heavy washboard stretches. Kept the crowds down.
That route just went to number one on our June list and hopefully the snow lets us see it. We looked in our 4th edition fun treks and no listing of the grizzly Jeep trail or coffee pot road unfortunately but we’ll use the trails off road app. Great video!
Great video, thanks for sharing. I've been all around the perimeter of this area but have never had time to explore this particular area.
🚙🚙🛻🙏
❤ Labor Day 2023?
Last Labor Day weekend
I'm assuming you didn't stop at broken rib spring? That water is cold and amazingly good. We ALWAYS stop and fill up whatever empty water containers we have there. The road going in grizzly cow used to be much, much worse. They bladed that road a few years ago when they had the grizzly canyon fire.to get forest service vehicle to fight the fire. Great video.
We didn't know about it until after we got home. Its on our list for whenever we go back.
@@TrailTraveler definitely miss it up there. If you get a chance next time head into budgess resort past deep lake. One way in and out. But worth the trip. If you're looking for more extreme trails. Go to elk lake. You won't be disappointed.
Love your videos. Wondered if you guys use the soft top much on trips where your Jeep is loaded up? I very rarely see anyone with their soft top open and wondered why? cheers
During the nicer times of the year, we will open the top up and we have an Alien Mesh screen to help keep sun from cooking us. You will more often see us with it closed just to keep dust down.
@@TrailTravelerRight. The dust is bad enough with the windows up! 😆
Great video! Do you have your route posted on one of the apps?
I have been trying to decide the best way to do that. I am open to most any ideas except "use OnX"
@@TrailTraveler typically recording the route as you go is best but you can map it using an app. I prefer Gaia GPS for stuff like that. Then you save it and can share as a GPX file
We generally have Trails Offroad running for us to follow the route and waypoints. I could record with Gaia if people want to have route files.
Open campsites are getting harder to find in these remote areas as they become more and more publicized. Some utubers are not sharing locations anymore so as to keep them from becoming overloaded and to let people find their own adventures. Interesting that you felt it was "really busy" but still post.
Some TH-camrs are not sharing their locations and make their viewers pay them for it by being Members or using Patreon. I will not force our viewers to pay for location info. I don't know a single one that doesn't share their location "to keep an area from getting overloaded".
@@TrailTraveler Independence overland is one example, I know of some others that have recently stopped giving that info as well. I dont mean this as an attack, just something to think about.
@@KD-yf1ym Independence Overland does it to give value to paid members. His tracks and waypoints are available for patreon. This is a revenue generator, not an altruistic move to protect areas from over use.
@@TrailTraveler I dont subscribe to him, I see he gives "map info" on his patreon, whatever that means. He says he doesnt share all his spots, if he does, I stand corrected.
Doesnt really change my point though. Maybe with some more "hey look at me and where I am" videos, the Flat Tops will be another Taylor Park or Alpine Loop. Hope not.
Do you have any favorite fishing holes, hunting spots, restaurants, secluded beaches, quite sunset locations or any other special places where you like to go to get away from it all? Maybe you would like to share those with the world?
A area like this to really enjoy it requires camping. I saw tons of campsites everywhere. Most off-roaders don't camp. You want to avoid crowds go on weekdays. I never go on weekends. Holidays forget it.