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North Fork Swan River
Trail Information
Difficulty - Mandatory
3 -
MODERATE
Difficulty - Optional
5 -
DIFFICULT
Status
Open
Distance
5.64 mi
Duration (one-way)
About 1 hour, 30 minutes
Permit Required
Highest Elevation
12627 ft
Shape of Trail
Straight Through
Typically Open
05/20 - 11/23
Best Direction
East
Official Trail Name
354, 356
Nearest Town
Breckenridge
Nearest Services
Breckenridge
Management Agency
White River National Forest
District
Dillon Ranger District
Highlights
Altitude
Camping
Forest
Iconic
Mine
Rock
Snow WheelingNorth Fork Swan River 4WD trail is one of the lesser known jewels of Summit County. The lower section offers a tight, rocky forest trail with loads of camping options and a few white knuckle moments. Above treeline, you'll find some excellent historical mining sites, and high alpine views that will take your breath away.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
Recommended Vehicle:
Stock SUV with High Clearance and 4 Low
Concerns:
Summary:
A large, embedded rock (about 18 inches tall) at waypoint 5 can be bypassed by smaller trucks. Full-size rigs will be forced over it.
The V-notch at waypoint 6 has one really bad spot with a troublesome tree root on the driver's side (going up). Full-size trucks can get through, but there is a chance of body damage, especially if the trail is wet.
The Rocky Hill at waypoints 11 and 12 has a more difficult option that pushes this trail's top-end rating to a 5.
Community Consensus
2 votes
10 votes
7 votes
Easier
Spot On
Harder
The weighted average of your fellow members agreement of our trail rating. As trail conditions change this helps us keep the community aware of changes.
Mandatory
3 -
MODERATE
The hardest part of the trail that you
cannot bypass - you have to drive it.
Optional
5 -
DIFFICULT
The hardest part of the trail that is
purely optional - you can bypass it.
Typically, more rock or undulated road surface. Potential rocks and/or tree stumps less than 12" tall and/or vertical ledges less than 12" tall and/or near vertical ledges or waterfalls less than 24" inches. Tire placement becomes more difficult. Can be steep. Read More about our Rating System
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Trail Navigation
Over all, North Fork Swan River 4WD trail is a bit tougher than its sister, Middle Fork. They both offer tight, rocky forest roads, a taste of mining history, and epic alpine views. While Middle Fork's crux has a much more challenging optional rock climb, North Fork is rougher throughout and has a couple of unavoidable obstacles.
The two trails together, along with a short section of Saints John Road, make a fine loop. Or either of them can be combined with Saints John or Deer Creek to connect Breckenridge to Montezuma.
North Fork Swan can be done in a good, high-clearance, stock truck with a skilled driver. The tallest rock obstacle (at waypoint 5) can be bypassed by narrower rigs, but full size trucks will have to clear the 18" rocker panel biter. Full size trucks will also need a bit more nerve to get through the V-notch (waypoint 6). And, naturally, wet or snowy conditions will bump up the difficulty a notch or two for everyone.
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!
Cellphone signal will be spotty to nonexistent throughout this trail.
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.
1. West Trailhead (0 mi)
North Fork and Middle Fork share an eastern 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.
In 2018, the Forest Service added a seasonal gate here.
2. Large Campsite/Seasonal Gate (0.6 mi)
While there are many dispersed campsites along the lower, forested section of the trail, this is one of the few where large RVs and trailers will have plenty of room. The seasonal gate is officially closed from November through May, although the gate is often closed well into June and some parts of the trail can be impassible with snow as late as July.
3. Intersection with Closed Trail (1.8 mi)
The well established trail to the left winds its way for a couple of miles through the woods to the ruins of an old mine. Sadly, it is now closed to vehicles.
Continue straight on FS 354.
4. Fork/Water Crossing, FS 356 (2.3 mi)
At the ruins of the mining camp of Rexford, follow FS 356 which forks to the right up Garibaldi Gulch.
FS 354 continues up the North Fork of the Swan River. (North Fork Swan Extension trail coming soon.)
Just after the fork is a water crossing. In Spring, the water can be fast and somewhat deep, but nothing to worry about. After this point, the trail becomes noticeably narrower, rockier, and more picturesque.
5. Large Rock (2.7 mi)
Here, a large, embedded rock blocks the trail. Narrow trucks might be able to just squeeze by on the left. Stock trucks that can't bypass left should stay to the right to minimize the chance of this guy biting your rocker panels.
Shortly after this, a dead end spur forks to the left. Stay right to continue on FS 356.
6. V-Notch (3.1 mi)
Here begins a couple hundred yards of washed out v-notch. At one point (pictured) a stubborn tree will take a swipe at your mirror, but good wheel placement will get you through. Full size trucks can get by with skill (or a certain lack of concern for body damage). Naturally, if this section is wet, there is a greater risk of slipping to one side or the other, so use caution.
7. Cabin (3.4 mi)
To the left is a maintained emergency cabin that is usually stocked with basic survival supplies.
8. Mine Ruins/Switchback (3.6 mi)
Just as the trail breaks treeline, there are some mine ruins to the left with a small parking area. The trail takes sharp switchback to the right.
9. T-Intersection (3.7 mi)
At this well marked intersection, we recommend you take the short, optional spur to the right. This leads to the summit of Wise Mountain. Otherwise, turn left, subtract 0.4 miles from all subsequent points, and skip to waypoint 10.
10. Wise Mountain (Optional) (3.9 mi)
The summit of Wise Mountain is a popular photo op and lunch spot with fantastic views. Just below the summit are the ruins of a large shaft house. (Interesting to look at. Dangerous to explore! Seriously! There is a 1200 foot vertical shaft under there! They probably won't bother to fish out your body.)
To the south, Breckenridge Ski Resort is spread across the Ten Mile range. To the east across the Middle Fork Swan Valley, you might be able to make out the summit of Georgia Pass on the shoulder of Mount Guyot. And to the north, your next obstacle awaits: the two forks of Rocky Hill.
A maintained emergency cabin here is usually stocked with basic supplies. There's also a guest book, so stop in and leave your mark.
[EDIT: See third pic. Sadly, after 140 years, sometime in early 2018, the floor of the cabin collapsed. It's no long safe. Please steer clear.]
The summit can get crowded on weekends, so please be respectful. After you've got a good picture of your rig in front of the cabin, park elsewhere to give others a shot. And, above all, DO NOT drive on the delicate tundra grass! Stay the Trail!
11. Bottom of Rocky Hill (4.6 mi)
From this point, you should be able to see if any trucks are coming down the ridge line to your right. If so, it would be a good idea to let them come down before beginning your climb.
The next few hundred yards are the most technical of North Fork Swan. The rocks here are very loose and get bigger as you climb.
About half way up, the more difficult option forks to the right. It is very steep and the soft soil and bowling ball sized rocks offer very little in the way of traction.
The easier left fork (represented in the GPX track) is less steep and the rocks are a bit smaller, but still challenging.
12. Top of Rocky Hill (4.8 mi)
If you are traveling from east to west, most of Rocky Hill is hidden from view below. The easier option is to the right. The ATVs pictured are descending the much looser and much steeper left fork. Take a moment to watch for traffic come up. There is no option for passing on the hill.
13. Scenic Overlook (5.3 mi)
This is the highest point of the trail, just over 12,600 feet. There are two points in the ridge line, maybe 100 yards apart. Each offer a small parking area and epic views. Just be sure not to drive on the tundra grass.
On a clear day, you can just make out the summits of Santa Fe Peak and Red Cone to the east. Across the valley below, you can see a bit of Middle Fork Swan, and beyond that, the summit of Georgia Pass on the shoulder of Mount Guyot.
14. East Trailhead (5.8 mi)
After a short, rocky descent, the trail ends at Saints John Road, FS 275. To continue on Saints John down to Montezuma, turn left. Continue straight to meet up with Middle Fork Swan River and Deer Creek, FS 5.
Dispersed
Dispersed camping is allowed all along the route. The lower part of North Fork has several large, flat campsites that can accommodate small RVs. Further up are smaller tent sites.
There are a few National Forest campgrounds at nearby Lake Dillon. More civilized lodging can be found in Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, and Silverthorne.
Starting Point
Breckenridge/Frisco
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. Right (east), and across a narrow bridge, is FS 6, Middle Fork Swan River.
Trail Reviews
4.7/5 (58)
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 09/24/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Ran this today from Breck. Even though the trail has been made easier recently, I still would rate it a 4 due to the very top hill climb. I have never used my lockers for an entire section until now (6 years experience). I am not sure my 4runner would have made it up over the loose rocks if there was any moisture. Fun trail, just has some steep challenges in several places and a few bigger rocks. Be aware.
Open
Rated
2/5
Visited: 09/23/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Easier
Wow this was disappointing! This trail has always been a favorite of mine but the forest service really ruined this one. not sure the reason but the trail has been graded smooth with all real obstacles being removed. Very sad to see an excellent middle of the road trail ruined, the views are still great but just another boring bumpy trail now.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/13/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
The down tree mentioned below was cleared. The trail is clear from trailhead to saints John. Water crossings are no deeper than 1ft.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/11/2023
Tree down on the trail between waypoint 4 and 5.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/29/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
We enjoyed this part of the route from Breckenridge towards Montezuma and stopped at the mine waypoint 10 for lunch and could see the mountain goats up the hill towards waypoint 11. Great day if you like views after some steep climbing through forests.
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Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/22/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
First time on this trail. The trail as I experienced it was a nice easy drive up to some great views. I’d rate it a 3. Maybe if you take the steeper line at waypoint 11 it could be rated higher but I didn’t take that line. Saw one dirt bike riding through the alpine tundra for no reason. Also since most of this trail is an uphill climb I’d recommend driving it uphill to avoid having to deal with passing. Final note: some of the water bars they installed on the trail are quite sharp. I’d imagine some people with longer wheelbases will scrape or high center on them.
Open
Rated
1/5
Visited: 07/16/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Easier
Wish I had read the reviews before doing this trail. As others have stated this trail has become completely ruined by the forest service. It’s basically a dirt road now and other than a couple steep rocky climbs it is maybe a 2 now.
Open
Visited: 07/09/2023
This trail has been ruined by a cat. I bet you could get a Subaru above tree line now! This used to be my favorite trail in the swan river area and now all my favorite obstacles are gone.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/01/2023
I was utterly shocked to find that North Fork Swan has been BULLDOSED!! All of the main obstacles are GONE! The V-Notch is completely erased!! (The pictures here are from the GPS waypoint for "V-Notch".) The hill climb at waypoints 11/12 has snow blocking the hard side. The easy side has a drift at the bottom, but it can be skirted around WITHOUT going off trail.
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Impassable
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/27/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
This trail should definitely be a five with the v notch it’s gotten pretty bad although last time I was up there it looks like the forest service was doing some work with a bulldozer, so maybe they made it easier
Impassable
Visited: 06/06/2023
Forest Service reporting gates open, but snow near treeline makes trail impassable at this time.
Impassable
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/22/2022
Attempted 10/22 but had to turn back half way between waypoint 4 and 5 due to a steep ascent covered in a sheet of ice.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/15/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Amazing views as always
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Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/13/2022
Beautiful day on the trails! MAN was it busy! I've never seen so many trucks and SxS's up there. It was like 4th of July! The bad tree root in the V-notch has been cut back, but it's still a threat. The notch itself has gotten worse with "moguls" that will have on you 3 wheels in a couple of places.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 08/06/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
This is a fun trail. I have only done it going downhill and it was wet when I drove down. It wasn’t to difficult going down. It’s easier for smaller vehicles. My Cherokee fits easily through the notch and around some of the larger boulders. Traction was pretty good I didn’t slide to much, the gravel / dirt wasn’t super slippery.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/05/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Very fun trail, so much fun we forgot to take pictures till we got to the top. Once the trail starts getting rocky and climbing it becomes pure fun. The chutes area is especially fun with back and forth flexing with the walls of the chute close to your mirrors. If it was wet this could be very challenging but it was dry and easy. Once above tree line we took the Wise mountain spur and saw tons of mountain goats at the old cabin. The rocky climb from there is pure fun again, easy bit slow going and fun fun fun with great views!
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Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/08/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
We ran north swan today in a F-150 2.5 lift on 35s fully plated up with sliders. I love this trail it's my 3rd time and everytime it's a blast. The wise cabin is a must see. The trail is in great shape right now we went out to Montezuma via saints john. Didn't tear anything up this time. One time I tore off a folded in mirror in the V notch.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 07/04/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Ran this in reverse from top down from Deer Creek. Would love to run from the bottom up next time! Not too difficult going down hill even in the rain with a couple slips and sure uphill will have a couple more challenges. Beautiful views!
Open
Visited: 06/25/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
!!My first Trail Review!!
We passed Trint at the top as we were headed down. Had to rock the giant boulder Trint has posted in his first picture just to get through. We were rockin' and rolling all the way down! Just barely fit the runner with the rack and tire under a tree that was down over the creek.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/25/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
The only snow left on the trail is on the harder side of "the Devil's Fork" hill (waypoints 11 and 12). The trail has gotten a LOT harder around the small water crossing between waypoints 4 and 5. Pics here are of the new embedded rocks there. There is no way around this. There's no way this can be 3 anymore. I think it's a solid 5 right now.
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Impassable
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/10/2022
The gates are open, but the trail is impassible with snow between waypoints 4 and 5. We cleared a BIG tree just after waypoint 4. (Got to use my chainsaw AND my winch! *GRIN*) There's another tree (pictured) at a smaller water crossing that will be a problem for taller rigs.
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Open
Visited: 05/27/2022
Dillon Ranger District has opened the seasonal gate. The trail still has some snow and could be impassable to vehicles.
Impassable
Visited: 10/26/2021
Reports of snow at high elevations and folks going off trail to avoid drifts. While this trail may be passable by experienced groups in very capable rigs, we feel it safer to designate the trails as *IMPASSABLE* at this point.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/11/2021
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
First trail of the trip for our group from Georgia. This trail was allot of fun. Off camber section, rocky terrain, slippery snow sections. Scenery at the top with the snow was beautiful. One down hill section in the snow was interesting. This was an interesting start to our journey to Red Cone.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 09/22/2021
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Fantastic views and easy trail.
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Open
Visited: 09/18/2021
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Traveled east to west, very fun route but more technical than a 3. The descent from the summit is loose rock which makes it sketchy
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 09/12/2021
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Great day today! NO SMOKE! The great views are back (for now). The fall color is just started to peek out. The willow brush is pretty much all turned. Aspens are just ramping up.
Holy smokes! This trail has gotten GNARLY! The rocky stuff between WP4 and WP5 is BAD! And the V-Notch, I swear, is deeper than my whole truck now.
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Open
Visited: 09/05/2021
We had great weather and a good easy start, but had to turn around between waypoint 4 and 5. Just after you cross the north fork of Swan River it gets sketchy and is marked red. Have 2020 4Runner TRD Pro stock. Bottomed out hard at the little stream that crosses the trail just after waypoint 4. (Shown on map). That stretch looked harder than described and gets steep, with two boulders ahead near the middle of trail and very narrow path to get around. Probably could have done it but did not want to risk damage. A Jeep Wrangler behind us did make it through. Some erosion / washout recently may have made it harder. We did Mid Fork Swan trail last summer and as comparison, it seemed more doable in general. First time we ever decided to turn around.
On a bright note, Plan B worked out well. Consider this route if you have to turn around there. We crossed back over North Fork Swan and continued, making a right to go up the trail that follows the river. It remains moderate and saw only two other side by sides the whole way to the end, about 2+ miles. Had lunch where trail ends at tree line. Despite minor disappointment, turned out to be a great day.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/04/2021
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
I ran the trail on July 4th in a 99 Ford
F-150 offroad 2 inch lift on 33 m/t.
Wow that V-notch is no joke. Super close to that tree but got through. It was sketch but worth it. After that I went to saints john trail then up Webster pass.
August 27th update.
I ran north swan again today and it's way more difficult then my first run. The truck now has 35 inch mud terrains aired to 16 psi and 2 inch lift with no swaybar. There was lots of washout above the creek crossing. There are alot more boulders and they are bigger. The V-Notch is way more difficult above the tree and serious washout. The truck went up well but I lost a mirror on a tree this time to the off-road gods.
I would say it's a grade harder then my first run.
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Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/26/2021
Wet, sloppy day, but at least I was on a trail! Came down from Saints John. VERY slick, with water running down most of the (lower) trail.
Impassable
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/09/2021
Per Jason at the Dillon Ranger District, the gate is open but the trail is snow blocked near treeline.
Impassable
Rated
5/5
Visited: 11/11/2020
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. I turned around between WP 3 and 4 as I was riding solo and didn't want to get into trouble.
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Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 09/26/2020
First things first, absolutely breath taking views. Second things second, waypoint 11 is NO JOKE. The line to the right, as stated in the description, is very difficult. My buddy in a Wrangler rubicon had both diffs locked and barely made it up. I however in my not quite as built Nissan got stuck. luckily enough a nice guy with a winch was making his way up the left side (smart) and was able to yank me out. Don’t underestimate that hill! It’s insanely steep, but boy was it fun.
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Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 09/13/2020
One thing to note (I learned the hard way) that Middle Fork has a higher rating here, but the description suggests it's actually the easier. I mistakenly took North Fork thinking it would be easier, and didn't feel comfortable completing it. The rocky hill ascent was very steep/rough and I more than once ended up with both passenger tires in the air with some roll over vibes. Turned back since I was going solo. Already getting some snowfields forming up on top, nothing more than a foot deep as of 13SEP2020, but another good storm and there may be some there for the season.
Now aside from calling it early in the favor of discretion, the ride up the mountain to the old cabin up on top was fun and intense, weather was great, views were excellent. Some of the large unavoidable rocks will give any stock full-sized rig a run for their money. I ended up high centered a couple of times for a second or two until I slid off. 1/2" UHMW full body skids were a life saver.
Disclaimer on my experience: I was in a little trail-width RZR, so a ~4x8' total footprint and 10" of suspension travel was partially why there were some harrowing moments. Easy to avoid obstacles and pick a nice line, but off-camber and steep slopes get concerning quickly. Only saw other full size RZRs out who also ran the hill up on top without much difficulty. If I'd read reviews about the tree being down, would've brought a chainsaw for it since the bypass is getting used kind of heavily and showing signs of wear. It's not currently safe to bypass in a highway legal full sized rig, and is tight even for SXSs.
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Open
Visited: 09/12/2020
A little bit wet after the storm on Tuesday. There's a big tree down at around waypoint 6. People are going around the root ball on the right (as viewed uphill). Prolly a little too tight for full size vehicles.
Open
Visited: 08/05/2020
Took my 04 Hummer H2 up the trail today. Pretty narrow for a h2. Made it without a scratch fortunately with a spotter. Awesome views. Made for a amazing day vacationing in beautiful Colorado. Definitely suggest a spotter in a full size truck.
Open
Visited: 08/03/2020
Classic Tiger Run Trail
Open
Visited: 08/02/2020
Drove this 8/2 in a Stock 2019 Tacoma SR. No problems Lots of fun. Started on Deer Creek. Would have been easier if I had started on the west side. Going up will give you more control at V-Notch and I didn't notice the easier route at wp11. Made for an interesting drive down.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/01/2020
Trail is clear to the top. Ran today and didn’t hit any snow on NF Swan, but got turned back on Saints John from a massive snowfield that will still be a while before it melts.
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Partially Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/14/2020
The trail is blocked with snow just before Waypoint 5.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/06/2019
Drove a 08 TRD Tundra *3" Lift, A/T tires, UCA's , Custom Exhaust thru rear fender 😶👍, Rest is basically Stock - I Began the North Swan Trail around 2pm, Slow Going Especially when you get to the 'Large Rock' - I risked going around this to the Left.. Very Sketchy as my rear Tires sort of slipped around this Rock towards the Loose and slippery Edge of the Trail, Powered onwards to stay on. V-Notch: Believe the Rumors, I stayed as Center of the Trail as possible, Both of the Rear view Mirrors got Pushed In by the sides of 'V'. I Kept throttle Steady in 4 Lo- and By the Skin of my Teeth - Made it Through. Very Nerve Wracking, especially since I hadn't prepared to undertake such a Dangerous Maneuver on this trail.. BUT No Damage, Not A Scratch. I would Not Take the Tundra through that again. Rest of the Trail was Easy Compared to the V. Rocky Climbs to the top, slow and in 4 Lo- also not Stopping , as this truck weighs 7 thousand pounds and I did struggle a bit. Overall it was an Exciting endeavor. A Winch would Certainly set the Mind at Ease. Finished down Saints John in Montezuma around 5:30 .
Best of Luck to anyone taking a Full Size Rig through.. 😅
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Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 08/25/2019
I took Saints John up and over to the cabin, obligatory cabin pic, then down North Fork. As others have said...V-Notch...it's legit. I don't know how many more years it will last before full size rigs are just not going to make it without some damage. Not hating on them but I think the UTV's add a lot to this because they have narrower wheelbases that wallow the center out even more. Thanks to all who have posted pics and the off-camber is certainly in and of itself a little bit unnerving but as others have said, the side tolerances are just crazy...we're down to inches here and that's on my 3rd Gen 4Runner which is skinnier than a lot of full size rigs. I don't have a good pic because well...I was trapped in my rig. I lined it up, got a few inches on each side, pulled mirrors in, and rolled through as quick as I could. Looking at it closely the only answer for fixing this in the near future is building the one side up with some decent rocks. Crazy to think that it's wallowed away this deep over all these years. Anyway, if all this spooks you (and if you have a nice full size rig maybe it should), I'd take Middle Fork instead to get up on top. Until this gets fixed I won't take my rig through this anytime again soon.
Open
Visited: 08/11/2019
Ran this trail on Sunday 8-11-19. Open all the way through. Saw some mountain goats at the top. The V-notch is legit. I was crawling up really carefully with less than an inch between the root sticking out and my 100 series land cruiser. Fun trail though
Impassable
Visited: 07/14/2019
Open to the split at Waypoint 11. I saw one well equipped JKR make it down the left split, but neither of us were willing to go up it. He mentioned that he got stuck higher up and tried digging out for 45 minutes before a couple UTV's pulled him out. (Lots of fresh tracks on the tundra from people bypassing this area. We saw three UTV's make fresh tracks to the right and left of the split.)
Lots of people have taken the bypass at Waypoint 8 due to the snow just past the mine ruins.
Impassable
Visited: 07/13/2019
The trail is very wet with runoff especially along the section between Waypoints 4 and 8. The Rocky Hill (Waypoint 11) is blocked with snow. (I flew my drone over it for the pics below.) The easy route is very nearly clear and maybe someone with more intestinal fortitude than me could try busting through. The hard route is buried deep and will be for a while yet. I got second-hand reports that the high tundra is blocked with a drift somewhere, but I could not verify this.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/06/2018
I ran Georgia Pass and then North Fork Swan River. There was a bit of snow in Georgia Pass area but nothing along the North Fork Swan River trail.
Amazing view from Wise Mountain to East Trailhead.
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Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/25/2018
Gorgeous day. Awesome trails! Ran the big loop to Montezuma in our SxS. North Fork Swan, Saints John, Deer Creek, Middle Fork Swan.
The cabin on Whale Mountain had some locals visiting. We followed the rules and didn't approach them, but they had no fear in approaching us! They seemed fascinated by our ride.
We were VERY sad to see that the cabin floor has collapsed! Not sure how much longer it will last.
Also, the seasonal gate has been moved to waypoint 1. Snowmobilers who used to camp at the old gate will be disappointed!
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Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 07/05/2018
Trail is open and clear of snow. Due to bad planning and stubbornness on my part, I did the gnarliest part of this in the dark last night. Not exactly the recommended method, but I made it. Camped at the summit and drove down Deer Creek in the morning. As is mentioned elsewhere, full size trucks not recommended, particularly in the notch. Also, do not attempt the spur trail around waypoint 4 in a fullsize, you won't be able get through unless you want to chainsaw some dead trees, and it's quite a ways to backup to where you can turn around.
All in all, a beautiful trail. Highly recommended if you can hang with the v-notch and some challenging rocks.
Seasonal Closure
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/09/2018
Seasonal gate is still locked.
Seasonal Closure
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/27/2018
As of Memorial Day 2018, the gate is still closed.
Partially Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/08/2017
Summit County has had a couple of snow storms now. Most trails that go above treeline are blocked with snow.
Partially Open
Visited: 10/06/2017
Didn't make it passed the V-Grove (step 6), stock Jeep Rubicon with winch, had to use the winch four or five times to make it up because deep snow (12+"). Eventually had to back down the vgrove and turn around.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 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 DID however, see a male and female moose hanging out in the willow brush.
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!
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Open
Visited: 07/30/2017
Excellent trail with amazing high alpine views! We ran the trail in the opposite direction of this guide. It was wet and the section around Waypoint 4, the V-Notch was slippery and lost traction for a brief moment on the descent.
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Partially Open
Visited: 07/05/2017
Trail still snow pack covered near top. A guy on an ATV Claimed he was able to bypass but I'm not sure he knew what he was talking about. It did not look passable.
[T.O.: Thanks, Kevin! And, yes. "Bypass" is a dirty word when it comes to these conditions. STAY THE TRAIL!! It took me a while to figure out, but I believe that pic is from Middle Fork Swan. North Fork is open through.]
Open
Visited: 06/25/2017
The seasonal gate is open and the trail is clear from end to end including Wise Mountain. There is a little remaining snow blocking the right side of the "Y" between waypoints 11 & 12, but the left side is clear.
As of June 24th, all other routes leading out of North Fork were either gated, or blocked by snow, so at this time, you must return the way you came.
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Seasonal Closure
Rated
5/5
Visited: 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.
Partially Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 11/12/2016
The late coming of winter in 2016 means that most of the high passes are still open in mid November.
However, the lower, treed sections of North Fork Swan are extremely icy. Places were spring water crosses the trail have iced over forcing the spring water to run down the trail where it has frozen into an ice rink.
Just before waypoint 5 the trail is pretty much impassible with ice. One could probably manage to winch past this section, but the risk of sliding into the creek or into a tree made it not worth the effort for our trip.
The forest service will be closing gates on November 23rd, so there's only one weekend left anyway.
From the Community
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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 2011 Toyota Tacoma, but still feels the same way about superior engineering. The "Stocko Taco" wheeled for over 10 years with no mods other than trail armor. In 2021, it finally got a couple of inches of lift... and a new name: "Taco Supreme."
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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