Schofield Pass Road, also known as Crystal Canyon Road or Forest Road #317, begins at the town of Marble. Originally built in the 1880s as a wagon route between Marble and Crested Butte, one cannot emphasize enough how dangerous this road proves to be, time and time again. The rough, one lane shelf road, a roadbed blasted into sheer canyon cliffs, demands high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicles and a high-tolerance for death-defying, white-knuckled driving. The road begins in Marble and provides a harrowing ride through the mining-turned-ghost-towns of Crystal City, Schofield and Gothic. The drive navigates adventurers through dramatic canyon cliffs with cascading waterfalls and other breathtaking sights.

This trail is not for the faint of heart ! The shelf road is narrow and Devil’s Punch Bowl is a series of obstacles on a shelf road of loose rock that doesn’t seem wide enough in places. It can be intimidating but it is a beautiful trail and really worth the trip.

Taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM