Rat Creek Loop

Certainly more difficult than advertised, but definitely possible even with a mostly stock Super Duty Tremor (only change is 37in tires). It rained a lot the day before so there was a lot of mud and some deeper puddles, but doable with 4WD and good tires. There were a few fallen trees I had to cut. I went clockwise (up on west side, down on east). Both the east and west sides of the trail are equally challenging at their most challenging parts, but the west side is more consistently rugged while the east side has a lot of flat dirt roads (due to the old mines). Only hard part of the east side is the last couple miles to get up to the peak with tight & steep switchbacks.

I believe we met Brian Simpson (trail report below this one) on this day! Definitely a challenging trail in areas. Light rain for the first half and sunny the second half, not a whole lot of folks out riding this day. There were many steep climbs that required 4L and some very rocky sections - Those sections alone should have this trial ranked higher in difficulty. Takes you all day in a Jeep. If you’re comfortable with this type of terrain and have the patience to ride it out, it’s worth the trip. Beautiful views.

Incredible trip but waayyyyy harder than advertised. Took me almost 5 hours to complete. Was afraid of being stranded and there weren’t many people out on this day.

Harder than the rating gives it credit for, at least compared to nearby trails. But mostly easy with harder sections. Some climbs steep enough and with ledges to require 4L. Got caught in one section with side by sides coming the other way, pretty rough backing out to the last wide spot. Absolutely gorgeous views.