Trail Overview
This trail offers a little bit of everything, making it a rewarding challenge for experienced off-road drivers, with exceptional views throughout nearly the entire route. The climb begins immediately and continues steadily, with only a few short sections where the grade levels out. Early in the ascent, you’ll encounter several deep ruts, some a foot or more in depth, requiring careful tire placement. As the trail climbs higher, it transitions into narrow shelf roads with significant exposure in places, making precise wheel placement especially important. Several extremely steep and loose sections may require airing down and using 4WD low, with a few tight corners requiring multiple-point turns. After reaching the spring and crossing a shallow water crossing, the trail becomes somewhat easier as it continues toward a junction with trails to the south. Shortly beyond this point, the difficulty increases significantly, with three or four rock gardens containing embedded rocks, some exceeding 18 inches, with little or no way around them. A spotter is highly recommended through these sections to help prevent sidewall punctures or undercarriage damage. Beyond the rock gardens, the trail offers abundant wildlife activity, an old cabin, and a large meadow at the summit. Additional two-track routes continue beyond the meadow without apparent BLM designation, and the meadow provides an excellent camping destination. With outstanding views around nearly every turn, this is one of the most scenic and rewarding trails in the area.
Difficulty
This trail features several challenging sections and is best suited for smaller off-road vehicles, particularly short-wheelbase Jeep-type vehicles. Anything larger may have considerable difficulty navigating the tighter sections and narrow shelf roads. From the beginning, it is recommended to engage 4WD and air down your tires to improve traction and ride quality. The first section includes deep ruts that require careful tire placement, followed by loose, moderately steep rock sections with several very tight turns and steep climbs. Farther along, the trail transitions onto extremely narrow shelf roads, where significant exposure on the downhill side demands careful driving. Some sections are narrow and off-camber enough that walking the route beforehand is highly recommended. The most difficult portion comes near the end, where rock gardens contain large embedded rocks, some exceeding 18 inches. Careful wheel placement is essential, and having a spotter, proper tire-repair equipment, and reliable recovery gear is strongly recommended before attempting this section.
