Grizzly Lake

Open for 1.5 miles to just before waypoint 5. Deep snow is not passable at that point.

Deep snow still present right after the gatekeeper obstacle. Going to be a few weeks before more of the trail is accessible.

Beautiful October day. Some trail work before winter. Secured a log to hold the road up at waypoint 4 so it’s not as dangerous as before and drained the avalanche field ruts just before the lake parking lot.

Started in the rain and the trail was tough! Had to winch over the gate keeper. Rubicon on 35’s. Aired down to 16 lbs and that seemed to help. Lots of mud at the top and only 2 campsites. Very fun for us but not for our rock rails….

Adrenaline and back pain lol! The wall was a formidable obstacle that I had to winch up along with many from our group. After this it doesn’t give back your attention! The steep shelf section above the wall was exciting. Lots of off camber and steep drops allows no mistakes. Making it to grizzly lake makes it worth the drive. Not a long trail but takes more time than you think!

No snow on the trial and is clear all the way to the lake.

Very exciting trail! The rutted obstacle on the climb after gatekeeper has gotten worse this year. It was raining and we ended up having to winch after ended up in a pickle. Looks like that is fairly common here judging from the damaged trees along the trail. Use a tree strap folks!! Ran it in a GX470 on 35s and lockers. Camping at the lake is great but there is only 1 good spot.

Trail is fully open! That is, if you can navigate the snow slide at waypoint 5. Lake is still mostly covered in ice.

Made it to just before waypoint 4. Snow still covering the road at the off-camber section.

Holy grab this trail is no joke. JL wrangler on 33s with open diffs. We had to winch twice. But the lake at the end more than made up for it

Great trail! We had to winch up the center line of the Gatekeeper after a few attempts, but the 80 series with lockers that was with us drove right up. The steep hill climb after the gatekeeper is very loose and in my opinion would not be scary without at least a rear locker. The lake is amazing and we didn’t seeing another person for the 2 days we camped there.

Trail is fully open to the lake.

Deep snow still at Waypoint 4.

Blocked by deep snow before the first obstacle and creek crossing.

Beautiful Colorado trail and a lot of fun! Like Iron Chest, the start is the hardest part. Big rocks and very steep after the gatekeeper. After the first quarter mile or so the trail isn't very difficult. There is a good mix of landscapes, going from forests, rock fields and a little mud. Have fun!

This was a very exciting trail. The first rock obstacle took some over view and calculation, however my husband made it up and over on the first go. It's difficult to keep the tires dry after the wide creek crossing before this obstacle. We had the trail to ourselves, as well as the lake. Walking sticks recommended to walk around the lake, as it is very marshy and uneven. This is a must-do for high clearance athletic vehicles.

The trail is fully open with some snow on the road. The area is extremely wet with runoff and there are several large water areas you must drive through.

We ran grizzly today as part of the Set Them Free event It is open until about a 1/4 mile from the lake where it is blocked by a very large avalanche debris field. My JKUR is equipped with a 2 1/2 inch lift and 33 inch tires we had minor skid plate damage mostly from the Gatekeeper. I think the 8/8 rating is a little extreme for this trail, the gatekeeper is the hardest part of the trail the rest of the trail is not very technical.

Trail was blocked by snow about .25 miles past the first creek crossing/obstacle. Will be a while until the trail is fully open.

This was the first time we made it up this trail, thanks to the winch points recently installed. Our group rode up in 2 side by sides and an ATV. The trail is as described, full of boulders that never seemed to end and equally as thrilling. Our ATV got stuck in the boulder field on the way up, but easily freed with help. The side by sides did really well. This trail is not for the inexperienced, or those afraid of heights. The view at the lake though was worth the ride.

Ran the trail as part of the Set Them Free event again this year. We had a small fairly small group, but the carnage was big. The wall claimed a rear axle shaft, a front axle u-joint, and a front outer shaft. Only two vehicles in our group made it up the wall without winching; I was one of them and the other was also an LJ on 37s. For the first time I have ever been to the lake, it was absolutely gorgeous! It was sunny and warm with zero wind! I think this was just the calm before the storm though because on our way out, a massive rainstorm came through and drenched us the entire way back to the highway.

Spent the first half of the day doing some work on the trail with the guys from CORE and the Forest Service. We installed 2 winch anchors at the wall obstacle and put in some fencing to prevent resource damage from those attempting to bypass the obstacle. After the work, we ran the trail to the end. It is fully open.

This is one of my most favorite trails in all of Colorado. The gatekeeper keeps just enough people out to make it somewhat of a less used trail and if you are lucky, you will be the only group camping at the end - its a great spot to camp and explore by foot.

Cleared the trail of trees and debris, trail is in good condition and open all the way to the lake.

I tail-gunned this trip for the Set The Free Off Road event this year. The event is a 3 day fundraiser to stop human trafficking, with trail runs over 2 days. We hit up Grizzly on Saturday. We started the trail with 16 in our group. We quickly came to the wall obstacle where it was apparent we would be spending a good amount of time there. Although we gave it our all, we were unable to get any 4dr Jeeps over the wall unassisted. They were all forced to winch over the center line. I believe none of them had larger than 37'' tires. We also had to winch any vehicle that was not locked front and rear, regardless of the wheelbase. Smaller wheelbase vehicles that were locked front and rear like the LJ, a few 2dr JK's, and a TJ, made it up over the wall with some struggles, but ultimately unassisted. A Cherokee and full sized Bronco went up the far left line, also unassisted but with some struggles. The trail was bumpy and rough the remained of the way, but was totally clear of snow. It was extremely windy, but warm at the lake. After spending time at the top for lunch, we headed down. Coming down the wall is very tricky. It's easy to assume the now far right line against the tree would be easiest, however that line tips you right into the tree if it is not done perfectly. With some creative winching, we were able to keep one vehicle from doing some severe damage to his top and other parts of his vehicle. We found the easiest line for all vehicles was to come down the center line while scraping the belly and using gravity to help assist you down. Great day with a great group for a great cause.