Trail Overview
Hillside Drive (FR 436) is an easy and delightful drive up a hillside in the San Juan Forest. You cross the Dolores River to start, then head upwards with Burnette Canyon on your right. The first 12 miles are easy gravel that slowly climbs the hill through groves of aspen trees. In the fall, this section is stunning. As you start to reach the top of the hill, the terrain changes with open spaces amongst pine trees along with primitive/dispersed campsites and a small lake named Grindstone. The road is slightly rocky here with some ruts in places, but nothing serious. Please remember to tread lightly and protect this pristine area.
Difficulty
The road is mostly easy gravel. After about 12 miles and you start to approach top of the hill, it gets slightly rocky. These are small rocks, nothing serious. You can drive 2WD all the way.
