What's the deal with Red Table Mountain (and environs)?

[jibler]

I've been looking at this thing on the maps and the google earths for like a year now.

Seems like it should have some dominating views of aspen area. Questions:

- is this some kind of 4x4 off road area? Are there going to be people on ATVs riding on Red Table Mountain?

- does anyone have any suggestions on anything else in this area? That west side of Holy Cross Wilderness? North end of Fryingpan Wilderness?

Keeping in mind I'm slightly vehicularly challenged - can't handle super rough roads....

[Chicago Transplant]

I've been looking at this thing on the maps and the google earths for like a year now.

Seems like it should have some dominating views of aspen area. Questions:

- is this some kind of 4x4 off road area? Are there going to be people on ATVs riding on Red Table Mountain?

- does anyone have any suggestions on anything else in this area? That west side of Holy Cross Wilderness? North end of Fryingpan Wilderness?

Keeping in mind I'm slightly vehicularly challenged - can't handle super rough roads....

I have been up there a couple of times, there is a hiking only trail that crests the entire ridge. It is part of a designated Wilderness Study Area, which means it is managed as a Wilderness area while awaiting being officially designated one way or the other. There is, however, a road on the western part of the ridge that goes to a radio facility associated with the airport (I believe) before the WSA part of the ridge starts in earnest. That road was fine in my Outback but a little rough towards the end, there was also snow (I was up in June) so I didn't drive all the way to the radio facility.

The typical access is actually from the east via Crooked Creek Pass which comes south out of Sylvan Lake State Park, you do not have to pay a state park fee to drive the road or park at Crooked Creek Pass. The road is generally car accessible when dry, but might be slick wet. There is a cattle guard at the summit of the pass and a road that goes west from there. Park a 2WD car at this point and walk that road to the true TH which is near some powerlines. That road continues and may have ATVs, but the hiking trail does not.

The trail passes near Mt Thomas (ranked 11er) before eventually going within a few feet of the true summit of Red Table (ranked 12er with 2k of prominence). There are 3 additional ranked 11ers west of Red Table, 2 of which are right off the radio tower road. Parts of the Red Table Mtn trail west of the summit are an old abandoned road that used to come up and over from Gypsum long ago. It still shows up like a road on most of the maps, but you can't drive it, it was blocked off after the radio facility.

Hope that helps, hiking to Red Table's true summit from the east is a good hike on a good trail with good views of the Elks.

The views of the Elks are pretty good from up there, and Red Table Mtn itself is a 12er with over 2000' of prominence.