Maybe you've heard folks talking about trails, saying how
they have done trails rated 5 or 6 and had no clue what they were
talking about. Well, Check out this handy TRAIL RATING guide to
get you up-to-par on your trail-talk. The rating system below is
the one adopted by the COHVC
| RATING |
DESCRIPTION |
|
1
|
Graded dirt road. Dry, or less than
3" water crossing depth. Gentle grades. 2WD under all
conditions except snow. No width problems, two vehicles
wide. |
|
2
|
Dirt road. Dry, or less than 3"
water crossing depth. Some ruts. Slight grades, up to 10 degrees.
2WD under most conditions. Rain or snow may make 4WD necessary.
Usually one and a half to two vehicles wide. |
|
3
|
Dirt road. Rutted, washes, or gulches.
Water crossings up to 6" depth. Passable mud. Grades up to
10 degrees. Small rocks or holes. 4WD recommended but 2WD
possible under good conditions and with adequate ground clearance
and skill. No width problems for any normal vehicle. Vehicle
passing spots frequently available if less than two vehicles
wide. |
|
4
|
Rutted and/or rocky road. No shelves
but rocks to 9". Water crossings usually less than hub deep.
Passable mud. Grades moderate, up to 15 degrees. Side hill
moderate up to 15 degrees. 4WD under most conditions. No width
problems, vehicle passing spots frequently available if less than
two vehicles wide. |
|
5
|
Rutted and/or rocky road. No shelves.
Rocks up to 12" and water crossings up to 12" with
possible currents. Passable mud. Moderate grades to 15 degrees.
6" holes. Side hill to 20 degrees. 4WD required. No width
problems. |
|
6
|
Quite rocky or deep ruts. Rocks to
12" and frequent. Water crossings may exceed hub depth with
strong currents. Shelves to 6". Mud may require checking
before proceeding. Moderate grades to 20 degrees. Sidehill may
approach 30 degrees. 4WD necessary and second attempts may be
required with stock vehicles. Caution may be required with wider
vehicles. |
|
7
|
Rocks frequent and large, 12" and
may exceed hub height. Holes frequent or deep (12"). Shelves
to 9". Mud 8" deep and may be present on uphill
sections. Grades to 25 degrees and sidehill to 30 degrees. Water
crossings to 18" and may have strong currents. 1-1/2
vehicles wide. 4WD required. Driver experience helpful. |
|
8
|
Heavy rock and/or severe ruts. Rocks
exceeding hub height frequent. Shelves to 12". Deep mud or
uphill mud sections. Steep grades to 25 degrees and can be loose
or rocky. Water crossings may exceed 30" in depth. Side hill
to 30 degrees. One vehicle wide. Body damage possible. Experience
needed. Vehicle Modifications helpful. |
|
9
|
Severe rock over 15". Frequent
deep holes over 15". Shelves over 15". Mud bog
conditions (long, deep, no form bottom). Over 30" water
crossings with strong currents. Steep grades over 30 degrees.
Sidehill over 30 degrees. May not be passable by stock vehicles.
Experience essential. Body damage, mechanical breakdown, and
rollover probable. Extreme caution required. |
|
10
|
Severe conditions. Extreme caution
recommended. Impassable by stock vehicles. Winching required.
Trail building necessary. May be impassable. Impassable under
anything but ideal conditions. Vehicle damage probable. Personal
injury possible. Extreme caution necessary. |
