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Coyote Valley Road
Bishop,
California
(Inyo County)
Last Updated:
06/19/2017
Trail Information
Highlights
From the high desert to the alpine zone of the Inyo National Forest, Coyote Valley Road - 7S10 is one of the most diverse trails you will find. The trail starts on a dirt road which makes its way up through a desert canyon. At the end of the canyon the road starts an ascent for the next six miles. Between the thick pinion pines some of the best views of Bishop and the Round Valley can be found as you climb. As the trail starts to level out, you find yourself at the start of Coyote Flats. Here you can find creeks and sporadic groves of aspens and pine trees. Additional trails, hiking, fishing and dispersed camping can all be found up here. Some trails go as high as 11,000 ft, so this is a great place to visit in the summer.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
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Trail Reviews
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 10/16/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Our gladiator scrapped a couple of times going down hill. Today we also saw a Wrangler lost traction during the decent down the mountain and rolled on its side. Afterwards we all switched to 4LO for the remainder of the decent.
I would rank this trail as with a difficulty of 4 depending the size of your vehicle. Expect some scrapes if you have a longer wheelbase i.e. Gladiator.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/23/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Easier
This trail is one of my favorites. My first trip was in 1973 in a two wheel drive Ford Courier pickup. We drove it all the way to roads-end at Baker Creek. There used to be an airstrip in the middle of the flats for high altitude practice. Be careful if you drive out the South end to Big Pine. There’s a decomposed granite off camber section that is truly dangerous. Beautiful high country weather and amazing views including the Palisades Glacier if you’re in the right place.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 04/08/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
A pretty nice drive from Bishop to the forest. 3/4 rating seems a little low. I’d think it was at least a 4 on the mandatory sections. I didn’t really see any optional areas unless you count the forest roads that intersect the main trail. We couldn’t cross a snow drift at the very end of the trail, but it won’t be there too much longer. The 4 hour time shown must be up and back.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/16/2021
Fun trail that takes you up and into cooler temps in the summer time. Saw bear and dear. Easy to Moderate is the right rating for this one. Most is easy but there is some wear after Coyote Creek which prompted some to get out and spot. Doable in a stock 4x4 but expect some scraping at times. Will do this one again as there are lots of places to explore once you get up top.
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