Nellie Creek Trailhead

Posted On: 8/11/2026 By: minnesotanclimber
Info: I took the Nellie Creek road to the 4WD trailhead today (8/11). The road is open per the Forest Service, though it has been closed in the last few days. Check the Forest Service website for the Elk Fire before departing.

I drove a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk on A/T tires in 4WD low. This road is graded a 3/6 and was probably the roughest 3 I have driven, but is definitely still a 3. The first half of the road going up is just plain rocky and is more about choosing lines. The second half had its smoother sections, but contains more obstacles like creek crossings (they are not deep right now), sharp uphill turns, and one deep rut section. The trail is also busy with OHVs/side by sides this time of year. It took me roughly 45m to get up and 30m to get down.

Posted On: 8/7/2026 By: CowboyDan
Info: Closed again, likely due to increased Elk Fire activity. Drove to TH only to be disappointed D:

Posted On: 7/30/2026 By: RCBurnout11
Info: Drove to Nellie Creek TH today. I'm assuming based on the previous updates that the road has been regraded during the closure for the Elk fire. No major obstacles of any kind, just some steep/narrow sections and a couple of dirt humps closer to the top. One muddy section that's pretty flat. There was a Nissan Rogue at the trailhead this morning and my Crosstrek got there effortlessly, so if you have decent clearance and know the limitation of your car, you're probably good to attempt it.

Posted On: 7/18/2026 By: RWinters
Info: Due to the Elk fire Nellie Creek road was closed on 7/17. There was some discussion it may re-open as early as today given more favorable fire conditions with rain and humidity.

Posted On: 7/5/2026 By: bblack94
Info: The worst muddy spot can be easily driven around. The road is pretty bumpy but otherwise in good condition. I personally would never attempt it without 4WD.

Posted On: 7/2/2026 By: roberthailey
Info: 4WD is a must. The road is ridiculous, but doable as long as you don't meet someone going the other way.

Posted On: 7/10/2026 By: oncdoc
Info: Rough road with deep dips, two stream crossings. rented 4x4 in Lake city and glad I did. Amazingly there were two subarus that made it to the top (I have no idea how).

Posted On: 6/20/2026 By: ericwolf88
Info: Went to the 4WD trailhead with a 4Runner no problem. Road is very dry, but like other have said, there is one spot with some mud that I was somewhat able to avoid. There were probably 20 cars today and the parking lot at the trailhead was full - Broncos, Subarus, 4Runners, and trucks mostly. I know people are saying a 2WD probably could do it, but you would definitely want some clearance in order to make that feasible.

Posted On: 6/16/2026 By: Arthur Shagisultanov
Info: Hiked from 2WD TH. Road is mostly dry and in decent shape except a few puddles and the aforementioned mud pit. Both creek crossings were fairly shallow. Saw a Subaru Outback that made it to the 4WD TH, but there was also a Subaru Forester with more clearance parked just after the first creek crossing, so take that how you will.

Posted On: 6/13/2026 By: scfauth
Info: Stock outback made it fine choosing good lines. Water crossings were low enough not to be an issue. The mud pit previously discussed on here is drying out, however it is only going to get worse and more rutted out. I took the far left going up/far right coming down. Most people spend the night before hitting the trail- warning- mosquitos are already out in force. The "bathroom" is a decrepit outhouse that was boarded up at the entrance but the backside is hanging open- BL- not functional- don't count on it.

Posted On: 5/25/2026 By: vanessasherk
Info: We made it just fine in our lifted (9.5") Outback w all-season tires. The muddy spot about 1.7 mi from the upper trailhead was still there. Important to pick your line and put a bit of speed into it. To whomever placed stones on a line - thanks! The rest was fine.

Posted On: 4/23/2026 By: wmagnuson7
Info: There was a very large downed tree only 1 mile up the road, so went back to Lake City, bought a saw, and sawed it in half and moved it off the road.

Alas, I was then thwarted by large snow drifts 2.5 miles up the road (1.5 miles from 4WD TH), so decided to park there. In another week or so, should be able to bypass it, but would bring chains or the requisite equipment in case you get stuck.

After that section of snow (which was present bc it was completely in the shade), the remainder of the road was clear except for a downed tree roughly 0.4 miles from 4WD TH. If you bring a saw you could saw through it or two strong people together could probably move it, as it was detached from its base. Enjoy!

Posted On: 12/30/2025 By: HikerBox
Info: Drove up to the creek crossing without issue. There is a nice ice flow at the bottom but it isn't steep. Remainder of the road is a mix of snow packed or dirt. The creek was several inches of ice with tracks on the other side but I didn't want to risk getting stuck solo.

2015 4x4 Tacoma with fresh Blizzaks

Posted On: 11/11/2025 By: thbl4268
Info: Made it up in my RAV4 about 30min before sunset with 0 issues. Highly recommend slow-going in a vehicle that has at least 6 inches of clearance. Going down on the other hand was a tad icy in spots due to me making it out before the noon sun had a chance to melt things up. Bathroom is closed for the season at the top.

Posted On: 10/17/2025 By: Kiefer
Info: The road has noticably deteriorated in the last 8 weeks since I've up here. Still drivable even for a Subaru though. The recent rains have caused three slides and a couple trees to fall. They're cleared up but the road has narrowed as a result.
Road was drier than expected. LOTS of hunters up there. Wear your orange.