Bulldog Canyon 10

We wheeled Bulldog Canyon on Oct 7, 2023. It was about 97º, windy and dry. The trail was 90% rocky and rippled from waypoint 2-11. I was rolling 33"s air'd down to ~20lbs in 4H with the swaybar disconnect button pushed on my JKUR. There were very few scenic moments. I don't want to sound angry, but other than satisfying my curiosity, the trail was underwhelming. I imagine that if you can catch it right after a hard rain, the scenery would be a lot better. There was one challenging rock climb (steep) around waypoint 7. I'm rating it harder because it was a test of patience to endure through to the end.

I ran this trail heading from south to north in a stock JT Rubicon. For how bumpy this road is, there is no sense of achievement on any of the obstacles nor is there anything of interest to explore off the main trail. My main gripe isn't the trail itself, but the amount of inconsiderate sxs riders was significantly higher than any other trail I've been on so far. I'd skip this one and try one of other more scenic and less trafficked trails in the area.

I ran this trail in a JLU with a 2.5" lift and 35s. I never once heard any scraping or bumping. You'd be fine going through this trail in a stock Wrangler and probably a 4Runner with decent tires. The canyon has some great views, but it's uncomfortably bumpy up through waypoint 9. It's also not so technical that it gives you any sense of accomplishment, relative to the discomfort. I would consider this a one and done trail, as there are more trails in the area with better views and smoother terrain.

Ran this south to north this morning. I think this is a good trail for sharpening my off road skills without being too difficult. Very good scenery.

Ran this from North to South and glad that we did. The hill would have probably turned us around had we needed to go up instead of down. The southern half of the trail is VERY rocky and a bit more technical than the northern half. I had no issues with a 1.5" lift and Milestar XT tires on my R51 Pathfinder. We managed to get a brand new Bronco Sport Badlands through the whole trail with minor bruising underneath. I would say this trail rates higher than the app says. At least a 4.

Great trail. Good beginner trail.

Beautiful sights on this trail & not very difficult, it is however a fairly rocky trail with a lot of loose rocks that force you to drive a bit slow. The only challenging part is the hill climb but its fairly short. My friend was able to complete it in his lifted x3

This trail is awesome. The views are amazing and the trail difficulty is spot on. It is a bit busy out there with UTV and other off-road vehicles. There are some blind corners so vigilant when coming around. I would recommend this trail. The climb is loose coming up the hill so pick your line carefully. We stayed to the right which made it a little easier.

Did the route south to north. Lots of fun. A few sketchy bits, including the hill mentioned by several people. On my way onto the main trail going north I had to wait for a group of 20 or so Wranglers coming the opposite direction. One of them made a wisecrack about my "Fiat". But I had no problems with my stock Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk.

Mike Otley's review back in September is spot-on in terms of the big/steep hill at waypoint 5. I'd say it's in even worse condition now than the prior report. We ran the trail south to north and took the line on the left, which I scouted first. I was air'd down to 18psi and tackled the hill in 4-low/1st gear. Just kept steady on the gas and we popped up and over with ease, but not without major pucker factor. Again, I agree with Mr. Otley's assessment of the trail from waypoint 1-7. Trail is in pretty rough shape; very rocky, and at times, good tire placement is a must. We took it slow, and my Jeep managed very well. I don't have lockers. Because of waypoint 5, I'd bump this up to at least a mandatory 4 until that hill has some maintenance on it.

The big hill (I believe waypoint 5 or near it) was in rough shape. There is a huge dip in the middle leaving two narrow lines on the left or right. I chose the right and got high centered with a boulder under my rear diff. Luckily some rocks under the tires and front and rear lockers got me out, but just FYI for anyone visiting the trail in the near future. I’d say the first part of the trail (waypoint 1-7) is harder than the rating in its current state.

Always a good option running Bulldog Canyon. Ran it today South to North. Seems not as rough as last summer especially going up the big hill at waypoint 5. Only a couple others on the trail this Sunday afternoon.

Ventured out on a Saturday around 9am. Very few other people on the trail which was great. Scenery and trail were beautiful. We went north to south with the more difficult parts toward southern end. Ate at Hackers when we came off the trail. Overall great time! About 3 hours…

Ran the trail from North to South. The trail is more rocky/bumpy than it is difficult so airing down would be rec'd. Just barely kissed my rear bumper in one area and my slider in another on "harder lines". Slightly steep and rocky in some areas, enough to just brake traction on one wheel. Overall it was a good Thanksgiving! On a random note, there was a maroon Impala on lo-pros down in a valley. No earthly idea how it made it there.

Ran this in my 2018 4runner from Usery Pass gate to wolverine. Definitely air down. Ran crawl control in a few tough spots up and down - especially the rutted downhill section at #5. Want necessary, but it's nice not pressing the brake the whole way down. I think a stock 4x4 will definitely hit in sections unless you have perfect tire placement. It was the first time I heard the computer modulating power to each wheel on the uphill when I had rock terrain engaged. I've owned this 4R for a few years, but this is the first time I've seen some of the gadgets actually engage. I think this was tougher terrain than I'm used to. There was a few jeeps, bronco and a ton of sxs out there. Saw 2 bobcats too!

I have run this trail from North to South, South to North, and every other direction you can run it. This has a mix of just about everything: sand, rocks, dirt, hill climbs, ruts in the road, downhill. Ran it this time at sunrise and it is beautiful out there. After the summer monsoons, it got quite a bit more rutted out especially on the hill climbs. Ran in a stock JLU Rubicon on 33.

Arizona National Forests and State Lands are back open for travel. There are still some very important fire restrictions in place. These restrictions can often change by specific areas.

Tonto National Forest officials will close the state’s largest national forest due to ongoing extreme fire danger beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 25. The forest is implementing this forest closure as a precaution to protect the health and safety of the public, employees and firefighters by reducing the risk of human-caused fires. No one is allowed in the closure area, including Forest Service personnel, unless they are responding to a wildfire or other emergency or patrolling to ensure enforcement of the closure. The order shall remain in effect until July 31, 2021 or until rescinded, whichever occurs first. Residents or businesses using roads in the restricted area to the extent necessary to access their private property are exempt.

Great trail for an afternoon drive. Recommend airing down at the main gate. Very little traffic. Definitely some technically challenging areas, but passible in a stock 4x4. The terrain was some of the most beautiful in the desert. Worth the trip.

Beautiful and scenic desert trail. Great rock formations, and views between the mountains! Low traffic, we did not see another person and had a great time in the 4runner!

Ran the trail with a group of WK2s (Jeep Grand Cherokees) mostly stock. The vehicles without the ELSD had to take a few tries at some of the hills due to loose rocks etc but everyone made it through each obstacle. the most challenging obstacle was on the way out (we entered from N. Bush) Highway) on a downhill that had some deep ruts and some off-camber spots that made our non-suspension vehicles teeter totter in a few places. Just take it slow and you should have no issue. No one had any issues in the sand but one of the party developed a small leak as they got some sand wedged in between the the bead and tire. All in all amazing views and we ran it in some rain so it made it even better.

Entered at the South entrance and had a great time. Amazing views. Although we had quite a bit of traffic heading south I recommend going north on this trail. A few challenging spots and FUN!

Love this trail

This trail was the first one we did in our New 2020 JL Stock and was in need of break in and get our Arizona Pin Strip. We entered Usery Pass to Bulldog and exit out Wolverine Gate. It was a fun evening trip with the kiddos and about a 10mile trip with a beautiful thunder storm rolling. . Come Follow along on instagram @crush_jlu_az

Tonto National Forest has been temporarily closed because of extreme fire conditions. This is a link to the official closure notice https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tonto/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD759503

Entered off Usery pass and exited on Bush hwy by bridge. Hiked up EJ Peak/Lone mountain first and then drove in. Saw a few deer down in the canyon area. Short video that shows a hill about halfway through.

First time on this trail, I definitely would NOT consider this trail easy. I have a stock '05 Tundra which handled it well, a little rough at times with huge ruts and lots of sharp rocks. There is one hill that was a little tricky as it was in bad shape but with a quick look and a plan in place all went well. This trail, in its current condition, I rate as moderate. Lots of fun and beautiful but in need of repair.

The Tonto National Forest has changed how you get your Bulldog permit. You have to go online and purchase one for $6.00. The new cost is for maintaining that new function online. Do not go to the ranger station to get one, they do not have them there. Remember to be respectful and always close and lock the gate when visiting the area.

Great easy trail run. There we only one spot that required any real thought. We came in on FR 3554 (Point 11) and entered the trail at Point 10. There's a small hill that was a little tricky but not to bad. This was the only hard spot I found. There are many great camping spots on this trail. I'd make sure you look at the weather and make sure that you don't get caught up in a thundershower. I'm sure the canyon floor will flood quickly. Great trail and lots of good scenery.

We did this in a rental Wrangler while we were visiting Mesa for a week. Really neat trail with lots of beautiful scenery. Pretty easy trail with a few slightly tricky spots.

This is a great 1/2 day trip. We entered FR3554 from Usery Pass then headed south on FR10. Got a little challenging for me in some spots but mostly because it was my first time out with my Jeep Wrangler. It started out easy with driving through the sanding trail. It wasn’t until further in it got a little steep with some rocks to maneuver over or around. This was when I put her in 4x4 and with going slow I surprised myself and handled it like a champ! So much fun!!! I took my 10 year old daughter and we had a great time together! I will enjoy this trail again!

Bulldog Canyon FR10 was the first place I brought my new Jeep Rubicon to test her out. This is a really fun road to drive, very easy with the proper vehicle. I switched from a Jeep Grand Cherokee that was relatively 4x4 capable with the air-ride system. Even though I think it would make it there’s plenty on this road that I wouldn’t have been comfortable attempting with my Grand Cherokee. The Rubicon tackled everything with zero resistance and filled me with a ton of off-road confidence behind the wheel. Nothing too serious on this road, lot’s of boulders a few minor obstacles but nothing to worry about. There is one steep hill with some large boulders but simple to power up it. Could experience some minor pin-stripping along the way but again nothing too serious, the trail is in pretty good condition with vegetation. Keep your eyes peeled out here though as there’s a lot of other people on this road including motorcycles and smaller ATVs. One of the exits going south out to Usery Pass Road has some deep sand that could be a problem for some people so keep that in mind before you exit via that route. Overall a really fun road that is close to home with some cool hiking opportunities providing access to canyons, arches and other cool desert features.

We headed out to do a trail inspection run today on FR10 and neighboring FR1356. Back in 2017 the Copperstate 4 Wheelers worked with the Tonto National Forest to make some trail repairs. Overall, the trail looks great. There was little to no trash however I did educate some other OHV users on the open areas on the map and staying out of closed areas. Bulldog is our adopt a trail so we will be making frequent runs out that way throughout the year.

We took the trail starting at Wolverine Gate and ended at Usery Pass. It was all open and we didn't encounter any problems. The first part of the trail was rockier than I expected, but we got through it. I'm in a stock Land Rover LR3, but I did put the suspension in offroad mode for the extra clearance. There's a hill covered in loose rock that I used low range for because I didn't want to slip. It's mentioned in another offroader's comments below so I took caution.

Very first off road adventure

On Saturday October 7, 2017 a large contingent of volunteers tackled some trail repair in Bulldog Canyon that included two trail washouts. The first washout was located on FR 3554 and the second was located on FR 10. Volunteers were led by members of the Tonto Recreation Alliance (TRAL) and Copperstate 4 Wheelers. Bulldog Canyon has been adopted by the Copperstate 4 Wheelers. TRAL is the volunteer organization for the Tonto National Forest who catalogs and repairs trails within the forest. You can find out more information and the work that TRAL does [here](http://www.tontorecreationalliance.org/).

Loved the write-up on this trail. Was about as expected when I got there. I took a stock Jeep Patriot 4x4 and started from the south gate at Wolverine Pass. I made it in just fine all the way to WP5 and the steep hill. The wash that crosses at the foot of the hill has been all flooded out. Made for a lot of loose dirt and a steep, narrow step up to get started up the steep hill. I opted to turn around rather than get stuck. I'll try again once I get some A/T tires and maybe a lift.

First off I am pretty green to off road. We started at the South Gate wolverine pass. Only FR 10 and FR 12 are open. We did about half of fr10. We are driving a stock 2016 wrangler unlimited. There have been recent rain and storms in the area and FR 10 is extremely washed out with large rocks. I was with my daughter and niece. I would not recommend you trying this if you have a 2wd at the trails current state. We turned around at about 3 miles in. I got uncomfortable and it was really clouding up like it was going to rain. Better to be safe than sorry. It is very beautiful out there. We are from Oklahoma and probably would have done the whole trail if it weren't for us being alone and not sure of the weather situation.

One of our favorite things to do on a week night is to take off the top, doors and cruise through Bulldog Canyon at sunset. Yet again we were lucky to have the entire place to ourselves. We stopped for a while and hiked one of the canyons that still had some large pools of water from the recent rains. The trail was as smooth as can be excepted, there was no tight brush and we only found a couple pieces of garbage, which is always great.