Devil’s Punchbowl

2 Reviews

Location Marble, CO

Rating Difficult,

Length 10.6mi

Time 2hrs

Guide Trail # 27

Vehicle Types

Vehicle Types Defined

Overview

Narrow mining road between Crested Butte and Schofield Pass.

This route runs from Marble to Crested Butte over Schofield Pass. The Crystal Mill, on the western side, draws tourists by the thousands. The mill is one of the most photographed structures in Colorado. The big draw for 4-wheelers, however, is the trip through Crystal Canyon, featuring spectacular Devil’s Punchbowl, a deep pool of water below a dramatic waterfall. Scenery along the entire trip is unsurpassed. Many historical features. Open seasonally May 21-Nov. 22 after Wpt. 03.

Rating

Difficult

Trail Ratings Defined

First portion of trail to the Crystal Mill is rocky. East of Crystal, the road becomes extremely narrow as it climbs steeply along the daunting vertical walls of Crystal Canyon. Dangerous backing required to pass. Rock slides and lingering snow can close the trail at any time. Novice drivers should avoid section between Wpts. 03 and 04. Although not recommended for stock SUVs, experienced drivers can reach the town of Crystal but should not continue. Low-range, skid plates are a must.

Stats

Length

10.6mi

Time

2hrs

High Point

10,707ft

Best Time To Go

July-Sept

Current Conditions

(970) 963-2266White River N.F., Sopris R.D.

Check the Weather

No updates yet.

Provide an Update

free GPS downloads

Download tracklog and way points for this trail only.

Click here to preview guidebook.

Trail Updates

08/31/2020
Submitted by Robert
Found that the difficult obstacle seen on many Youtube videos is gone. Without the obstacle, the trail was not that difficult. The hardest spot was a tight squeeze between two boulders near the top of the canyon.

Reviews

Adam Bair says

Drove July 2020, from Marble toward Schofield Pass with a mostly stock 3rd Gen Tacoma. Made it to the Punchbowl...See More
Randy says

Drove 2nd weekend of October 2021, there were still some leave on the trees making for good photography, although many...See More

Leave A Trail Review Recommend a New Trail

Cancel Review

×

Adam Bair says

Drove July 2020, from Marble toward Schofield Pass with a mostly stock 3rd Gen Tacoma. Made it to the Punchbowl in about 2.5 hours, but didn't feel confident in making it the difficult 1/2 mile or so past that and turned back. Might have been possible with sliders and a lot more experience. Great dispersed camping along the road to Crystal, especially the spot next to the Lizard Lake.

×

Randy says

Drove 2nd weekend of October 2021, there were still some leave on the trees making for good photography, although many were already bare so if you’re wanting to see the colors change go in September. The trail was busy with a mix of 4x4s and many many walkers, dog owners, tourists, and photographers on foot. Made it to the mill, it’s a beautiful as ever, but didn’t get beyond that. Not a terribly difficult trail **to the mill**, but narrow sections with steep drop offs will challenge novice drivers skill and mental fortitude, especially while passing, which is likely. The views are worth it though and this trail should be on every adventurer’s Colorado bucket list. Scenery was five stars, but the crowds dropped our rating down to a three.

by Webolutions Denver Website Design

Trail Information Prevails.  The information provided by Funtreks is not intended to replace the information provided on any trail or road, such as travel direction, time-based restrictions, animal restrictions, mode of transportation restrictions, trail blocks, trail signs, police or park ranger instructions, etc.
Cautious Riding.  Always travel vigilantly according to trail conditions and in accordance with local laws. 
No Warranty of Accuracy.  The information provided by Funtreks is always fluctuating and may be inaccurate, incomplete or outdated.  Funtreks does not provide any warranties to such information’s timeliness, credibility or reliability.  All information and content provided by the Funtreks service (the “Service”) is made available for informational and planning purposes only, and is not intended to be relied upon in situations where precise location information is needed or where erroneous, inaccurate, time-delayed or incomplete location or trail data may lead to death, personal injury, property or environmental damage.  The results you receive from the Service may vary from actual trail conditions due to factors that can affect the accuracy of the data, such as, without limitation, weather, trail and traffic conditions, and geopolitical events.  For your safety, always pay attention to your surroundings and observe current trail conditions and signage.
Location-Based Service.  Some features of the Service make use of detailed location and trail route information, for example in the form of GPS signals and other information sent by your mobile device.  These features cannot be provided without utilizing this technology. 
Internet Connection.  The connection required to use the Service, and any associated charges (e.g., mobile data charges) incurred by your use of the Service are your exclusive responsibility and made solely at your expense.  Transmitting and receiving real-time updates to and from the Service requires an online (e.g., Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, 5G) connection between your cellular device and the Internet.  The expenses of such a connection are as prescribed by the agreement between you and your communications service provider (such as your cellular provider), and according to its applicable terms of payment.

Public Data.  The Service utilizes some public data for map displays, updates and trail information.  The Service, its database, Funtreks trademarks, the design of the maps and other things integrated into the Service are owned by Funtreks, and are not public data.
Limitation of Liability.  FUNTREKS PROVIDES THE SERVICE AND THE CONTENT INCLUDED THEREIN FOR USE ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS.  FUNTREKS HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, FEATURES, QUALITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, TITLE, COMPATIBILITY, PERFORMANCE, SECURITY OR ACCURACY.  Without limiting the above, Funtreks disclaims any warranties relating to the accuracy of the Service, the trail maps, content, trail conditions, directions, or navigation routes presented or displayed in or by the Service.  For instance, existing trails may be missing from the Service and/or trails listed on the Service may be nonexistent.  You acknowledge and agree that you assume full, exclusive and sole responsibility for the use of and reliance on the Service, and that you further acknowledge and agree that your use of or reliance on the Service is made entirely at your own risk.  You further acknowledge that it is your responsibility to comply with all applicable laws and regulations while using the Service.  Funtreks does not warrant that the Service will operate in an uninterrupted or error-free manner, or that it will always be available or free from all harmful components, or that it is safe, secure from unauthorized access, immune from damages, free of malfunctions, bugs or failures, including without limitation, hardware failures, software failures, and software communication failures, originating either in Funtreks or any of its providers.  FUNTREKS, INCLUDING ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, SHAREHOLDERS, EMPLOYEES, SUBCONTRACTORS AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGE OR LOSS (INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFIT AND LOSS OF DATA), COSTS, EXPENSES AND PAYMENTS, EITHER IN TORT, CONTRACTUAL, OR IN ANY OTHER FORM OF LIABILITY, ARISING FROM, OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY FAILURE, ERROR, OR BREAKDOWN IN THE FUNCTION OF THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY FAULT OR ERROR MADE BY FUNTREKS STAFF OR ANYONE ACTING ON FUNTREKS’ BEHALF, OR FROM YOUR RELIANCE ON THE CONTENT OF THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY COMMUNICATION WITH THE SERVICE, OR WITH OTHER USERS ON OR THROUGH THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY DENIAL OR CANCELLATION OF YOUR USER ACCOUNT, OR FROM RETENTION, DELETION, DISCLOSURE AND ANY OTHER USE OR LOSS OF YOUR CONTENT THROUGH THE SERVICE.  IN ANY EVENT, YOUR SOLE REMEDY WILL BE LIMITED TO CORRECTING SUCH ERRORS OR MALFUNCTIONS.