Democrat Mountain Road

Good trail. If you are used to 4-rated trails, want something a little challenging without going up a level, this would be a good one. Except probably on a weekend. I'm not sure how people pass each other - fortunately I was the only one on the trail this afternoon. Continuously rocky, narrow in spots and pretty unrelenting. One of the challenges is just keeping your concentration. This is the sort of trail you could blast through in a decent rig and think 'ha, easy'. Or, in the same rig, you could hit a rock at the wrong angle at the wrong time and end up in a tree or off the trail. I've been bounced off a trail before, I took it slow and avoided any heart palpitations.

The last couple of years have been rough on this guy! The rocks are more pronounced than in previous years and I've added new Waypoints to help with the rating and description as well as an overall refresh to the guide. I still love this trail, but without the scenic offshoots at the top, it's a hard sell for me to make a trip just for this one.

Trails should be passable by this time. Most snow has melted. Be cautious if you encounter any lingering snow.

A good snow drift around waypoint 5 that was yet to be pushed through, but according to guide that appears to be about the end of the trail anyway. Snow drifts spotty between waypoints 3 and 5. Had to pick lines pretty carefully in quite a few places in a stock Gladiator between waypoints 2 and 3 and the skid plates got some work.

I ran up on this trail knowing it was impassable but I wanted to see where it started it was recon for 2023. I went up to the shelf road and found snow and ice. If a mistake was made here you would end up on i70 below about 700 feet down and it's a serious wrap. I walked ahead and was very impressed from what I saw after that i backed down. Next spring this bad boy is gonna go down.

This trail travels above the timberline and is considered impassable due to snow until spring. See you next season!

A good bit of this trail is narrow. Some loose rocks and one place required good tire placement to avoid the rock sliders

Super fun offshoot from Bard Creek. Completed in a 1st gen Durango with a 2” lift and 32” tires. No major obstacles but very rocky, narrow and steep. Almost the entire way is uphill. Several spots required a good line but nothing too crazy. Narrow so watch out for others and try to let faster drivers pass. Don’t take this trail if you value your paint. Very fun overall.

Rocky and narrow much of the time, but manageable in a stock JKU.

It’s a tight trail with little room to pass. I was the only person on the trail the entire time I was up there. It’s rougher on the bottom but was pretty easily manageable with 33” tires.

Free and clear all the way up. Have at it!

Very pretty start to the tail with the overlook. A few decent sized rocks before the switchbacks. Snow drift blocked trail near the top.

Closed for the season! See you in 2022!

Snow has been sticking, and users report impassable icy conditions in multiple places. This trail should be considered impassable until Spring. If you choose to wheel in the snow, please do so with the right equipment and do not go alone.

Fun climb with some awesome views, despite the MVUM restrictions. Also some cool old mining structures, if you're willing to walk down old closed forest roads. We ran this in a 4th gen 4Runner with a 3" lift. I thought the hardest part was low on the long straight-away section, where big rocks made me glad I had the extra clearance. It's worth noting that you come across the junction with FR778.2A most of the way up the long straight-away section. Although the MVUM shows that road is open to all vehicles, it is way too narrow for most highway-legal vehicles. In the 4Runner, my right side was scraping trees while my left wheels were hitting rocks that were sticking into the trail. A couple hundred yards up that trail, one of those rocks punctured the sidewall on my front driver's tire, bringing an early end to an otherwise awesome day in the mountains.

This trail will get a face-lift in the spring. The gpx and ratings are accurate but the views along the way have undergone some changes the last few years. Gall colors are just starting to pop.

The trail is clear up until a snow bank and blocking the last 1/8 mile of trail, ended up hiking bars peak from there. The Nissan is still up there but is easily passable. Not a good trail for larger groups as there is limited passing areas

Really fun trail! Definitely tight, and bumpy. My stock 2019 Tacoma TRD Off Road handled it with good tire placement. That said, we didn’t make it too far. There was a white Nissan which has clearly wrecked badly and is epartially blocking the trail shortly after the 2nd waypoint. There was a note on the car saying everyone was okay and they got a ride to Empire. At most a week old if I had to guess. There is enough room to get by, but it’s position made getting into the camp site right next to it rather difficult. Will come back! I think a lift / beefier wheels would make this trail a lot more enjoyable.

This trail is open for the season but snowdrifts may still exist at higher altitudes, use caution and enjoy your summer!

This trail is located at a higher alitude of Colorado and at this time of year should be considered impassable for any regular off-road user. Some people may be able to manage these trails with the correct gear, emergency equipment, and rig. Travel with caution.

Stage 3 fire restrictions have been lifted as of 6am, 11/10/20. The forest is no longer fully closed. Areas within fire perimeters remain closed. See closure maps here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/arp/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD844558 Expect winter conditions on trails. Some trails may be impassable due to snow.

Due to dangerous fire conditions, Arapahoe National Forest has closed the forest to all visitors. This decision will be re-evaluated daily as conditions change. See the order here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/arp/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD831612

Hiked up this due to snow, does not look to be passable with a vehicle after waypoint 2 due to the amount of snow. There were some snowmobile tracks but even they turned around.

Summer conditions currently -- dry all the way to the top.

Due to snow in the high county, many parts of this trail are impassable and will stay that way until spring.

I was excited to run this and get above timberline. However, I was a little disappointed to find that the trail was closed at waypoint 5 by the Forest Service and you can no longer get to the top. But the views from the first overlook were amazing, as the whole trail was really pretty. Don't let the bumps scare you, we had a stock JK up there no problem. There was zero trash along this trail, so please keep it that way :) Tip: If you have rooftop tent, or are off the ground, there would be really good camping at the first overlook.

Trail was run for mapping.