by Flatlander
Please visit our Sponsor, CLICK on the Banner above
Chinaman Gulch is on Public Land south of Hwy 24/285 and east of the Arkansas River. ALL 4 FUN rated the trail a well deserved 9 on the Colorado 4WD Association's 10 point scale. Kevin Carter lead the trail in his "Great White Whale" Cherokee Chief (Kevin used some other names when the "whale" got in trouble but they cannot be repeated here).
Directions:
| Lat: N 38°48.905' | Lon: W 106°05.960' | Turn off from Hwy 24/285 |
| Lat: N 38°47.531' | Lon: W 106°05.700' | Turn off south onto County Road 301through gate with "Public Lands" sign on each side. This is just inside the Prison "Do Not Stop" signs |
| Lat: N 38°47.523' | Lon: W 106°05.160' | Left through another farm gate |
| Lat: N 38°47.673' | Lon: W 106°04.449' | Left at Y |
| Lat: N 38°48.202' | Lon: W 106°04.693' | Chinaman Gulch wash bottom - turn right |
| Lat: N 38°47.913' | Lon: W 106°03.811' | taken about 100 yards past the major obstacle |
| Lat: N 38°48.105' | Lon: W 106°03.116' | turn left at Y |
| Lat: N 38°48.272' | Lon: W 106°03.853' | Several steep drop-offs bear careful wheel placement in this area |
| At the bottom take a left at the T back to the wash bottom and back out the way you came in. Do not go north onto private land. |
 DeLorme Topo USA 2.0 map of Chinaman Gulch trail and vicinity. The Blue pins and track are from a Lowrance GlobalMap 1600. Click the map for a full size version. |
 DeLorme Topo USA 2.0 3-D map of area looking east. The dotted line is the approximate trail location. |
The fun began on initial climb through the Rock Garden. First a tire slipped off the bead and then Kevin had some problems with the Whale's Quadratrac while he tried to maneuver it between the protruding boulders. A short wheel base is definitely an advantage here.
 Kevin assisting with his Hi-Lift jack. The tire was soon reseated and aired back up. |
 The "Whale" had a difficult time with the boulders in this section. |
There aren't many obstacles between the "Rock Garden" and the major obstacle about half way up Chinaman Gulch. This is the obstacle that gives the trail its 9 rating. There are three generally recognized approaches and our group tried a fourth.
 Kevin demonstrates the "easy" way with the "Whale" |
 Cody Skinner, of Big Rock Video, gets some good footage for his ALL 4 FUN '99 Video. |
 The "pucker factor" got too high on this new approach. |
 This is the most difficult of the 3 traditional approaches. The right front tire most go across the pointed rock where it is very easy to slip off. |
 |
 |
| Our group had little problem with the middle "moderate" approach shown above from both right and left. | |
There are a couple obstacles after the main one that threaten rocker panel damage. The trail climbs out of the wash and a left at a Y leads back down. There are a few attention getting ledges on the way back down. Return the way you came in and do not go north across private land to exit Chinaman.
Some of the more adventurous in our group tried an optional section just below the normal entrance to the Chinaman Gulch wash bottom. We heard later that one Jeep got hung up so badly that it took two winches to get it out.
Big Rock Video was there to catch the action for ther ALL 4 FUN '99 Video:
WHEELIN
THE WEST ALL-4FUN 1999 Colorado 4x4 Trails video
ALL-4-FUN 4x4 trails near Fairplay, Colorado. From the spectacular running of 4+
Chinaman Gulch to the awe inspiring views and "pucker factor" of
12,000 foot Red Cone Peak. Hosted by Jim Cole. 91 minutes.
'99 ALL 4 FUN Home Page | Wheeler Lake
Colorado Trail Guidebooks, Trail Maps, and Trail Videos
| 4X4
BOOKS
.
com World's Best Selection of 4X4, Jeep, & Offroad Handbooks, Trail Guides, Videos, Maps, GPS and More |
4X4NOW
Feature Page
4X4NOW
Trail Reports | Moab
4WD Trails
4X4NOW
"How-To" | 4X4NOW
Buildups
4X4BOOKS
| MAPNOW
get Garmin at
GPSNOW
- Order by 5pm and have it Tomorrow!
Choosing |
for Laptop/Pocket PC | Basic
| Handheld Mapping | 2-way
Radio | Automotive | Motorcycle
| RV/Truck/Bus | Land & Water
Accessories
eTrex H | Legend
| Vista | Venture
HC | Summit HC | Legend
HCx | Vista HCx
GPS 18
DLX | 60
Mobile 10 | Mobile
10 for smartphones
GPSMAP 60 | 60Cx
| 60CSx | 76S
| 76Cx | 76CSx
| 276C | 376C
| 378 | 478
MapSource City Navigator
North America | US Topo | BlueChart
nüvi
200 | 270
| 350 | 360
| 370 | 650
| 660
| 670 | 680
Quest | Quest 2
Rino 110 | 120
| 130 | 520
| 530 | 520HCx
| 530HCx
StreetPilot 2820 | 7200/7500
| c330
| c340 | c530
| c550 | c580
Astro GPS dog tracking system
zūmo 450 / 550
© 4X4NOW