Crown King to Castle Springs - Alternate to "Backway"

Trail tested our abilities. Pretty new to off roading. The 4Runner is one great machine. 2 1/2 lift. Bilstein 6112 front. 5160 rear. 285 70 R17 Nitto grappler’s. Talons garage full skid package. Slow and steady. Ride is very bumpy. Lots of rocks and deep ruts. This trail made me nervous a few times. Beginner friendly if you go very slow. Pick your lines. We will be adding a winch and bumper combo soon. Probe more comfy just in case. Great views. Great time. Saw a pathfinder and 5 SXS on the trail.

Wow! What a fun trail. Prepare for all day bouncing around and significant pin striping. In my opinion this trail is currently NOT a 4/10. It is severely washed out and rutted out. I started the trail from Lake Pleasant all the way to Crown King and back down to the I-17. Deep erosion in several uphill sections and large boulders to navigate through. Absolutely tested and maxed out the F-150 on 33’s. In the current condition this trail is in I wish I had at least some 35’s. Very slow going and tire placement was crucial. I would not recommend it be completed in a full size vehicle on 33’s. 4 low and rear locker were lifesavers. I would not have made it without. All that being said it was a beautiful day with some amazing views. Rain made things even more challenging but overall this trail is worth it. Had a great time.

Ran the trail from where it joins Wagoner Road as a way to Crown King. The 5-8 miles from that intersection until it meets Senator Highway are significantly eroded in places. The steep uphill climbs and some of the creek crossings have 2 ft plus deep channels eroded into the tract. I was able to straddle the deep channels that run parallel to the hills, but the issues came when similarly deep channels ran diagonally across the track and the other channels. Rock shelves across the track are forming with a lot of loose rock on the steep hills. A few boulders have either been exposed or washed onto the track making it very narrow in places. It can be run with 33" tires, but a few more heavy rains will make this very challenging.

There's some sections that have rutted away since the rains. So you'll need some thoughtful tire placement in just a couple sections. Doable on 33's with smart tire placement, 35+ should be fine. Expect pin stripes when you reach the creek, lots of overgrowth.

Surprisingly good condition considering the recent rains. A few places look like they may be close to washing out completely. Some pretty significant ruts that are deeper due to run off. Technical drivers heaven.

Started the trail at 10am ended at 4pm. Beautiful views

Road was pretty washed out in general. Wasn’t too bad as long as you had 4x4. A couple of people in our group with longer wheel bases almost got stuck at one spot, but hit the right line and you’ll be good. Don’t know about 4 hours as it took us from 10am to 3:45-4pm to finish it.

Entre amigos

Crown King Alternate Route – South to North (Day After Thanksgiving) 5:30 from trail start near North Lake Pleasant entrance. Trail was fairly rough — could’ve been the rain or heavy holiday traffic — but nothing major. A few downhill-to-uphill transitions were chewed up by runoff and needed careful line choice. Stopped a few times to pick up the usual beer cans and shot-up junk just off-trail. 99% of the trucks, ATVs, and SxSs were courteous. But — owning a SxS myself — some folks who just discovered the “go fast pedal” probably shouldn’t be near cliffs. Great run to Crown King aside from the group who couldn’t wait 30 seconds to pass on the edge of a sharp drop-off. Side-by-sides make the trail accessible, but they also give a village clown or two the illusion they’re in Mario Kart. Trail remains fully passable — even for the weekend heroes. Recommend early starts or weekday runs to avoid the few downhill drunks who forget basic trail etiquette.

Very dry and dusty with quite a bit of people on the trail. Lots of washboarding definitely need to air down tires next time. Zero uses on the trail with a stock frontier pro4x

Starts off easy then gets really bumpy. Arm and neck was sore for a day. Lots of side by sides coming down the mountain, some places to pass. I got some funny looks from some who were pulled over; they probably weren’t expecting a near stock Tacoma lol. Some nice views here and there but i definitely wouldn’t do it again since it’s mostly 3 hours of neck cracking bumps. Would recommend better suspension for more comfort.

This trail has gotten way rougher than the last time I ran it. There has been an influx of SxS usage which is deteriorating the trail conditions. The weather has also cause a fair amount of erosion also. Make sure you have high clearance and 4x4