Elbe Hills OHV - Sunrise Trail

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4.5/5 (5 reviews)
Elbe, Washington (Pierce County)
Last Updated: 03/11/2019

Trail Information

Highlights

Sunrise trail should always be on your "first to do" list when in the Elbe Hills trail system; it starts out with a couple of technical turns bringing you into a long rocky hill climb. A well built rig can negotiate most of this trail in 4HI, versus a stock rig would want to use low range. It is a great run to get you and your rig warmed up for a day on Elbe's trails. It can be very tight as with all of Elbe's trails, but I have witnessed a military spec Hummer on this trail before. Rocks are very sharp throughout the area and this trail is no exception, airing down to at least 15 psi is highly recommended, this will ensure your sidewalls are a little more forgiving. There are a couple narrow bridges to be wary of, local clubs keep them in decent shape, but simple slips off the edge have proven to end in rollovers.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.5/5 (5)
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 01/17/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Fun trail, recommend 33” tires and a rear locker but I can be done with less.
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2600
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 09/15/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Easier

Ran this trail last week. It's been 3-4 years since I've been to Elbe. This trail was actually a little easier than I remember. No issues for my JKU on 37's but it was completely dry. If it was slick, it may be another story. As previous reviewers have said, good warm up for the rest of the trail system out at Elbe Hills.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 03/19/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

We ran this on a wet March day. We ran it with a Wrangler on 37s. We didn't have too much trouble with it. The bridges are in decent shape and, though they are narrow, are pretty solid. Traction was good even in the rain. The trail was an overall good warmup for the rest of Elbe.
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 11/10/2018

Not Recommended For AN Subaru. The gate keeper was not exactly indicative of the trail to follow. We took a mildly modified '96 Subaru Legacy, and a stock '00 Pathfinder up Sunrise. With minimal mechanical sympathy, the Subaru blasted through the gate keeper without much issue. Using the "rock bouncer" method of scouting my line and just pinning proved to be effective. However, taking the more calculated approach, the Pathfinder found itself at the end of my voodoo strap to make it through. In his defense, that was the only time he was on the wrong end of the strap on this trail. The gate keeper was immediately followed by a couple of hillclimbs that compromise the majority of Sunrise trail. On which we rapidly discovered, being without low range in the less than 100 horsepower Subaru with 3.90 gears and 30" tires was a major issue. I can tell you, in this case, traction was the enemy. After about an hour maybe 2. This half mile trail left my clutch smoking, tow strap tired, and a massive smile on my face. Would be a fun trail in a stock 4x4 WITH low range. Again NOT recommended for AWD.
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100
Open
Visited: 05/19/2017

This is no longer easy to moderate. Barley made it in a 5.5" lifted Cherokee locked front and rear on new 33 mts. Lot harder than two years ago.

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