| Written by: | Jeff Bakke (Walking Eagle) | |
| Trail ran: | Various times. | |
| Vehicles in attendance: | Jeff Bakke's 1998 F-150 with 4" lift and 33" tires | |
| Trail difficulty: | About 5/10. Trail can become easier or more difficult based on which offshoots you take. | |
| Location: | Near Empire, CO | |
| Directions: | If driving from Denver, head west on Interstate 70 until you reach the exit for Hwy US-40 going towards Winter Park. The town of Empire is located approximately 5 miles from I-70. When you get to Empire, you will be looking for Main St., the only paved road heading north. Go north on Main St. and stay on this road which will turn into a dirt road and follow it until you reach the trailhead. |
This trail offers a wide range for different vehicles and driving abilities. Plus as a benefit, it is a beautiful drive up to the lake. The trail heads north out of Empire, CO. From this point, you will need four wheel drive. Along the way you will come upon different obstacles such as areas with deep ruts that are 12 inches or more in depth, there will also be forks in the trail to offer more challenging paths, which will require some scouting too make sure you don't get in over your head if you don't stick to the main trail. The areas where there are the deep ruts offer multiple paths of varying degrees, which allow stock height vehicles to pass. At the beginning of the trail there are a couple of tight switchbacks, but I went up there with someone who was able to maneuver a Ford F-250 Superduty around the corners. As you approach the final stretch to the lake, the trail will make a decent down to the lake. When you get to the bottom of the hill, there will be a nice puddle of water to the right side. You must check the depth before entering, because it is very deceptive. It's about 4 feet deep and will require either being pulled or winched out except for the toughest of the 4x4's. (The latest information I have is the Forrest Service closed the mud pit). If not sure stay to the left and head towards the end of the trail. The trail stops about 200 feet short of the lake. When heading back, you must go back the way you came. I've done this trail a half a dozen times in the past two years in my F-150 and I've been up there with many different vehicles including an early 90's Nissan pick up, International Scout II, a couple of Jeep Wranglers, Ford Explorer, Ford Ranger, etc. and from my experience, this is what to expect. Just about everyone will bounce a few boulders off the underside of their rig. The trail is wide enough for just about any vehicle, wider vehicles will have to watch out for tree branches, and if oncoming traffic is encountered there might be some backing up required. A topographical map of the area and GPS will be very helpful, since the trail has different branches, but only one goes to the lake.
