More Jeep Badges of Honor in Colorado, Summer 2024
There is a small window of time during the summer that the passes in Colorado are open for offroading and we were able to hit that! We had a great time, a really challenging trail that ultimately caused a few bruises on the Jeep that needed to be fixed, and we did not leave Colorado without damage to the motorhome because of a freak windstorm just west of Monarch Pass. With our new Thousand Trails Adventure membership we checked out the recently added Blue Mesa Thousand Trails park between Gunnison and Montrose, Colorado.
Between June and August of 2024, we made the loop from Minnesota out to Colorado and back to Southern Wisconsin. Jason needed to be in Madison at work for a meeting on a particular day, so we made the best of the time we could prior to that.
A quick route out and back to Colorado and down to Madison. Not all of the stops were overnight, some were just points of interest and fuel stops. We primarily were west of [5] Gunnison, Colorado, and southeast of Madison in [12] Milton, Wisconsin.
Merna, Nebraska
Point 3 on the map, our first overnight in triple-digit heat.
Cuzn Eddyz Campground in Merna, Nebraska, was an excellent respite in triple-digit temperatures of June. No contact reservations online and an easy pull-through site with stable 50-amp power. It was a little tight getting into the park off a small residential neighborhood road. It is immediately adjacent to gas station, but noise was not an issue. Operated by a local well drilling company in their backyard, a great find in literally what seemed like the middle of nowhere.
Gunnison State Wildlife Area
West of Gunnison about 10 miles and North of the Blue Mesa reservoir.
The Gunnison State Wildlife Area requires a permit to access, which can be acquired online. Most of the roads are just simple two-track drives without any technical requirements. A high-clearance vehicle is a must as you get deeper, just because of ruts in the road here and there. You can continue deep into the wildlife area and get over 10,000 on the ridge that runs North/South through the area. We explored this area twice since it was on the same side of the closed bridge as we were staying.
Poughkeepsie Gulch
A new Jeep Badge of Honor trail completed! From Ouray to Silverton, Colorado.
Poughkeepsie Gulch is a Jeep Badge of Honor trail, which we had not done before. From the Ouray side of the trail, we went South toward Silverton, Colorado. After some very technical points, you are rewarded with a beautiful mountain lake view. From here you can continue to the California Pass and ultimately down into Silverton.
Imogene Pass
From Telluride to Ouray, Colorado.
From the Ouray, Colorado, side of Imogene Pass you can take a spur toward the Yankee Boy Basin Trail. It is an out-and-back trail requiring a high-clearance vehicle.Another Jeep Badge of Honor completed, we started toward Imogene Pass from the Telluride side and exited out through Ouray. It was really cold and windy on Imogene Pass! It was a great place to heat up some breakfast leftovers on the engine and enjoy the view from inside the Jeep watching snowboarders on the snowpack. This pass is the highest in Colorado that can be accessed via 4×4.On the East side of Imogene Pass and Yankee Boy Basin there are several places you can pull out for the less traveled routes. Ultimately, we found this great place overlooking the waterfalls and enjoyed lunch here.
Monarch Pass
Between Gunnison, Colorado, and the continental divide.
On our last night in Colorado we stayed at a base camp on the on the West side of the Monarch Pass. At about 7 PM that night we were hit with a sudden wind gust. It was so strong and sounded like gunshots pelting the side of the motorhome, we hit the floor together. Afterward, we surveyed the damage and found the slide topper on the long driver-side slide was ripped off and parts of the slide interior structure was exposed. Jason was able to get it off and screw the slide structure back together with long screws and silicon. Ultimately, this storm damaged almost $4,000 (edit 2025, over $5000) in total.
Salina, Kansas
Point 8 on the map, on our return from Colorado back to Wisconsin.
Typically when we are traveling we are looking for boondocking sites with Harvest Hosts, Bass Pro Shops, etc. However, when the temperature is over 105F during the day it is best to opt for 50-amp hookups instead. The Salina, Kansas, KOA Holiday is a good respite for that because of their trees and easy to pull through without disconnecting sites. We called and asked for a long enough pull-through site and they were able to accommodate us.
