My family and I recently rented a couple of ATVs and Razors with Backbone. We had an absolute blast and I am looking forward to doing it all over again. Having said that, I'd like to share a few tips/details about our experience. Like most people have stated in previous reviews, even though your rental time shows 8am/12pm/3pm...you definitely want to show up an hour ahead of time to get checked in at the office in town, then make the 25-30 minute drive to the actual vehicle site in the woods. Estes Park is notorious for events taking place and traffic can be really bad. So showing up an hour ahead of time will ensure you get the full rental time you're paying for. And if you rent a Razor, you're going to want every minute of those 3 hours. Unfortunately, one of the ATVs that we were to be assigned to broke down and left us short of a vehicle. Hey, these things happen. Instead of cancelling all together, (they basically have just enough vehicles to cover the reservations for the day) my brother offered to take on the challenge of a dirt bike. This turned out to be a bad idea. Unless you are an experienced trail rider I would not recommend a dirt bike. Even the easiest trails (the black trails) have some major challenges and are covered in giant rocks throughout. These trails are not the place for amateur riders. You will seriously hurt yourself. The same can apply to the ATVs. I've driven ATVs before, but I was definitely not cut out to operate an ATV for 3 hours on these trails. About an hour in, my arms were shaking, my thumb was tired from hittin the throttle and my entire upper body was pushed beyond the limit. I also had a death grip on the vehicle with my thighs the entire time, so they were spent too.There are parts of the trails where you really, really need to be careful and not push it. It takes concentration and responsibility. This is not the time to learn how to drive an ATV. Lastly, RENT A RAZOR!!! OH.MY.GOSH. I highly recommend ditching the idea of renting an ATV and go for the Razor. When I could no longer handle the ATV, I swapped out with one of my family members and took over the Razor. I immediately regretted renting the ATV. I basically had to chisel to grin off my face when I got out of that thing. It was beyond fun. They took on the trails like a champ and were so much easier to handle than the ATVs. I really, really, really recommend considering the Razors over the ATVs any day. I also recommend everyone renting their own Razor. You are not going to want to give up your turn for someone else. Trust me. read more

Pro's: nice people, good equipment, and decent backcountry scenery Con's: 1. Their promotional videos show you crossing streams. These do not exist. The whole ride is public forest service roads with no streams. It's beyond imagination that they put this in the video when nothing like that exists on the trip. 2. They say not to exceed 20 mph but on 99% of the trip, if you exceed 5 mph you will likely crash or damage the ATV/UTV. These are not roads you can just ride. They are so overused and ill-maintained that you can't just drive along and enjoy it as you'd assume you could. For the driver, it's WORK the entire way and for the riders, it's a chiropractor trip after. Every few feet there are major ruts or rocks that require you to go SUPER SLOW. We averaged 5 mph the entire trip. And if the driver looks away for a second to enjoy the surroundings, there will be a price to pay. So this ride is basically 3 hours of banging, jostling avoiding obstacles for the everyday low price of $219. Some may be so starved for the backcountry that they enjoy this, but when I think of an ATV ride this is NOT what I envision. 3. The two places that have views require ADVANCED off-roading ATV skills. As someone who's spent hundreds of hours in ATV's this is not a stretch. Otherwise you're riding a mountain trail. 4. The lake at the end of the main road is nice and a very short walk. But we were there in late July (last week) and it was covered in Lilly pads, so kinda ruins the high mountain lake fee. 5. There were about 20 vehicles that went out in our group, making for a very crowded road. Add terribly inexperienced drivers to this mix and you have a recipe for trouble. So if you expect seclusion and a time for your group to enjoy the place alone, this ride is NOT for you. SUMMARY: If you want a hard-core off-roading experience that bangs you all over the place hopping rocks, this is for you. If you want a leisurely ride where you enjoy the Colorado backcountry, I'd opt for a horseback ride over this any day. I felt ripped off in a major way when it was over. Not to mention the misleading video of ATVs crossing streams that do not exist on the ride. read more

I rented a jeep for two days with my three daughters (16,18,20). Driving a Jeep off road has been on my bucket list for a while, and this was a great place to start - not to mention the surrounding beauty of the area! Very friendly staff, and knowledgeable about the trails and equipment. They walked me through a few trail maps offering suggestions and then walked through operation of the Jeep itself. Well equipped 2021. The provided GPS directed us right to the off road trails and kept us on track while there. We did Pole Hill, Johnny Park, and Pierson Park, followed by Switzerland trail over the two days. Pole Hill was a little intimidating at the start being my first off road experience (Other than mudding as a teenager with four wheelers and old pickups), but the Jeep just walked up the trail and offered a glimpse into what these can do. I loved every second of it and was hooked. Each trail offered a little bit different scenery and trail type and made for an enjoyable adventure. The last bit of Pierson Park offers a very steep grade going in and coming back out. It was very fun creeping back up the trial. For the most part, we only ran into a few other Jeeps and a handful of side by sides, so it was nice to be out there alone, with just enough company in case something happened. I didn't really know much about the trail rules as far as right of ways, but we sort of figured it out and one of us was always able to pull off to the side to let the other pass where needed. I would love to come back and do more challenging stuff, with another Jeep and someone that knows what they are doing. The girls also did enough trail driving, that we will probably need to rent two the next time we come out. Thank you for the fun memories with my girls Backbone Adventures!! Note: Old Fall River Road within RMNP is also awesome and worth the drive, but we did this with my daily driver. read more

SECOND VISIT - 2020 Second trip out with a Jeep from Backbone Adventures! This time we got a chance to take out Gobi onto Middle St Vrain as well as Coney Flats. Staff discussed some concerns with the difficulty of the trail, but didnt talk us out of it. While the trails were a little more difficult than the trails we did in 2019 up in Drake, Gobi didn't flinch! On the mirror subject from 2019, we had the doors removed again which means no mirrors, obviously. I am comfortable driving without, however I also feel it would be a cheap fix to have at least a drivers side mirror added for safety reasons not only for the customer, but the business itself. We did receive a handheld this year, but didnt even open it as we had planned our route ahead of time. We will be back to Backbone Adventures again! (See Below for 2019 Review) FIRST VISIT - 2019 Experienced wheeler from PA here. Got to take out "Tang" today from Backbone Adventures...2012 JK. Performed FLAWLESSLY, even led my cousins Rubi on the trails of Storm Mtn. Staff was helpful in recommending trails to take and even loaned a handheld device to assist in navigation. At the end of the day staff was very friendly, even after we brought "Tang" back after curfew due to some holdups on Trail #153. Only downfall was no mirrors with having the doors off...Staff stated they have heard the complaint before, and would be hoping to fix it soon. Something I did forget to mention to staff was the addition of a charger for the handheld device for navigation. Battery was dying rather quickly throughout the day. All that being said...I would HIGHLY recommend this company for your CO Offroad Rentals! read more

Very friendly and helpful staff. Easy to find. Quite popular so I suggest that you make reservations long before you plan to be there in order to get what you want and when you want to go ( we wanted a 2 seat Razor but they were sold out a week before our arrival) Our 4 seater Kawasaki ATV was only 2 weeks old so in great condition. If you have any back problems, stay on the easy trails with a few moderate areas included. We did the all day rental and tackled trail 202 to the plane crash site ( some of the rocks/ sm boulders we had to navigate were pretty harrowing) and then we had a short hike to the site. Wear shoes with good traction, there is a lot of loose gravel and small rocks on the hike to the crash. We also tackled 203 which is like climbing up a dry riverbed... constant rocks/ boulders to navigate and constant jostling so definitely not recommended if you aren't a rugged adventurer. Trail 105 will take you to Pony Lake where a lot of Moose like to hang out, however we did not see any wildlife the day we were out other than squirrels and chipmunks. I think you can easily get to the plane crash site and do some of the regular trails in the 3 hour rental option but if you want to do all the trails and maybe a little hiking about, do the full day rental. We took our cooler along and I was glad for the water... it is pretty dusty and you will get dirty! Helmets are required ( we brought our own) and they have several to choose from. We also had our own bungee cord to strap down the cooler, but I believe they have straps there to use as well. read more

I took my mom to Colorado for her first time to enjoy some mountain adventures. This company did not disappoint and fully delivered. We rented a Polaris Razor XP 1000 for the two of us. Check in process was incredibly easy and fast. Then you drive 18.6 miles to the mountain site where they actually keep the bikes. Finding the site was no problem at all if you follow the directions given at check in. Once we got there a guy named Brandon explained the trails to us and helped us pick which one we wanted to ride. He was very polite, thorough, and informative. He really knew his stuff and he made me feel confident about mapping the trails by myself once out there. I also appreciate that he did not talk down to us considering we were just two females by ourselves renting and riding this big Gnarly atv! He also explained how to use the atv and demonstrated all the options and I had no problem driving it. Thanks Brandon!!! The atv Also had navigation which ended up being helpful when riding through the trails. When speaking of the bike itself, it was powerful and worked perfectly. I can't believe the beating those things can take and the rocks they can climb. Truly awesome! We enjoyed our 3 hour ride and would definitely come back and do it again. My mom was screaming and laughing her head off with excitement the entire time. Definitely a fun activity for a couple or a family. Thanks guys! read more

We visited Estes Park last week and Backbone was at the top of our list! We did the 8:30am-11:30am time frame and rented a Razor. It was a BLAST! Andy and Ryan (and the rest of the crew) were very down to earth, friendly, and professional. Ryan went over the short list of "rules," as well as the map of the trails, and how to operate the Razor, which we got a brand new Razor, and then we were on our way on the trails. There were several trails to go on and beautiful views, it was an absolute blast and such a great way to spend part of the day (or a full day) around Estes Park. There are so many trails that it's not crowded and everyone is mindful that there are others using the trails. I have seen some reservations/people that are unsure if you need to be a "pro" to operate the ATVs - you do not. Ryan showed us everything we needed to know (which we did have experience but its not needed) and they are there to give you tips to keep you safe. The ride is not guided, you have your freedom, but the crew is there if you need them which makes it even better. I would highly recommend Backbone Adventures, the crew is awesome, the ladies are super friendly in the office, and just overall a great experience. We definitely plan to ride the mountains again with Backbone next time we are in Estes and I hope you do as well! read more

Backbone Adventures is several steps above anything else I have ever rented. First off, everyone I had contact with at the company was extremely friendly and genuine. Amy behind the frond desk, and Andrew at the trail made me feel like we had been friends for years, and actually cared if you had a good time or not! There wasn't any trying to up sell, or high pressure tactics to buy insurance. They were very straight forward and their machines were far superior to the other company's that were on the trail at the same time. My RZR was able to blast through a snow/mud section that the kawasaki's were getting stuck in, and it climbed any hill I wanted with the heart of a mountain goat. The best part was they just let you go, and you can ride at your own level, within reason and the rules of the National Forrest. There is a letter to you from the owner on the back of your map that is some of the best and most honest advise I have ever seen about your riding/driving. It's a must read. I have grown up on dirt bikes, four wheelers and trucks. Usually if I rent something, I am stuck with a group that has that one person that makes the whole group go 0.5 MPH. I enjoyed every second of this. I will be going back with friends and family. The only thing I would do differently is rent the GoPro. read more

We had an amazing time! Every single staff member was super friendly and welcoming. When we arrived at the trail we were given our safety directions from Mr. Bo-jangles and he was absolutely wonderful. He explained the safety measures and precautions and went over all the trails and which ones were easy, moderate and hard. He gave us specific directions on a short walk to a beautiful lake view as well as a view allowing you to see the mountains from a 180 degree view. He gave us specific directions with our side by side and helped us feel comfortable before we went out on the trail. When our 3 hrs we're over, we were greeted by Mr. Bo-jangles and Owen. Both of them genuinely wanted to know about our experience, the trails we took, what our favorite was and how we liked it. Our side by side had GPS to help us know where we were and how to get back and we also could connect to Bluetooth and listen to our own music! We were able to bring a cooler to have drinks and snacks as well. I would recommend this experience for any individual, couple, or family. Backbone is definitely the company to go with in Estes Park. We would do this again! Thank you Backbone for being an amazing company who delivers exactly what you say you do and with amazing customer service. We are so happy we booked with you. read more

I can't say enough great things about this experience!! This was one of our planned activities on our trip from Minnesota to Colorado and we are so glad we did this! Booking was extremely simple, check-in at base was quick and easy, and everyone there was courteous and friendly! We rented a 2 person Razor, which was perfect for the trails out there! The trails crew was waiting for us with our rental ready to go when we arrived at the pick-up location at the trail. The guys out there were also very friendly, knowledgeable, and you could tell they simply love their job! We did the full day adventure which allowed plenty of time to take every trail, but also park, and walk to the different locations that had beautiful views along the way. It was really great to get to see the different sights that wouldn't have been accessible by our personal vehicle! The Razor ran perfectly for us, got us through all of the terrain without an issue. The adventure allowed us to feel like kids again! We experienced all varieties of trails from dirt, puddles, small rock to large bolder type rocks, lots of twists, turns, and climbs! It was a BLAST! The follow-up email thanking us for our business was just the icing on the cake! We will definitely be back! read more

Going on an ATV ride is hands-down the most fun you can have in the Estes park, and Backbone Adventures is the go-to. We had previously done paragliding in Aspen and white-water rafting in Numbers, but the ATV ride knocked everything else out of the park. Few pointers to make your trip even better: 1) Most importantly - enjoy the trails at your own pace, a pace you are comfortable and feel safe with. Remember, however, to maintain a certain amount of speed to let the suspension do its work 2) Make sure you watch the two videos Andy has put up on the website beforehand, they will make planning your trip easier and teach you what you need to know about an ATV (both me and my girlfriend had little to no previous experience with ATVs) 3) Choose a trail less-taken, even though it might take a little longer to get to 4) Plan to arrive 30 min or 1 hour early (there is always some roadwork somewhere) 5) Get off your rear and stand up as much as you can, since your own body is part of not only the suspension but also weight transfer on an all terrain vehicle 6) Letting the Backbone Adventures guys refuel your vehicles for you once you are done is an absolute bargain Big shoutout to Andy and the team, this was the highlight of our Colorado vacation. read more

GREAT TIME !!!!! I started to plan our July family vacation in April. I had done lots of homework on trail rides because we have been considering it for the last couple vacation's in the black hills of South Dakota. Now that my kids are all over 18 we decided to make it this year in colorado instead of south dakota, Great CHOICE, as The staff at Backbone was extremely helpful with everything including dozen's of phone calls and lots of safety concerns. Since we had 10 people in our family, Including my 3 year old grandson. I had rented 3 razor's 2 quad runners and a full size 4x4 jeep. The store staff walked us thru all of the safety concerns and precautions and made us aware of ALL the true dangers including the real risk of accidents with a group this large. We were very prepared which made the day even better. The trail crew was AWESOME making sure to give us the run down on which trails we could handle and where to go once we felt comfortable with our machines and skill level.The trial crew even found my nephews wallet he lost and we were able to retrieve the next day.I can honestly say we will be back. Everyone agrees it was the BEST VACATION EVER THE VEIW'S ARE AMAZING, NOTHING LIKE IT!!!!!!! read more

I had friends recommend Backbone this past summer after they did a 3 hour UTV rental. They said it was enough time, but wish they had done 6, so we did 6 just to be safe. It was so much fun. 10/10 would recommend. I can't say enough good things about the company and the experience. Everyone was friendly, advice was great, and the views were incredible. It was just a great experience and I can't wait for next summer when things warm up again. My two pieces of advice, if you're considering a rental from Backbone: 1) Arrive at the shop 45 minutes early. While your reservation might be for 10am, you still need to sign a waver, grab a helmet, and drive to the trailhead, which is about 30 minutes away. I'm sure there's information about this on their website, but its worth mentioning. Even being about an hour late to the trail, the remaining 5 hours was well more than enough to explore and do all the offroading we could handle. 2) Have fun, but don't be crazy. There are other people on the trails using everything from dirt bikes to SUVs. Its better to be safe and enjoy the views than smack into a SUV on a narrow trail because you're too busy being a dumbass. read more

First let me say it's a dusty, muddy, and rocky excursion on high powered 4 wheelers. But I'd do it again in a heartbeat. You'll get a towing vehicle and a 4 wheeler on a trailer so be prepared for something different. There are several options requiring anything from a 20 minute drive on up just to get to your 4 wheeling destination. You'll need some knowledge of trailering, ratchet strapping, and unloading/loading a 4 wheeler. Sounds a bit intimidating, but the staff are eager to help. Your actual 4 wheeling adventure "time" will include the drive to and from your chosen destination so plan accordingly. You'll be breathing dust, flinging mud on yourself, and tossed about in the rocky terrain, but go live a little! Side note, pay close attention during the walk around inspection of the tow vehicle and 4 wheeler. These folks use body cams during the review to protect their investments. You are responsible for all exterior damages including sidewall tire damage to the 4 wheeler tires. I did some minor body damage to the Polaris' fiberglass and was expecting a HUGE repair bill. But these folks were EXTREMELY fair in those charges. read more

I have rented ATV's many times in my travels but I was especially taken with a gentleman at Backbone Adventure ATV Rentals in Estes Park. I rented twice in September on 2023 and he assisted us both visits. My wife and I were prepped by Everett Bowles. His enthusiasm and kind nature translated into ATV trail preparation and safety talk was breath of fresh air after a tough few travel days. He totally put my wife at ease whom has not ridden with us much. That put me at ease. To be honest I felt that this guy had a financial interest in the shop by the level of his enthusiasm. I have owned businesses and this guy is a major asset. Standout. Equipment was great. We even dented a panel loading at the trail and brought it back a bit late and the return crew was super smooth and professional as well. They had a panel book with photos and immediately (not when you are 45 min down the road) charged a small amount for the part only (no labor) and a very fair small late fee! EXCELLENT run shop with professionals. I even joined the Polaris Club to continue to rent with Backbone Adventures upon my Estes visits into my retirement. Gary Y read more

We're visiting from Hawaii, and renting an ATV from Backbone Adventures to ride the Switzerland Trail was easily the highlight of our Colorado trip! From start to finish, the experience was unreal. The staff at Backbone Adventures were some of the friendliest people we've met--super welcoming, knowledgeable, and down-to-earth. You can tell they genuinely care about making sure you have an amazing time. The vibe was pure aloha, even all the way up here in the Rockies! The ATV was in excellent condition--powerful, clean, and ready to tear up the trail. The Switzerland Trail itself was absolutely breathtaking. From the forest paths to the mountain views, it felt like something out of a movie. We got a perfect mix of adrenaline and scenery, and we were grinning from ear to ear the whole time. Backbone made everything easy--they gave clear instructions, great tips for the trail, and no hidden fees or stress. Just honest, top-notch service and a killer adventure. If you're in Estes Park or anywhere nearby, don't miss this! Backbone Adventures gave us memories we'll never forget. Mahalo for the adventure--we'll definitely be back! read more

This was our second time renting a jeep from Backbone Adventures and we were not disappointed. We had been once last year and we had so much fun that my son requested to come back this year for his 4th birthday. From the moment we showed up until the time we returned our jeep the staff went above and beyond to be helpful and make sure we had a great experience. During checkin we casually mentioned this was our second time renting and immediately the gentleman helping us informed us we should have received a 10% discount on our rental when booking. When he went to process the discount another team member informed she had already processed a refund prior to our arrival that morning (unbeknownst to us), we were impressed. The equipment was in great shape and exactly as we expected. No issues at all out on the trails and we even saw a moose! Upon returning the jeep and informing the team member it was my sons birthday and he had the best day she provided my husband with a toy jeep at no charge for the birthday boy! We will definitely be back to Backbone Adventure & highly recommend this company. Great people, great time! read more

This was my first time in Colorado and off-roading on an ATV or Jeep was on my list of things to do. I was lucky enough to find this place so close to where I was saying in Estes Park. I was to set up a whole day of off-roading in a 2 door lifted Jeep for about $200. They were nice enough to let us pick it up as soon as they opened at 7am, even though they advertise a whole day rental as 9am-5pm. I wasn't able to get their until 9am, but the fact they would allow me to get 2 more hours with the jeep was very generous of them. As for the off-roading experience, it is adrenaline fueled and unlike anything I've ever done. The trails can be challenging at times and requires full focus and attention. Theres a disclaimer/warning on their pamphlet that I recommend everyone read. It really makes sure you approach the trials with the right mindset. Overall, it was an unbelievable experience-both in interacting with the employees of the company and actual driving/off-roading. Definitely worth every penny. read more

I found Backbone Adventures online when I was searching for my fiancé's birthday gift. The idea was to get him a gift certificate that he could cash in at the time of his convenience. Since their website did not mention anything about gift certificated I quickly called their Estes Park location and spoke to Amy who was more than happy to help me with my request. A few days later we got the certificate in the mail and we were off to our Jeep Adventure a few weeks after my fiancé's birthday. Upon arrival we had to fill out some paper work, which took about 5 minutes, and then we were told we were upgraded to a 4 door jeep (instead of the 2 door that I paid for) because our 2 door had some slight complications. The car was in a great shape and very clean. We took in on the Storm Mountain trail and had a blast! We did not return the car in a really bad shape, but it definitely had to be cleaned after. Once Amy inspected the car, we just handed the keys over and said our goodbyes. read more