Niagara Rim

With some snow the hill climbs got pretty gnarly and very muddy. Beautiful scenery and fun trail looks like this was the last weekend without deep snow.

Ran this trail solo on a beautiful summer Sunday and did not see another soul. Trail varies in difficulty along its length and towards the end there’s a few very steep inclines as you work towards the exit of the trail, one of which is 26°! This area has to be the reason for the six rating, overall, I think the trail would trend more towards a four or five. The large boulder field at the high point of the trail has any number of fun obstacles to tackle, some of which are extreme. Also, as you approach the end of the trail, there are some very narrow spots that could be tough for longer wheelbase vehicles. You can skip this last section though if you want to and head over on road 19EV178 to FS5N09 to Eagle Meadows rd, which is the way back to Highway 108. Like all Sierra trails in the summer, there was lots of dust, so primarily had to keep the windows up with the AC on. Some of the rocky sections you can roll the windows down and enjoy the breeze without getting dusted out. Highly recommended Trail.

Route finding may be difficult in spots without using a mapping app, due to many side trails. There are a few steep climbs, especially at the end, but a lifted XJ with open diffs and 31" tires was able to make it up with a tiny bit of momentum.

This trail provided a decent challenge for our stock Mojave due to limited ground clearance and long wheelbase. Had to stack rocks in one section and rear locker in another. Overall a fun trail with great views.