6/15/2019 Posted On: 6/16/2019 By: spaceman_mort Info: Road is clear and dry up to the 4WD parking area, but Carlos had us all park at the Four Way | ||||
6/2/2019 Posted On: 6/2/2019 By: djacobson Info: You can drive ~2.6mi up the 4WD road from the HQ. Road got slushy after that and on the way back it was like a running river. Please be respectful of private property and listen to Carlos when he tells you where to stop and park so you dont force him to come tow you out. We saw two cars who didnt stop at the proper point and had to be towed out. We made it to the 4WD TH in just boots but 100% needed snowshoes on the way out. Even post holed a bit with snowshoes near the upper TH. Road was a full on slush fest. We removed snowshoes near the Four Way as there was a mostly snow free line to walk back to the cars without them. Its melting fast up there! Hope this info helps! | ||||
2/9/2019 Posted On: 2/10/2019 By: daway8 Info: Confirming/compiling recent updates: If you click on the Google map link in the app it won't take you to the gate you need to be at (though it will put a mark over the ranch house). Instead, if using Google, plug in the coordinates AcornMan provided and it will take you right there, 37.1709, -105.3037. Or look at the map supranihilest sketched out which shows the right locations (I copied/pasted the photo here for easy access). Don't forget to print out the waiver from http://cielovistaranchco.com/culebra-booking/. Must hike from HQ but trail mostly packed to upper 4WD trailhead except some windblown portions. | 1 |
|||
1/27/2019 Posted On: 2/4/2019 By: supranihilest Info: There are at least two entrances to the Cielo Vista Ranch. We followed Google Maps which took us to the wrong gate. Google took us to the north gate, which is a single metal gate with "CV" on it. It is located at the end of Whiskey Pass Road/CR L.7. This is not the correct entrance. The correct entrance is due south at the junction of Road 25.5 (also note there are two Road 25.5s, one to the east and one to the west; I am talking about the eastern one) and CR M.5. There are two large, green gates here and signs for camping. The Roach book describes the correct directions as well as the correct gate; the directions on this website are correct but it mentions the "north gate" which is incorrect, it is actually the south gate. See the map screenshot for more information. | 10 |
|||
6/30/2018 Posted On: 7/2/2018 By: madadraw1 Info: FYI, steep incline. My Rav4's tires were burning before we reached bottom. Despite using 1st gear entire way. | ||||
6/29/2018 Posted On: 6/29/2018 By: LetsGoMets Info: Carlos opened the gate at 545AM, easy check in, solid host. Road is in good shape - steep in parts. Rougher from 4 way, but saw a Forester make it. Used the dot com directions to the gate, right on target. | ||||
6/17/2018 Posted On: 6/18/2018 By: AcornMan Info: Road all the way to the upper trailhead is very Subaruable. The road between the lower trailhead (aka "4 Way) and upper trailhead is very easy. If your vehicle can make it to the lower trailhead, you should definitely be able to make it to the upper trailhead. I've seen several posts about people having difficulty finding the entrance gate for the ranch. Just punch the following coordinates into Google Maps or whatever other navigation system you're using... 37.1709 -105.3037 ...and it will take you right to it. That worked for me using Google Maps and Garmin. | ||||
5/26/2018 Posted On: 5/29/2018 By: sallenrogem87 Info: Though long, this road is definitely doable in a Subaru. I have a 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek with 8.7 inches of ground clearance and the stock tires that came with the vehicle (still have good tread). I am NOT a seasoned off-road driver and this road did not have me feeling too nervous at all. Yes, it is steep at times, but it seems like where it's steep it isn't very rocky. We were able to drive all the way up to the 4WD TH without incident. Getting in and out of the parking area at the 4WD TH really isn't bad, though you may have to get creative with a spot if you are one of the last vehicles into the parking area. | ||||
5/20/2018 Posted On: 5/20/2018 By: merrion13 Info: Completely dry and in good shape; however, the road does get pretty steep after the ranch on the way to Four Way...a FWD CRV with street tires got stuck on the hill and had to be towed to a flat area yesterday. If you don't think your car will make it, simply park at the HQ and ride up with others. | ||||
4/7/2018 Posted On: 4/10/2018 By: hberry Info: As of 4/7 you still have to start at the Ranch HQ. Similar to what the post below said, a 4x4 vehicle could make it just under 2 miles further without needing chains - but no matter, what the ranch says goes. The road below HQ was fine for almost any vehicle. DO NOT FOLLOW GOOGLE MAPS/WAZE DIRECTIONS TO THE RANCH - They will put you at the wrong gate and you will have wasted 4 hours driving there - FOLLOW THE 14ERS DIRECTIONS. | 2 |
|||
1/7/2018 Posted On: 1/7/2018 By: BrentRichter Info: | ||||
1/6/2018 Posted On: 1/7/2018 By: Thevirtualsherpa Info: Spoke with new owners and camping is allowed inside gates as in past. Must park car and walk in. He said fires are acceptable as well as long as they are in ring and under control. Trailhead has ample parking and how far you drive up depends on owner. Road to 4 way and upper TH is very steep in sections, AWD or 4x4 recommended. Not technically difficult at all. No bathrooms. | ||||
6/24/2016 Posted On: 6/24/2016 By: Corey17 Info: Drove a Subaru Crosstrek to the upper Culebra TH today. The road was dry, well graded, and generally friendly. There was one or two water bars where I appreciated my clearance. It got a bit rockier above the Four Way, but was still an easy road. By far the crux of this one is the grade. A few parts were so steep that I was flooring the gas in 1st gear, and still creeping up at 5 MPH. Be prepared for the steepness. At the gate, Ron was recommending sedans to hitch rides. | ||||
8/1/2015 Posted On: 8/1/2015 By: mtgirl Info: Road thru ranch to the upper 4wd trailhead was in good condition today. Parked at lower Fourway trailhead just to get some extra vertical, but most other vehicles drove up to the upper trailhead one mile farther with no issue. Honestly, I think the road between Fourway and the upper trailhead is easier than the section between the ranch headquarters and Fourway. No clearance issues at all. We drove a Ford F-150, but I would have been comfortable driving my Subaru. Road is a bit steep approaching Fourway, so low gear while descending is advised. Power would be the biggest issue getting up the steep sections, not clearance. Slept in truck at gate. Ranch hand arrived 5:50 AM and promptly opened the gate and escorted hikers to headquarters to sign in at 6 AM. Hiking by 6:35 am. Tent camping is just inside the gate along with clean porta potty. | 2 |
|||
6/27/2015 Posted On: 6/29/2015 By: fahixson Info: Road to upper 4WD parking was in good shape. A few steep sections getting up to four way, but no rocks or other significant obstacles to speak of all the way to the end of the road. Most difficult part of the drive was getting in and out of the parking lot. We were in an AWD Nissan Rogue loaded down with 4 people. |
