8/24/2023 Posted On: 8/26/2023 By: kspitzer1987 Info: Drove a Honda Odyssey (makeshift camper van for the night) and made it absolutely no problem. Some spots I had avoid and steer around but made it very easily. | ||||
7/28/2023 Posted On: 7/31/2023 By: bmanser02 Info: Great condition. There's a small restroom in the parking lot. The lot itself is easy to get to and has plenty of space. It's no problem at all for even a 2WD vehicle. No service for Verizon anywhere from clear creek reservoir and up. | ||||
7/24/2023 Posted On: 7/25/2023 By: JROSKA Info: As referenced in the last conditions report, there is one long rutted out section a little over 2 miles from the trailhead. I was a bit complacent driving a Subaru, & was surprised by how low the car dipped and bounced back up. Its still a 2WD road but anyone driving a passenger vehicle will want to be aware that its there, and drive over it slowly. | 1 |
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7/22/2023 Posted On: 7/24/2023 By: robochick84 Info: Did Bel-Ox On July 22. I was nervous about reaching the trailhead due to the 2wd-4wd debate over current road conditions. Throwing in my two cents as someone that has driven everything from a mid-80s Trans Am to a fully equipped Jeep - and I'll say it is 2wd and low clearance accessible at the moment. Driving in before 5am we almost missed the small knoll with the big hole and that could have been rough for the standard SUV/crossover if going too fast. Our GPS (Google) noted we were 2.4 miles from the trailhead at that point, so remain alert. With a spotter, or getting out yourself to check where to put your tires, I think any vehicle can navigate it and the series of other holes in the immediate area. The remainder of the road is just a decent washboard. | ||||
6/24/2023 Posted On: 6/26/2023 By: Tony1 Info: Just a heads up for sedan/smaller car drivers that the road has deteriorated quite a bit after the National Forest boundary, between the reservoir and Missouri Gulch trailhead. Typically I would have no problem driving my Golf to Missouri Gulch trailhead or even Winfield, but I would not do so right now due to one particular rut maybe a mile or so west of the National Forest boundary. Besides the ruts, there are also many large potholes all over the place which require careful attention to the road to avoid. Use extreme caution if taking smaller cars to the trailhead and FWIW I did not see anything lower than your standard AWD crossover at the trailhead. Aside from this, seems the road has returned to its usual state of constant washboard and small holes. | ||||
6/24/2023 Posted On: 6/26/2023 By: mcosby Info: Not to be controversial, but Id have to disagree that low clearance vehicles would not make this drive. I made it with no difficulty in my fairly low ford transit connect on 06/24/2023 and saw plenty of other low clearance vehicles at the TH. Definitely take it slow and be conscientious of the potholes and ruts, but its very doable! | 1 |
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6/11/2023 Posted On: 6/12/2023 By: supranihilest Info: Bathroom is open and stocked with TP. Someone had pissed on the floor and thrown TP all over by the time I left. | 1 |
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5/17/2023 Posted On: 5/17/2023 By: Molasses Info: I just drove to the trailhead today. County Road 390 is completely dry, and in good condition. Any vehicle should be able to handle the small ruts and rocks after the snowplow turnaround. | ||||
4/28/2023 Posted On: 4/28/2023 By: JasonCrane Info: On Friday morning 5am, 4/28, we attempted to drive stock Nissan SUV down to Winfield for a shot at Huron. However, 2 snow storms week of April 24th, notably the snow storm on the night of Thurs., 4/27, dumped several inches of fresh snow on Chaffee Co. Road 390. Snow mixed with mud created very slick road conditions & poor traction enough that we turned around about 3-4 miles in. Friday afternoon's sun & Saturday's nice weather forecast 4/29, will hopefully dry-out & create better driving conditions to reach Missouri Gulch TH & beyond. | ||||
4/9/2023 Posted On: 4/10/2023 By: colin j Info: Was able to drive within 1.3 miles of Missouri Gulch TH. Later on 4/9 someone was able to drive 50 yards beyond where I got stuck. There is ample room to turn around and park here. Chaffee County 390 is melting fast; for now 4WD is necessary to drive past the snow plow turnaround. | ||||
3/18/2023 Posted On: 3/19/2023 By: RWSchaffer Info: Chaffee County Road 390 is plowed 4.5 miles from U.S. 24 to a plow turn. The first four miles are dry and my two door hatchback had no difficulty with the icy snow patches in the last half mile. Many vehicle tracks continue past the plow turn toward the trailhead. The only tracks that reach the trailhead, and beyond, are from a snow cat. A few wheeled vehicles reached a large parking area on the south side of the road, about a mile beyond the plow turn. Most wheeled vehicles turned back before that, some after getting stuck. I walked the 3.0 miles from plow turn to trailhead when they were well frozen, and the frozen snow cat tracks made traction and floatation unnecessary; things are likely to be sloppier during the day. | ||||
2/25/2023 Posted On: 2/27/2023 By: aksean22 Info: Road is plowed and easily accessible in any vehicle to the winter closure. Would not recommend trying to go any further. I saw several signs of digging out stuck vehicles that tried to, no one made it more than 1/2 a mile. | ||||
2/24/2023 Posted On: 2/24/2023 By: Yikes Info: The 5 miles from the highway to the snowplow turnaround was well plowed. With the Arkansas valley being bone dry after the recent storm and having new snow tires, I was overly confident driving my Grand Cherokee further up the road. Even though the road starts out with a mild uphill and long sections of flat, I quickly got stuck in deep sugary snow about 200 yards past the snow plow turnaround. After several hours of trying to dig out, I had to walk about a mile down the road to get cell reception. Towing estimate was $1500 (to get towed 200 yards down an "easy" road). Not willing to pay that, it took another 3 hours to dig out enough to eventually back down the road. I don't think the issue was ice, just the deep sugar snow high-centering the vehicle. Perhaps a vehicle with higher clearance and extra knobby tires might have luck. Otherwise, park low. | ||||
12/25/2022 Posted On: 12/25/2022 By: Kiefer Info: County Road 390 is drivable all the way to the trailhead with SNOW TIRES. Do not bring regular, all-terrain street tires. Snow on the road is shallow, but it is sugary and iced in many spots. There is a track all the way to the TH. There is a good, fairly clear area on the south side of the road (wide turn-around spot) bare about 2.2 miles from the typical snow closure near the ranch. It's a good spot to park the vehicle safely w/o getting stuck. The restroom at the trailhead is closed for the season. | 2 |
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11/25/2022 Posted On: 11/26/2022 By: Ssgustafson Info: Almost no snow or ice on the road to the TH. Toilet is locked for the season. |
