Clear Lake is situated in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, across Hiway 550 near the town of Silverton. The lake is known for its stunning alpine beauty, surrounded by rugged mountain peaks and lush forests. The water is often a vibrant blue-green, reflecting the sky and the surrounding landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The roads to the lake are mostly two easy gravel roads, except for the last .7 miles where the road narrows and becomes steep. There is no issue with your 4-wheel drive Jeep. In total, the one-way drive is only a bit over 8 miles, but it is very much worth it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The area around South Mineral Campground would also be worth some exploration. We learned later there is a waterfall only \u00bc mile from the campground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![Map\u00a0<\/a>of the Ouray-based trails.<\/p>\n\n\n\nReturn to Backcounty<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n](\"https:\/\/billmiller.photography\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Ouray-Offroad.jpg\"){kind=link}