On August 23, 2026, the Larimer County Off-Road Club headed into the Colorado mountains near Idaho Springs and Empire for a full day of wheeling on Red Elephant Hill, Mill Creek, and Bill Moore Lake.
Thirteen vehicles left Idaho Springs together, with two additional off-road buggies joining us at the Red Elephant Hill trailhead. Red Elephant Hill provided the most technical terrain of the day, with large rocks, loose climbs, steep grades, narrow sections, and plenty of uneven lines. Spotters helped vehicles through several obstacles, and one vehicle received a winch assist on one of the more difficult sections.
With a large group working through the technical terrain, the convoy eventually separated into smaller groups. Along the way, we also stopped to help a side-by-side that suffered a mechanical failure on the trail. After some trail-side troubleshooting, it was returned to a drivable condition and able to continue.
After Red Elephant Hill, our group explored part of Mill Creek, descending to the creek crossing before turning around and climbing back out. From there, we continued along North Empire Creek Road and used the Bill Moore to Mill Creek Cut Off to connect with Bill Moore Lake Road.
The terrain became more moderate as we worked our way toward Bill Moore Lake, but there were still plenty of rocky sections, climbs, creek crossings, and uneven mountain trail to keep things interesting.
At Bill Moore Lake, the original 13 vehicles that had departed Idaho Springs were reunited. We spent some time enjoying the lake and surrounding mountain scenery before heading back down Bill Moore Lake Road toward Empire.
Weather was excellent for most of the day, with temperatures in the 70s and mostly dry trail conditions. A passing afternoon storm brought a short period of rain, thunder, and lightning, but conditions improved again by the time we reached the lake.
It was a long day on the trail, combining technical rock crawling, mountain roads, creek crossings, trail-side problem solving, teamwork, and a scenic finish at Bill Moore Lake.
