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Posted By: Dan_Suitor Info: Clear the whole way. Water is not too high. No problems for my 2500 GMC with off road package and oversized tires. I did need to be mindful of the line I took in the rougher areas. I doubt parking at the gate will ever be available. Best to park at the clearing .3 miles before the gate. |
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Posted By: WildWanderer Info: I drive a stock Tundra. The creek crossings were minimal for this time of year (6-8 inches of water maximum), but I did bottom out a few times on the drive in and out on the 4WD drive to the trailhead, despite careful driving. There are a lot of ups and downs that need to be negotiated carefully in a larger vehicle. No damage, but if you have the option to take a short wheel based vehicle I’d recommend doing so. Also, there’s been an avalanche at the gate, so you need to park before the sign that says not to continue further (because.... you can’t). This only adds about .25 mile to your hike. |
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Posted By: LivingOnTheEdge Info: Sometime between 8:15am and 1pm today, someone filled in the giant rut on the second crossing with a ton of rock. Before, the rut and erosion made the line really tricky and easy to slide off of, but now it’s just about clearance and grip. You still likely need a high clearance vehicle with 4x4 and potentially a rear locking differential, but it is MUCH easier. I saw a few Tacomas, Wranglers, and a couple other trucks at the upper trailhead. For reference, I drive a stock 2010 4Runner and didn’t go for it before the rut was filled in because I didn’t have anyone to help guide me up it and I didn’t want to get stuck. I would have zero concerns about doing it by myself now. |
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Posted By: JasonG144 Info: Exit from second stream crossing was a little burly as soil erosion has made the exit more challenging. All that is left is a big steep rock to climb over . Locking in the rear differential on stock Tacoma TRD- Off Road, made for an controlled crawl up and out of the second stream crossing. On the way back out I piled up some rocks to make it easier to climb down into the stream. If a few more people periodically pile up rocks on their way out, it should keep it more manageable for others and reduce the erosion. Clearly a high clearance 4WD would still remain a requirement for those that want to keep the bottom of their vehicle. |
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Posted By: arianna2 Info: Water is low but the exit from the second stream looks pretty daunting, you’d have to have a lift for that first section, maybe 1/4 mile after the stream. When you turn off 390 into that Rockdale area, the streams and parking are to the left. We did cross the first stream and parked since we didn’t want to get high centered on that second stream exit. Probably would have been fine but it is not a hard walk to the lake anyway. |
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Posted By: Amanda Horner Info: Creeks are low. Crv parked after first stream, second stream is also low but large rocks at the exit may cause lower vehicles trouble. Also there are quite a few berms that a stock 4runner was putting divots in....we would not have taken our 4runner without a its lift. |
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Posted By: cbaldwin Info: I have a Tacoma TRD Off Road with a 3" lift and was able to cross the first creek yesterday. Didn’t want to attempt the 2nd...much faster and deeper water and has some bigger rocks. The first creek covered most of my wheels (probably 26"-30" deep) at the deep spots - so fun. For sure wait until peak run-off is finished in a few weeks but I don’t think it will be as bad as past years. |
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Posted By: sfreytag Info: Clear Creek is currently passable for a bit before peak runoff hits. Crossed in my Ram 2500 around 12:30 PM just for fun after summitting Huron. The truck has 35" tires and the water never got above the center cap on the rim so I’d guess it was around 16" deep in the big channel. |
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Posted By: swesleyc7 Info: This is for Missouri’s West Route. The 2 rivers you need to cross from Rockdale are very low levels - probably just a few inches. Crossing in a regular SUV is OK. However, the trail after the rivers is VERY, VERY rough. No, normal SUV, even ones with 8+ in. of ground clearance, are able to drive up this road to the lake. Only true, off-road, lifted vehicles can drive up this trailhead. It’s full of large stones and berms. Only proper off-road tires and a lifted suspension will be able to clear the obstructs. Be advised. |
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Posted By: jenramirez1 Info: The directions above are out of date - The entrance to Rockdale is now at sign 381 off of Chaffee Rd #390 @ mile 9.6. Evidently, someone has privatized the first 4 cabins and there is a gate with a lock preventing entry. Instead, go a few more hundred feet on #390 to the entrance on the left marked 381. With this new entrance, you only pass 1 cabin before finding the first water crossing pictured in the video above. Pics attached show sign for 381 and the avalanche that destroyed the parking spot near the gate. One more note, this road is worse than in years past. We scraped the bottom of our truck multiple times due to the extreme rockiness and aggressiveness of the trail. |
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Posted By: Strider29 Info: The road has been cleared out to within 1/4 mile of the gate. Like someone else said, you should park at the last open, flat camping area as there are only 2-3 spots to park beyond there before reaching the debris field at the gate. Dozens of "berms" have been added to the road to prevent washouts. Since these are relatively new, they are still fairly pronounced. We scrapped the skid plate on our stock Jeep Sahara Unlimited (8.2" GC) on almost every one of these. There’s one tricky spot just before the last cleared area where half the road has been filled in with large rocks. I was able to go around it on the high side. Wasn’t willing to try going straight over it. No issues at all with the stream crossings right now. |
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Posted By: LUmarnth Info: Just wanted to give a heads up. There’s a landslide before and at the gate. So you wont be driving to the gate any longer. You’ll want to just park/camp at the last open area before the last .3 mile stretch to where the gate is covered in downed trees. |
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Posted By: boonecounty Info: The stream crossing past Rockdale seems very high and it is unlikely you will be able to drive across it to do Missouri until later this year. |
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Posted By: dleck Info: I thought I would add a little more information about the Rockdale trailhead and the road up Lake Fork Creek Canyon to Cloyses Lake and Missouri Mountain (West Ridge route). The water crossing is not bad at this time of year. Maybe about 8 inches deep at its maximum. It is very doable in any SUV. I can certainly understand that in the Spring and early Summer with higher water in can be risky. The first water crossing is rather lengthy (100 feet ?) There is no good way to cross this on foot. I explored the area and there is no bridge or logs or stones to cross this water. You are going to get wet unless you barefoot it or cover your shoes and lower legs with plastic bags. There are a few parking/camping areas between the first and second water crossing. This is where I parked. It gets you across the first water crossing without getting wet. The second water crossing has stones that you can step across to avoid getting wet at this time of year. The road itself is not too bad. I decided not to drive it as not much information was given about it. So, I hiked it instead. But now having seen the whole road I have determined that I could have driven it in my 4wd Ford Ranger. The worst part of this road is coming out of the second water crossing - it is tough. After that though the rocky road climbs and winds its way up through the forest. After about a 1/4 of a mile it starts leveling out and becomes a less rocky road. The last 2 miles of the road are not bad for a 4wd road. I saw other pickups and jeeps (all high clearance) up the road. If you can exit out of the water on to the road you should be fine. With that said, I do not regret hiking the road as it is a beautiful hike through the forest with aspen groves turning color in the fall. |
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Posted By: bbragdon Info: 4WD road in a stock 4Runner and Tacoma is totally doable. The water crossing was not a problem whatsoever. There are few big boulders in the middle of the road but they are easy to get around. The left turn off of road 390 and into Rockdale has been moved about 100 feet down. The original turn near the cabins is for cabin access only. |
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Posted By: Buckie06 Info: The water is low enough for a stock truck/jeep/xterra type. The problem is exiting the river as the road is extremely steep with deep obstacles for about 20 feet. I’d recommend attempting only if you’re an experienced 4wd-er. You’ll most certainly bottom out getting over this spot without a heavily modified vehicle. |
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Posted By: Who_Needs_Oxygen Info: We were able to cross both Creeks with no issues in a unmodified Jeep Wrangler. The water was right about hub height. Several high rocks on the road up to the gate, but I managed not to scrape anything. The road is narrow with not a lot of areas to pass opposite direction traffic. Some low hanging branches as well. It was fun and worthwhile! |
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Posted By: lrosenmayer6 Info: Creek crossing is passable, but you need to have the proper vehicle/lots of clearance. We made it through in my friend’s lifted Nissan Titan. Also saw a lifted Expedition, lifted Tacoma, lifted 4runner, and an ATV that made it through. Definitely would not attempt it in my stock Outback for a while. At the first crossing, stay as far left as possible - it gets nearly waist deep on the right under the tree. There is a large rock at the exit of the second crossing that makes the exit a bit awkward but we made it over it without an issue. The road is fairly rough up to the gate, but if you can get through the water you shouldn’t have an issue getting up the road. |
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Posted By: Eagle Eye Info: I drove past Missouri Gulch TH and to the Rockdale TH yesterday. I parked on a dry spot just uphill from the TH. I didn’t try to go any farther but when I was leaving a truck went by, coming from the Winfield direction. Late in the day the road very slushy & muddy and I was glad I was coming downhill. |
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Posted By: Eagle Eye Info: I was not quite able to reach the Rockdale TH turn-off (9.6 miles up CR 390) yesterday. I parked across from Sheep Gulch TH instead. This picture is about .2 miles below there, a slightly uphill place I couldn’t keep momentum through & backed out of. No one had driven through during the day either. I’ll post in Missouri Gulch TH also. |
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Posted By: stephakett Info: river crossings weren’t bad, the second one has some larger rocks that you need to creep up as soon as you hit land. most of the road was pretty easy, but there were a few especially rocky spots i was glad to have my lifted Wrangler for. lots of large puddles. around 2 miles in (don’t quote me on that) there is a large open space full of softball- to basketball-sized rocks without an obvious trail- keep mostly straight, and a little to the right and you’ll find the opening to the next segment of trail- do not follow the ATV trail to the left. i parked and camped at 10,800, but there were several good pull-offs between there and the gate that also worked as campsites. while i would have appreciated the 3 mile warmup before hitting the West Ridge, i was thankful to not have to go 3 miles back down on the descent. |
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Posted By: ezabielski Info: The creek crossings are inconsequential at this time of the year. The water was probably about a foot deep in both. If your vehicle is capable of doing this road then it can handle the water. The hardest part of the road is immediately after of the second creek crossing, where there is a large unavoidable rock which requires good clearance. After that it stays pretty steep on baby head sized rocks leaving the creek. For most of the road after that it’s just rocky but pretty flat. I think this road is comparably in difficulty to driving the Antero road to the creek crossing. |
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Posted By: Jscoggin819 Info: Our stock Wrangler had no issues with the stream crossings at Rockdale although the second one was still a little deep on the upward side. The rocks upon exiting the second crossing were a bit of a surprise but going into low 4 took care of things. Overall the road up to Clohesy Lake was pretty tame. There were lots of water-filled potholes (some fairly deep and encompassing the entire road) but we thought the overall road quite a bit easier than several we’d done recently (for example, Baldwin Creek and the 4WD roads up to Wetterhorn and Uncompaghre THs). There were lots of Jeeps parked near the Clohesy Lake gate as well as a truck and a Dodge Durango SUV! |
