Canyon Rim Road

Trail was open without any issues, Beautiful weather and the tail end of the color. This was my first time tackling a trail of this difficulty so take my report as such. First section (David Rd.) was somewhat wet and covered with fallen leaves, leaving it hard to see the trail clearly at times. Definitely would not have liked to have run into another vehicle going the other way (full-size F250 took up all the space). Second section was a fantastic drive , the new culvert still needs some time to settle in mud was still slightly soft but not a big deal with 4x4 and locked diffs. Water crossings were beautiful, and the rest of trail was easy to navigate.

The marked washout had a large culvert in place, the trail was passable.

There is a wash out that is being repaired with a bridge. No road closure sign is posted.

Trail closed for 3 culverts to be replaced. Talked to the crew replacing it personally. They said it will take a couple weeks but they’re instructed to rough up the road more on the way out for people like us

We are submitting this review with the caveat that we are inexperienced off-roaders who attempted this route in a lifted 4WD Ford Transit camper van. We quickly determined we had no business being on this trail. That being said, the description of this trail is not at all accurate. It is a single track with a lot of rocks, uneven tracks, and high chance of high centering. We met with another person who completed the trail in a regular-height pickup who said they came close to high centering on several occasions throughout the trail.

Creek crossings were flowing good! Good trail and will definitely do it again. The fire tower was the cherry on top.

Loved the washout you get to cross over and the terrain throughout the trail. One of my favorite trails on the east coast that I’ve done!

Upon heading to Big Run Falls, halfway between where the groomed gravel ends and the falls, there is a creek crossing that was previously a culvert crossing. It has become washed out, the pipe is destroyed, and rocks are piled up making it impassible for most vehicles. It could be passed by Jeeps or those in groups possibly but I am running 37s with high clearance and I did not pass because of my width and being solo. It’s approximately a half mile walk from the falls. Hope this helps!

Definitely not easy. We started at the Olson Tower and traveled east. This took us 3 hours, granted we explored at each of the three points of interest (the Falls, campsite, and canyon overlook), but we also had to get out and plan our approach at a few places. The big dip is a doozy.

This trail is labeled as a green trial but should be changed to a blue trail. It could be very technical and challenging for an inexperienced person just starting out overlanding. The trail is very rocky and rough. There are two wash out areas that require a high clearance vehicle and 4x4.

I managed to complete this in a stock Subaru OBW. The AWD system in this car is quite capable on this trail. This is the most challenging trail I've been on. Most of it was very doable--but the washouts are very taxing with the limited approach angle on the OBW. Coming west from Douglas, I was able to get through both washouts, with the help from some really nice guys along the trail who helped spot and push me out of a rut. The first washout was particularly difficult. I would not recommend you do it alone in anything like I was driving. I wouldn't have attempted it without them. The broken pipe obstacle towards the end of the trail had a boulder that I had to build a rock ramp over. All in all this was a fun trail, regardless, and would be much easier if with better approach angles.

Camped at Blackwater Falls for the weekend and decided to check out some nearby trails. Started out in the early afternoon from the Douglas Road end while it was still spitting rain/overcast. The sun came out and cleared up the sky for us for some nice scenery. The trail is washed out/large puddles in a lot of areas. Water crossings have faster flowing water due to all the recent rain, but they are passable with careful lines. Use caution at the water crossing that has a drainage pipe going through it - the pipe is actually broken in two now so be careful with tire placement in case there are sharp ends. Ended at the Olson Tower where we got to see some nice views. Definitely for high clearance 4x4s. We had an XJ with a 4 inch lift on 31s and a stock height JLU on 33s going through and had a few clearance issues at times, patricularly in some of the puddles and on rocks. Lots of places to smack a diff if you aren't careful. Overall, a fun trail and an awesome addition to our first camping/trailing trip.

Nothing too difficult, lots of small mud puddles throughout the trail. The two major obstacles are the two washouts. The one on the west side has gotten worse since the last time that I was here. This trail should be doable for just about any 4x4 with a good driver.

Muddy and rainy, rocky per usual, some parts are washing out, very foggy

Trail was in good shape. Mudholes while deep at times have solid bottoms and were passible by stock 4WD vehicles in our group. Biggest obstacle is the washout that may require a spotter for comfort purposes.