Deer Creek
Maps:
USGS 7.5' Map:	Montezuma
Statistics:	Difficulty: Number: Miles: Altitude: Obstacles: Time: Easy 3 FR 5.1 4.25 10,567 to 12,200 ft. NA 1 hour
County:	Summit
Adopted by:
Managed by:	White River National Forest Dillon Ranger District	680 Blue River Parkway Silverthorne, CO 80498	970-468-5400
Summary:	Deer Creek is an easy 4WD road that gets you up to the Continental Divide.
Attractions:	Scenery, Mines
Seasonal Closure:	Agency - November 23 to May 20
Best Time:	June - Snow may still block upper road July - Best August - Best September - Best October - Early snow possible
Trail Heads Accessed:	Continental Divide Trail - Hiking, Equestrian, Mountain Bike (part)
Camping:	There are a few dispersed campsites along the creek.
Base Camp:	This would be a good area to base camp with Peru Creek FR260, Saints John FR275, and Webster Pass FR121, 285 to explore.
Fall Colors:	Poor - mostly pine forest.
Navigation:	From Keystone, CO head east on US-6 E for 0.1 miles. Take the Montezuma Road exit and go 0.2 miles. Continue onto Montezuma Road for 6.6 miles. You will pass through Montezuma and pass the Webster Pass road. Just after crossing the Snake River you will be on the Deer Creek road.
History:
Description:
After leaving the town of Montezuma you will travel south for about a mile on a graded gravel road, where you will pass an intersection with a road on your left. This is the Webster Pass road. Stay on the main road continuing south. Shortly you will come to a wide area of the road just before a culvert where you cross Deer Creek. After crossing the culvert the road will no longer be graded gravel and will be narrower. Just past the culvert a road to the right goes a short distance to an old mine, the Superior Mine, with little remaining. Then you will pass a road on the left that goes to a private home. As you follow the creek you will pass another home on the left off in the trees. The road continues along the west side of the creek for about a mile and a quarter from the culvert where it opens up into a large intersection. The road to the right, the Chatauqua Mine Road, FR289, goes up to two large mine tailings of the upper and lower Chatauqua mines. There are a few building remains left. The Deer Creek road continues to the left crossing the creek again. North end near Montezuma photo by: Adam M North end near Montezuma photo by: Adam M After crossing the creek the road will become rougher with more rocks and pot holes. The road will also be one lane wide. Just as you start climbing into the forest you will come to another intersection. The road to the left, the Radical Mine Road, FR290, goes up above timberline to the Mohawk Mine remains. The Upper and Lower Radical Mine tailings are above the road on a talus slope, straight south of the first large curve in the road at the level area with a small pond on the inside of the curve. Continue straight ahead to stay on the Deer Creek road. The road will continue up the gulch following the creek. The next road off to the right goes to a private home. Next you will come to two short switchbacks. This is where you will begin to climb out of the gulch and head to timberline. Once out of the trees you will climb two more longer switchbacks to reach the upper plateau of Teller Mountain. At the intersection the left hand road is Radical Hill, FR286, the right hand road follows the Continental Divide to the Saints John, FR275, Garibaldi Gulch, FR356, and the Middle Fork of the Swan, FR6.2.
Data updated - March 3, 2019    4WD Road driven - August 4, 2004    Copyright 4X4Explore.com - 2000-2019