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North & Middle Fork of the Swan River

1 Review
Location Breckenridge, CO
Rating Difficult,
Length 13.3mi
Time 4hrs

Vehicle Types

Overview

Amazing views and habitable cabin at the top of Wise Mountain.

Several well-preserved cabins along route, including a habitable cabin with functioning stove at top of Wise Mountain. Breathtaking views above timberline. Entire trail is open to unlicensed vehicles including dirt portion of Tiger Road.

Rating

Difficult
Trail Ratings Defined

The upper section of the Middle Fork is very narrow, rough and steep in places. Early season conditions, when snow lingers on the trail, can create difficult and potentially dangerous situations. When dry, trail is usually suitable for aggressive stock SUVs with high ground clearance and lowrange gearing, but use careful judgment if conditions deteriorate. An optional side trip up “Number 10” Hill is very difficult (see map).

Stats

Length

13.3mi

Time

4hrs

High Point

12,600ft

Best Time To Go

July-Sept

Current Conditions

(970) 468-5400White River N.F., Dillon R.D.

Check the Weather

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Trail Updates

6/26/2020
Submitted by Britt
We took the north fork of the Swan River in our 4 seater side by side today. Only able to go about 1.5 miles past the turn off to Wise Mountain before we hit snow covering the trail.

7/8/2019
Submitted by Bret
Reached Wise Mountain Cabin. A few snowdrifts, but none were an issue to navigate. There was a visible drift blocking the trail after the Cabin at waypoint 04, above the tree line, that should be gone in a week or so.

7/5/2019
Submitted by Bret
There is a 50-yard avalanche about halfway between points 7 & 8 on the route. A mix of snow and pines. Currently impassible.

7/11/2018
Submitted by Charles Wells
I drove this trail on July 1, 2018 and would now rate it “Difficult.” The upper half is extremely narrow in places with larger exposed boulders. Also, the route number has been changed from 221 to 354. The upper half, that starts with a right turn at Waypoint 03 in the book, is numbered 356. In addition, you can no longer camp overnight on the right at the end of Tiger Road. A large parking lot has been built that is for day-use only. The cabin at the top of Wise Mountain is no longer habitable.

Reviews

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Joel says

Great trail! I prefer going up Northfork and down middle but both ways are fun. Don’t assume that just because the signs at the bottom say open that the trails here are actually passable in early season. This description of the cabin being habitable on top of Wise mountain hasn’t been true for a few years now as the floor has caved in and isn’t safe to even enter anymore but the small cabin about 2/3 of the way up Northfork on the left is somewhat maintained and habitable. Mountain goats are usually hanging around wise mountain and very friendly.
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