Oh-My-God Road Is A Thrilling Adventure in Colorado's Historic Mining Country
Oh-My-God Road is a very exciting drive located on the boundary of Clear Creek and Gilpin counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. With room enough for barely two cars to pass slowly, this road will surely feel a little dangerous to you.
How long is the Oh-My-God Road?
The road, also known as Virginia Canyon Road, is 12.23 km (7.6 miles) long, running south-north from the City of Idaho Springs at I-70 to Central City, near Highway 119.
Is the Oh-My-God Road paved?
The road is mostly unpaved. The trail can be divided in 2 parts. One is fairly easy for any vehicle, and the other is slightly more difficult. There is a short paved section at the top, and the county is paving one mile of the road per year. Along the road, you will see many service roads branching off. Oh-My-God Road can be done in a 2-wheel-drive car when road is dry.
How did Oh-My-God Road get its name?
The road is difficult and will surely feel a little dangerous to you. It features 12% grade sections. The road gets its name from being a two-way road that is only about a car and three quarters wide, graveled, with no guard rails and washed out shoulders. Not only are there no guard rails, a daring glance down reveals incredibly steep cliffs. It’s nominally a two-lane road, but you definitely can’t fit two cars abreast here. One day the road can be smooth and easy to drive, the next, it can be full of washboards that will bounce you right over the edge if you aren't careful. This unpaved road has few curb barriers. Switchbacks are plentiful, as are steep drop offs.
Is the Oh-My-God Road open?
This is a high mountain road, topping out at 2.855m (9,366ft) above the sea level. The road is typically open all year round, with the occasional closure in winters due to dangerous weather conditions.
Is the Oh-My-God Road scenic?
The route passes through historic mining country and ghost town of Russel Gulch on way to popular gambling towns. The road and the scenery it offers are pretty much unremarkable, lots of hairpin turns as the road ascended, hugging the side of the mountain. It was once a major link between Idaho Springs and Central City. This road was critical for many miners bringing supplies to the camp by horse and wagon in 1865. Once the railway included stops in both cities the traffic along the road dwindled significantly. A long this road a great deal of mining activity took place, some ruins still remain to this day and add to the history you get to see while riding this trail. Oh my God Road offers visitors an exhilarating opportunity to escape into Colorado’s gold rush past. Spectacular vistas of both Central City and Idaho Springs conjure up visions of these rip snorting mining towns. Oh my God Road accesses about a dozen (closed) gold mines and at least 2 ghost towns.