Colorado Trails
Middle Fork Swan River

Middle Fork Swan River

Breckenridge, Colorado (Summit County)

Last Updated: 11/11/2020

5 / 5 ( 15 reviews )

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Information

Nearby Trails

Status:	Seasonal Closure
Typically Open:	05/20 - 11/23
Difficulty:	4-6 (MODERATE - DIFFICULT)
Length:	7.6 miles
Highest Elevation:	12600 feet
Duration:	About 1 hour, 30 minutes
Shape of Trail:	Straight Through
Best Direction to Travel:	East
Nearest Town:	Breckenridge
Nearest Town w/ Services:	Breckenridge
Official Road Name:	6, 6.2, 5
Management Agency:	White River National Forest
District:	Dillon Ranger District

Distance:

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Highlights

The Middle Fork Swan River 4WD trail follows the river up its valley through picturesque pine forest and onto the high alpine tundra between Whale Mountain and Wise Mountain. From the high saddle, there are spectacular views with Breckenridge Ski Resort visible to the west, and the iconic Red Cone descent to the east.

Video

Weather

7 day forecast for Middle Fork Swan River

Route Information

Advanced Rating System

Recommended Vehicle:

Stock SUV with High Clearance and 4 Low

Concerns:

Summary:

The crux of this trail is a very rocky hill climb just above treeline, Tombstone Hill. This climb has several variations. A good stock truck, with good driving technique, taking the right line, can summit. However, a built rig, taking the hardest lines will find plenty of challenge. Note: The shelf road that serves as the easy bypass at Tombstone Hill is where snow lingers latest. It can be blocked with snow, especially at the top, well into July. If you're not sure, it's best to make the arduous hike up to check for snow before driving up this shelf road. You may not enjoy backing down it!

Technical Rating: 4-6
(MODERATE - DIFFICULT)

Typically, more rock or undulated road surface. Potential rocks and/or tree stumps less than 18" tall and/or vertical ledges less than 18" tall and/or near vertical ledges or waterfalls less than 36" inches. Tire placement becomes more difficult. Can be steep and off-camber.

Description

The Middle Fork Swan 4WD trail begins as a tight, rocky, but easy road. The crux of the trail is a very rocky hill climb just above treeline, Tombstone Hill. This climb has several variations. A good stock truck, with good driving technique, taking the right line, can summit. However, a built rig, taking the hardest lines will find plenty of challenge. Note: The .gpx track offered here takes the easiest route. As noted in the waypoint descriptions below, there are some more challenging lines that will deviate a bit but should end up back on the track after the obstacle. Enjoy the challenge, but please stay the trail! After summiting at a high saddle, Middle Fork Swan traverses high tundra to intersect with several other, popular trails. Because of the challenge of Tombstone Hill, Middle Fork Swan is usually run from west to east, beginning near Breckenridge. Connecting to North Fork Swan River makes a loop. Continuing on Deer Creek or Saints John leads down to Montezuma. Cell service is nonexistent in the Swan River Valley and only spotty on the high tundra. The nearest emergency room is at St. Anthony Summit Medical Center (970-668-3300), located just off CO-9 south of Frisco. Summit County Sheriff office (970-453-2232) is on CO-9 in Breckenridge.

Waypoints

1. Trailhead (0 mi)

Middle Fork and North Fork Swan River share a western trailhead at a well marked fork. North Fork Swan is FS 354 to the left. Middle Fork Swan is FS 6 to the right across a narrow bridge. There is a small parking area to the right.

2. Georgia Pass (0.4 mi)

After passing a snowmobile and sled dog business on the left, FS 355, Georgia Pass, departs to the right. Continue straight on FS 6.2.

3. Seasonal Gate/Georgia Pass Shortcut (1.2 mi)

To the right are the ruins of an old bridge and a water crossing. On the other side are some great camp sites and quick access to Georgia Pass. Note: During Spring run-off, this water crossing can be more than floorboard deep and very fast. Just around the bend is the seasonal gate. This gate is closed from November through May, although some parts of the trail can be impassible with snow as late as July.

4. SOB Hill (2.4 mi)

SOB Hill, FS 258, forks to the right and continues up to Glacier Ridge and the summit of Georgia Pass. Continue left on FS 6.

5. Bypass (4.2 mi)

The right option is a bit rockier, but not difficult. The left option is smoother. A couple more such bypasses have been blocked off. Remember to stay the trail! Immediately after this, an unmarked and rough trail to the left leads up to some ruins of old Swandyke.

6. Swandyke Cabin (4.6 mi)

Update: Tragically, the record-breaking snow of the winter of 2018-2019 was too much for the old cabin. See the 3rd pic for the carnage. The large cabin on the left is nearly all that remains of the booming mining camp of Swandyke. The population peaked at 500 in the late 1890s. The camp was home to a 75 bed hotel and even had stage coach service to Jefferson via Georgia Pass. An avalanche destroyed the ore mill during the brutal winter of 1898-99, after which the population fell to about 20. None the less, mining around Swandyke continued for another 30 years. Exploring the woods in this area, you'll find many artifacts, including a mysterious buried vehicle. No one knows how it got there, although it seems likely it was left by the hippies who took up residence along Swan River in the 1970's much to the chagrin of the Forest Service.

7. FS 325 (4.9 mi)

FS 325 forks off to the left. This easy trail goes up over the ridge line and dead ends at the tailings of a small mine. Continue on FS 6 to the right.

8. Rough Spot (5.7 mi)

Some large, embedded rocks protrude form the middle of the trail. This is the first spot where stock vehicles need to take care. Larger rigs will hardly notice. This spot is also known to be blocked with snow as late as July. There is no bypass here. Let's keep it that way! Stay the trail!

9. Rock Shelf (5.7 mi)

Just as the trail breaks above treeline, a couple of switchbacks are interrupted by a small rock shelf. Stock vehicles should have no problem if they chose their line carefully. It's not as bad as it looks (as seen in the video above at 3:19). Notice the fresh, illegal shortcut to the right. Please do not take this line! Stay the trail!!

10. Tombstone Hill (6 mi)

The next quarter mile is what gives Middle Fork Swan a high-end rating of 6. Taking the easiest bypasses up the hill, you will only face the low-end rating of 4. Those easy bypasses are, from the bottom, right crossing to the center at waypoint 11, right at waypoint 12, and then, above the hill, right at waypoint 14. Coincidentally, all of the easy bypasses are also where the snow lingers longest. While the harder side of waypoints 12 and 14 will be clear of snow by early July, the easy routes can still be covered for two or three weeks longer. See the video above beginning at 3:55 to see both the hard and easy routes.

11. Tombstone Hill, 1st Bypass (6 mi)

The difficulty of the rock ledges to the left depend, somewhat on wheelbase. Longer trucks, like the Jeep JK Unlimited, will find both front and rear wheels hitting ledges at the same time. In early Summer, this section will be even more difficult as it will be wet with snow run-off. To avoid this set of rock ledges, take the easy bypass to the right, then cut back across to the center line, passing just to the left of the "Tombstone" rock. Staying to the right leads through a more rocky patch, but ends up in the same place.

12. Tombstone Hill, 2nd Bypass (6.1 mi)

The trail widens out a bit above the "Tombstone" rock, allowing a few trucks to wait and watch the show as folks tackle the next section. Although it might be tempting, please do not "pose" by driving up onto the Tombstone. The rock isn't all that stable. The next section is much longer. The left side has a couple of ledges separated by a 100 feet or so. These ledges are bigger than the set on the previous section. Additionally, this section of trail is less embedded rock and more loose dirt and stones, making traction harder to come by. The right side is easily passable by stock trucks, although the very narrow, rocky stretch does have some pucker factor. This shelf road has the latest lingering snow drifts, sometimes lasting into late July.

13. Top of Tombstone Hill (6.2 mi)

After tackling Tombstone Hill, take a breather here and take in the stunning views of Glacier Ridge to the south and, on a clear day, Breckenridge Ski Resort to the west. This is also a nice spot to wait for the rest of your party to catch up. If traveling east to west and thus descending Middle Fork, the right option here leads to the harder side of the hill described above. The left fork goes to the easy bypass. The same is true for the next fork a few yards further down. Stay left for the easiest route.

14. Bypass (6.3 mi)

One final fork here separates an easier route to the right and a moderately harder to the left. The right fork may be blocked with snow well into July. The left is loose, so traction can be tough to find, especially if you lose momentum, but it's not that difficult.

15. Summit (6.9 mi)

This high saddle has a well marked T-intersection. A short, out-and-back trail to the right runs along the shoulder of Whale Mountain. It's worth the time for this short side trip. More often than not, there will be several mountain goats grazing near the trail. This route, sadly, shows the serious consequences of leaving the trail to drive out on the tundra. Please stay the trail! Go left and continue on to FS 5. There are two options up this small hill. The easier is to the left. While you're here, don't miss out on the great views! Red Cone can be seen to the east just beyond Handcart Peak and Hall Valley below.

16. Deer Creek/Saints John (7.6 mi)

Middle Fork Swan ends at a three-way intersection. To the right, FS 5 continues down Deer Creek to Montezuma, with a connector to the top of Radical Hill. To the left, FS 275, Saints John Road, connects to North Fork Swan River, then makes its way down to Montezuma.

Directions to Trailhead

Trailhead Coordinates: 39.513240, -105.947400

Starting Point: Breckenridge

On CO-9, between Frisco and Breckenridge, turn northeast at the traffic light onto Tiger Road/Shores Lane. Pavement ends after approx. 3 miles. Continue on Tiger Road past dredge tailings and a wide parking area on the right. At an obvious fork in the road, reset mileage. Left (north) is FS 354, North Fork Swan River. Right (east), and across a narrow bridge, is FS 6, Middle Fork Swan River.

Camping

Dispersed

Dispersed camping is allowed along all but a small section of Middle Fork Swan. This section is private land and is well marked. There are a few large, flat sites suitable for small RVs early on the trail. However, once the trees close in, the remaining sites are all small tent sites and there are few places to turn around with a trailer. In 2017, the Forest Service demolished many of the camp sites near the river siting "riparian impact." More RV acceptable sites can be found on North Fork Swan River. There are a few National Forest campgrounds at nearby Lake Dillon. More civilized lodging can be found in Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, and Silverthorne.

Trail Reviews (30)

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Impassable
Offroaded on:	11/11/2020
Rating:

Snow is FINALLY falling in Summit County. There is still some time to get snow wheeling in before the gates close. There is somewhere around 4 to 8 inches on the trail down in the trees. I assume there will be much more higher up. There is a tree down just past WP 3, but it's not enough to force you off trail. Tire tracks in the snow stopped about halfway between WP 3 and 4. I made it to WP 4 with no problem but turned around there as I was riding solo and didn't want to get into trouble.

Author:	Richard Skelton
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	10/25/2020
Rating:

Well it was open when we went through, doubt it is now! This trail in the snow took every bit of ability this stock FJ has. I tried to make it up here during the summer but the snow drift on the shelf section near the top stopped me. This trail has some amazing views, good obstacles, and connects to other trails as well!

Author:	charlie wanek
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	10/03/2020
Rating:

Really beautiful, with minimal traffic even on this weekend day. Great fun for a novice driver like me; took the easy option when there was a choice.

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	09/19/2020
Rating:

Great day on the trails! I was surprised to find new "no camping" signs at the camp sites at waypoint 3.

Author:	Scott
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	09/18/2020
Rating:

Took this trail down from Saints john to WP4. Very scenic valley view, small waterfall, and cool now collapsed cabin. Coming down the tough sections on tombstone hill wasn't bad with 33s

Author:	Jordan Rogers
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	08/02/2020
Rating:

Drove this on 8/2 in a stock 2019 Tacoma SR no problem. Started on Georgia pass. Go slow "A good stock truck, with good driving technique, taking the right line, can summit." Without taking hits to the body/underbody.

Author:	Paul Kaufmann
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	07/21/2020
Rating:

Ran this trail today in my stock 2020 Chevy Colorado Z71 with sliders and skids. We turned around between waypoints 4 and 5 right before that steep rocky incline. The trail has a small creek running through it and has eroded a bit more than the video from 2016 showed leaving many large rocks sticking out. You might be able to make it in a stock truck if you didn't care about body/underbody damage. We decided to play it safe and turn back. The trail before that was no issue and was a lot of fun!

Author:	Ryland Percy
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	07/19/2020
Rating:

Ran this trail yesterday - it was the perfect mix of technical obstacles and excellent views at the top. Didn't hit any snow on the Tombstone Hill bypasses - easy wheeling all the way to the top! Managed to come across a cool herd of mountain goats at the top near the Saints John trailhead, which was super cool.

Author:	Geoffrey Steiner
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	07/18/2020

Excellent trail!!! Pay attention to the maps on this page so you understand which route you take up the hill.

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	07/18/2020
Rating:

I dropped in from Deer Creek today. Just above waypoint 15, I ran into this great group of folks from Dillon. (Great to meet ya'll!) I went down to check the snow at Tombstone Hill. It is all clear of snow. However, I did have to shovel a bit of snow just to get past a drift above Waypoint 14. There was a second drift that was so hard-frozen that my Tacoma drove over the top of it without breaking through. Stay the trail, folks!!

Author:	Jake McCaskill
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	07/12/2020
Rating:

Ran this trail all the way to summit today. Only the first bypass of tombstone hill was open, the remaining bypasses were blocked due to snow drifts and will most likely be at least another week or two before they can be traversed. At waypoint 12 the only way was straight up the hardest route which made for an interesting time in my Tacoma. Running 33's and a 3 inch lift, it was drizzling and I was able to make it up but just barely. Had a very careful line and spotter. Fun trail!

Author:	Paul Sharpe
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	07/04/2020

Visited this trail today. We have a stock Wrangler Sport S and decided to turn back at way-point 8 the rough spot. Probably could have passed through this area, but with the thunderstorm with heavy rain and not seeing any other stock vehicle we played it safe. Really enjoyed the trail otherwise and we will be back!

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Partially Open
Offroaded on:	06/14/2020
Rating:

Middle Fork is open up to the middle of Tombstone Hill. Above the Tombstone both sides are blocked with snow and will be for a while yet.

Author:	Ryland Percy
Status:	Partially Open
Offroaded on:	10/12/2019
Rating:

This trail was definitely a blast! Though, I encountered a 2+ foot deep snow drift at the top of Tombstone Hill that I couldn't seem to bust through (seemed super deep for this time of year). I'm on 33's with a 2.5" lift, so vehicles with bigger tires and a lift could probably make it through. Honestly, I probably could've used traction boards to get through, but since I had my kids with me, I didn't feel up to the challenge! The part of the trail in question comes up at about 6:15 in the video above. Most of the trail was covered in snow and made the rock obstacles pretty challenging, but still fun. I'd really encourage anyone going up after this point in the year to make sure they have necessary recovery gear and a partner truck before trying to make it to the summit. It gets slick and steep fast!

Author:	Scott Hinkle
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	07/28/2019
Rating:

This trail was such a blast. My Xterra with just a 2" lift made it fine. I never even lowered my air pressure. Views are spectacular up above tree line. Wildflowers are blooming now. I took deer creek back down to Keystone. Highly recommend this trail.

Author:	Josh S
Status:	Impassable
Offroaded on:	07/21/2019
Rating:

In addition to the avalanche debris there is also snow blocking some of the upper parts of the trail. I tried the easiest route from the top of Tombstone Hill but it’s blocked by snow. The moderate route was clear from what I saw but I didnt drive it.

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Impassable
Offroaded on:	07/13/2019

Avalanche debris blocks the trail at Waypoint 8. (See drone pic.) PLEASE do not bypass this blockage by going off trail!! I flew my drone up to Tombstone Hill (Waypoints 10-14). The easy route of the climb is blocked by deep snow. The hard route looks clear but very wet. Both routes above Tombstone are blocked with snow. The high route is nearly clear and might be bustable. The low route is buried deep. Based on this, it's very likely that the tundra will be blocked further up. Tragically, the record breaking snow from last winter was too much for the Swandyke cabin. Check the last pic for the carnage. We lost an icon here.

Author:	Colin
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	06/27/2018

snow drifts around waypoints 12, 13, 14. not passable by a stock vehicle. One large snowdrift that probably isn't passable by most trucks.

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Partially Open
Offroaded on:	06/25/2018
Rating:

The gates are open. We made it up to Tombstone Hill. The easy side is still blocked with a massive snow drift. Expect at least a couple more weeks before stock trucks can go up. The hard side is clear to the top of the hill, but, from what I could see, there still may be some drifts in the tundra above.

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Seasonal Closure
Offroaded on:	06/09/2018

Seasonal gate is still locked.

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Seasonal Closure
Offroaded on:	05/27/2018

As of Memorial Day 2018, the gate is still closed.

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Partially Open
Offroaded on:	10/20/2017

Planned to drive up and over to Montezuma, but didn't make it. There's a fair amount of snow just below the saddle (waypoint 15). There was one set of tracks in the snow, but I was flying solo and it was getting late, so I didn't risk it. It's still passable, but getting stuck in the snow is a possibility and there's nothing winch on up there. Also, there's ice at the "rough spot" (waypoint 8) that required a dab of Toyota ATRAC. Is it just me or is the that rock shelf on the hard side of Tombstone Hill getting bigger every day?!

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Partially Open
Offroaded on:	10/08/2017

Summit County has had a couple of snow storms now. Most trails that go above treeline are blocked with snow. Middle fork has snow just below the saddle. It appears passable. Not sure after that.

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	08/20/2017

We took our SxS up North Fork and looped around Saints John, Deer Creek, and Middle Fork. I guess since school has started the crowds are winding down. We only saw a handful of SxS's and and two trucks the whole day. We descended the hard part of Tombstone Hill. It was really too much for our near-stock RZR 800. Rode the skid plate over a couple of the ledges. A bit too much pucker factor! Even with some recent rain, the trails are pretty dry and sometimes dusty. Afternoon storms rolled in and made us nervous about lightning, but we only got a few sprinkles of rain. Over all, a great day!

Author:	Frank Whiston
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	07/23/2017

Started from SOB hill and went to the top. Before we got to the saddle where you can first see Red Cone, I had to yell at 2 ATVs and 1 SXS for going off trail onto the tundra as I was making room for them to pass.

Author:	EVLXX
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	07/19/2017

A little snow is still present at Tombstone Hill, I came down it, right tires in snow, left tires dry. Other than that, the roads in good shape. The Wild flowers are beautiful. Stock 2012 Xterra Pro4X

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	07/09/2017

Middle Fork is now open and clear with the exception of the easy option between waypoints 12 and 13, Tombstone Hill. The hard side is dry. The easy side is blocked by a large snow drift near the top. All of Summit County is under a strict fire ban: absolutely no open flames. It's warmer than usual and extremely dry!

Author:	Ryan Boudreau Official Crew
Status:	Seasonal Closure
Offroaded on:	06/25/2017

Seasonal Gate is still closed at the bottom. You can access the top via North Fork, but there is a giant snowfield across waypoints 13 and 14 covering the entire mountainside.

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Seasonal Closure
Offroaded on:	06/09/2017

Due to heavy snow in May, the Dillon Ranger District has kept the seasonal gates closed several weeks past the normal opening date. A ranger told me that, even though the road up to the gate is clear and dry, the trail has heavy snow further up.

Author:	Trint Ladd Official Crew
Status:	Open
Offroaded on:	11/12/2016

The late coming of winter in 2016 means that most of the high passes are still open in mid November. The lower sections have a couple of places where the river flows into the trail. These are extremely icy. Still passable, but very slick. The forest service will be closing gates on November 23rd, so there's only one weekend left.

Questions & Answers (1)

Q: Does anyone know if these trails have opened at least part way. Middle north and Georgia pass?

–Kevin (05/22/2020)

A: Hey trint, I actually called the non emergency number up there today and a cop told me he went wheeling on Georgia pass and middle last week. He said about 1 to 2 miles in there's a bunch of snow but he confirmed the gates are open

–Kevin (05/23/2020)

A: The gates will be closed for a while yet. I don't know about the conditions before the gates. I plan to call the Dillon Ranger District on Monday for an update.

–Trint Ladd (05/23/2020)

Writer Information

Trint Ladd

Mapping Crew - Colorado

Trint grew up riding dirt bikes in the creek beds of the Texas Panhandle. While attending college in Colorado in the late 1990's, he saw a magazine article about a Ford Explorer four-wheeling club. He never saw his Explorer as an adventure vehicle before, but quickly joined up and caught the bug. With his engineering background, Trint has always respected the factory design of a good truck (and recognized when manufacturers put cheap parts into something marketed for off road use). "A good driver, with a well built, stock truck can do trails that would break a $50k, built-up rig with an inexperienced driver." He put that 1st gen Explorer though hell and it always held up, earning great respect from the "big dawgs" in the club. (And earning the nickname, "The Idiot Stocker.") The truck was christened "BamBam" because of the frequent sounds ringing out from the factory skid plates. Now that Trint is "grown-up" (quotation marks intentional), he's a bit less inclined to dent up his pretty Toyota Tacoma, but still feels the same way about superior engineering. Trint's love for the mountains was ingrained at a very early age. 8mm film exists of 18-month-old Trint in a backpack on his dad's back while riding dirt bikes through the mountains of Red River, NM. Although Trint does enjoy a good, tough, technical rock trail, he can often be found on easier, winding, Alpine roads just taking the glory of God's country.

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