4WD trails

[schraderstein]

We will be using Big Bend Motor Inn as a 'base camp' during Spring Break.
We are thinking about renting a 4WD for either a half day or full day, just to get off the beaten path, as we know it will be 'crowded' during that time.
Any recommendations?

[SHANEA]

I sometimes like going down the old ore trail, it's not really 4x4, just high clearance.  Blackgap road, depending on the direction you traverse, is also high clearance and some 4x4.  Although I've never gone the whole length of the river road, in some places 4x4 might be required and is good insurance.  Old ore takes a very long time to traverse and sometimes lately I view it as a eater of a whole day.  I actually get tired, as do passangers, of bumping up and down the road all day.  I want to get out and explore and take it all in.  If you've never done it, it's one thing, but since I've done it more than once I'd rather do other things.  Pine Canyon needs a high clearance vehicle also.  If you have not done Pine Canyon, it is a must do.  Get their early to beat the crowd - really early.  Parking is very limited at the trail head.  Grab a granolla bar and head em out.  After the hike go back to camp and do breakfast.  I'm sure you know, based on my prior experience, just because you request a 4x4 rental doesn't mean you will get one, even if you request one.  If I was going to go down Black Gap road or the River Road, I'd make darn sure that I took out the damage insurance, which still might not cover you.  Of course, at BBNP, there really is not any "off-roading", it's limited to the established roads that are in various states of repair.  Everything changes and there are new rules if it has rained.  If you use a rental 4x4, be sure and check the spare to make sure that there is a spare, a jack, etc.  You might end up with one of them silly 1/4 spares.

[01ACRViper]

river road doesn't need 4wd, save for 2 deep sand spots on the eastern half. my friends in front of me this january just flew through it in a bare bones silverado 1500, so it is doable. ho matter how i tried, it wasn't deep enoguh to get my jeep stuck, and thats the worst it gets. unless it's raining  :(

[bdann]

river road doesn't need 4wd, save for 2 deep sand spots on the eastern half.

those things sneak up on you.....Just got back.  Headed toward RGV, I pretty much dove into the first one, hit hard, but powered on through it.  On the other side, we had to get out, make sure the truck was still together!

Incidentally, on Thursday the east end of the River Road was "High Clearance", this morning it was posted "4x4 required"; surely because of those two sand spots, they seemed to get worse as the weekend progressed.  The rest of the road was in good shape.

We also drove the Glenn Springs Road, it was REALLY rough from the North end down to about five miles from it's end at the River Road.

I'll post a full report tomorrow when I get time.

[Casa Grande]

the backroads change very very frequently!  you should check with the rangers at the station first, especially during raining season.  They don't always regrate the road very fast.....don't take good backroads for granted.....you'll be very sorry you did!

[BigBendHiker]

the backroads change very very frequently!  you should check with the rangers at the station first, especially during raining season.  They don't always regrate the road very fast.....don't take good backroads for granted.....you'll be very sorry you did!

Agree with your comments there, David.

Last year, we drove down Maverick Road (from the Ranger station at the west end of the park) to go to Luna's Jacal.  Road was pretty rough at times...after we left Luna's jacal, we came to a pretty soft spot in the road (had been sort of washed out and was drying up).  Given that I do not have 4WD and no cell phone service there...we decided best not to push our luck and turned around.  Did not want to end up a statistic or having to get rescued...

[SHANEA]

having to get rescued...

Yea, I bet that tow truck from Marathon can get a little pricey - probably as much or more as that horror story about the ever inflating price of a shuttle!

[riverrat261]

What qualifies as high clearance?  I have a stock 2WD Ford Ranger, anyone done that before/ is it high enough? Or does high clearance refer to trucks with lifts and such?

[Undertaker]

High clearance = after you drive over the rock in the middle of the road that you did not see, the rock is still in the middle of the road, clean and looks like a rock, instead of being covered in oil or car parts or is attached to the bottom of your low clearance ride. :lol:

[Doc Savage]

I like undertaker's description, but pretty much a stock pickup would qualify, wife's PT Cruiser wouldn't. First time I was in BIBE I took River Road from west to Black Gap and then from Glenn Spring back down to the River road. No problems whatsoever in a stock Jeep Wrangler with 205/75-15 (donut) tires. However I've been there when I met someone who said the rocks at the bottom of the cobblestoned cut were washed away and there was a 4' drop off there (this was in the summer after lots of rain, kinda like now).

Robert

[Al]

What qualifies as high clearance?  I have a stock 2WD Ford Ranger, anyone done that before/ is it high enough? Or does high clearance refer to trucks with lifts and such?

That would qualify as high clearance in my experience.  In the case of the park service, they are not talking about a modified vehicle when they say high clearance.  I've been down virtually every back road in BiBe, except Black Gap, in 2-wheel drive pickups ranging from a 70's model compact Toyota to an 90's model F-150.  Just use common sense and don't go too fast.  The going too fast part is when I have had problems but never anything that kept me from getting home.

Al

[Undertaker]

I agree pretty much any truck or jeep, typically not cars, just go slow and  be safe.

[uh_clem]

What qualifies as high clearance?  I have a stock 2WD Ford Ranger, anyone done that before/ is it high enough? Or does high clearance refer to trucks with lifts and such?

  I drove a 2WD Ranger on Maverick Road, Old Ore Road and the River Road to Mariscal Mine without any trouble. The roads were dry. If there had been any mud, I might have had a problem.

[LandCruisers4Life]

4 Wheel Drive is really a must in the back country. You never know when the conditions will become bad. A trail that is normally passed in high clearance 2 wheel drive can easily become impassable in 2 wheel drive if weather hits or road conditions worsen.

[presidio]

Since this really old thread got revived and was originally posed also in terms of renting a 4WD, here's something to keep in mind.

In the car rental world things are not as they appear. They will rent you a 4WD but they don't allow you to use it as a 4WD. You are renting to make a style statement.

Take a look at the terms and conditions of any rental company. I have not found any exceptions yet, and they all specifically prohibit you from operating a vehicle on unpaved roads. Note that this word would cover maintained, gravel roads that might even be part of a county or state public road network (and there are a few maintained gravel roads that are state highways in places).

Do they really mean it? Yes they do. If you were to take a vehicle on an unpaved road and have any kind of problem requiring notification to the rental company, whatever damage or liability coverage you paid extra for would evaporate like cheap tequila on a hot day. You'd probably find that the damage waivers certain credit cards provide would also be gone since you weren't in compliance with the contract. There is no language in the contracts exempting 4WDs.

When I was in Hawaii on the big island, I rented from a major company. They had the same prohibition, except that they made an express point of telling you to not go on any unpaved roads, something I've never actually been told here. They did this because one of the popular destinations was the summit of Mauna Loa volcano, which just happens to be the highest point in Hawaii at almost 13,500 but also houses extensive astronomy facilities open to the public. The road to the top is paved for most of the way and it is only the last few miles that are not. The unpaved portion is very wide, VERY well maintained and is better than more than a few of the paved roads on the island. Still, you are told your contract is void if you go there.

Well, we went anyway, were very careful and had no problems. We washed the vehicle before turning it in to remove the telltale dust/dirt traces. So, be careful about the fine print when renting and know what you are getting into.

On another note, it is impressive how sluggish a car can be at 13,000 feet even with fuel injection and computer controls. I imagine a carbureted engine would have had real some issues with the fuel/air ratios up there.