Trail Overview
La Cueva Trail 8 is a 3.3-mile-long rugged and rocky ATV trail in the Carson National Forest. The south end starts on FS Road 76 across from a staging area and campsites. The trail is full of intermediate challenges, including blunt root ledges, big embedded boulder faces, slippery roots, and steep hills. There is even a chunky and uneven rock obstacle right away as you cross through the gate to enter the trail. It climbs up over 1,300 feet in elevation throughout the route to connect with Trail 182, but most of the ascent is gradual. The trail gets to over 10,000 feet elevation, so expect typical high-elevation challenges such as changing weather conditions, downed logs, mud, and ruts. The trail remains wide enough for 50-inch vehicles throughout the route, making it ideal for quads. Some sections have deep ruts, and if riding downhill, there are foot-tall drop-offs from the root bands across the trail. It weaves tightly through a mix of aspens and pine trees in a scenic forest setting.
Difficulty
This is an intermediate route for dirt bikes and ATVs due to frequent blunt root ledges about a foot tall, deep ruts, and constant rocky cobble. The trail has a mix of gradual and steep slopes, and riders should expect changing conditions at high elevation.
Offroad