chinaman gulch camping

[thobson]

I'm running a trip down to chinaman on tues and wed and was wondering if anyone could give me some good camping right around that area? Also if you could hook me up with some good directions on the trail head that would be appreciated. Also non of us are locked but are excperienced wheelers I have heard you don't need to be locked to run just chinaman gulch any input? Mainly care about the camping though

[riverfever]

Not sure if you can camp at the TH or not. Even if you can't, there's plenty of camping in that area. You could head through Buena and there's campsites there. Kind of spendy for a tent site though. IIRC...there's a place (Crazy Horse?) that I stayed at one night and paid 18 bones for a spot. It's just north of BV on the left. I'd just head up Cottonwood Pass and find a spot there. There's tons of free stuff up there.

As far as the TH. If you come into Johnson Village, there is a big gas station on the left side. Just before that there is dirt road and I think it's CR301. Take a left on that and follow it south. Might be on that road for mile maybe mile and a half and you'll come to a house on the right side. Looks like it might have been the Warden house at one point. There's a dirt road to the left. That leads right to the trail head. I think there was a gate there too.

I did the trail in my open XJ with 3" and 31's. Have fun.

There's also a KOA right there...you'll see it.

[JEONLYEP]

Ruby Mountain is close by.

Ruby Mountain Campground: (http://parks.state.co.us/arkansas/AHRA%20campgrounds.pdf) The exit for Ruby Mountain is located south of Buena Vista on U.S. Highway 285, between mile markers l44 and 145. Turn east (towards the river) on Chaffee County Road 301, which can be identified by the large, yellow River Runners signs. Go across the river to the end of the pavement and turn right onto County Road 300. Drive 2.4 miles to the Ruby Mountain Campground and Recreation Site. Caution should be used at the Fish Hatchery because the road is a narrow single lane, with limited visibility and a 15 mph speed limit.

Chinamans: (http://www.4x4trails.net/db_view_trail.php?trailNum=113) Access: Coming from Denver you would take take 285 to Johnson's Village and then take a left at CR301, proceed south to just past the 'Prison property' sign. There will be a gate on the left with a small yellow sign saying it's a public access. The road runs through Buena Vista prison property. There is a gate at each end of the road and you need to make sure those gates get closed after you go through them. Once through the prison property you want to head left and you will see the trail head as you get to the base of the mountain. CR307 is a couple of miles east of there and is an alternate route to Chinamans Gulch. Coming from Denver one would take a left onto 307 to CR187, then left again to Forest Development Road 300, right on FR300 to a major fork. Left at that fork takes you to an intersection with Chinaman's Gulch, or staying on 300 brings you out by Ruby Mountain which is where we exited Saturday. Shortly after you make it past the first tight squeeze rock obstacle, you will come to a Y in the road. Either road will let you run the trail, but taking the left is easier. I have never run the right turn of the trail so not really sure what it entails. After you reach the top of the mountain and head back down at the bottom you will come to another Y in the road, to get out you want to take a left to the FR300 sign. Follow that trail and you will once again cross some private prison property (remember, there is no stoping on prison land) and end up back out on Hwy 24. Go left to get back to Johnson's Village.

I'll do some checking to see how close.

EDIT: Pretty close.

DAryl