I wrote this up for the trail sign-up website that may be helpful re: trail ratings. In short, the trails around Ouray offer more mental challenges than technical ones. If I recall, Fins-n-Things is rated a 4/10 in Moab? There's nothing that rivals that around Ouray in terms of technical driving.
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Overall, the trails we run at this event are known more for their breathtaking scenery than their technical obstacles. Any stock vehicle with 4-low and decent clearance can complete any of the trails on our schedule — even the difficult ones. Given that we all drive the same vehicle, we decided to simply provide some commentary on how to think about which trails may be the best fit for you. Ultimately, there's no wrong answer. You, and your vehicle, can do any of the trails at this event.
The trick is that some of the trails are predictable and others are not. Imogene Pass is always a good choice to do in any weather condition because it's mostly rocky — it's universally described as an easy-to-moderate trail. Conversely, both Corkscrew Gulch and Last Dollar Road are well-maintained and fairly easy... until it rains and the trails become dangerous and impassable. No need for concern, though, this is why we work with trail leaders to identify audibles if the weather doesn't cooperate.
Vehicle Requirements and Notable Obstacles
Vehicle requirements? Didn't we just say that any 200 can do any trail? Sure, that's true, but we still have both a.) requirements, and b.) suggestions. First, you need a full-size spare. It'd be a shame to leave your vehicle on the mountain and return the next day just because you don't have a proper spare tire. Second, you need recovery points. The stock front points should be okay for lighter trucks but the rear is a problem. The recommended solution is a hitch-mounted recovery point with shackle. That's really it from the "required" category.
We also highly recommend AT or MT tires. Beyond tires, sliders and skid plates will give you some peace of mind. An experienced driver who takes optimal lines may have no issues at all with a completely stock vehicle. Below, you'll find some food for thought on a few trails:
Mineral Creek: While Black Bear Pass and Poughkeepsie Gulch are known as the "difficult" trails in the area, Mineral Creek actually surprises the most people with its non-stop array of minor obstacles. It's a relatively short trail, but is required for both the Alpine Loop via Engineer Pass and Poughkeepsie Gulch. Stock vehicles will make it but expect some scraping on the underside of your bumper covers, some skid plate usage, and your running boards may take some abuse.
Poughkeepsie Gulch: There is an optional obstacle, The Wall, on this trail that generally requires a rear locker and a buddy on the trail to help winch you up if you don't a way to self-recover. Not your cup of tea? Just take the bypass and wait for the adrenaline junkies on the shores of beautiful Lake Como.
Imogene Pass: While Imogene is mostly moderate, there are a couple areas where the wrong line can result in some bumper cover scraping and/or denting. Nothing that can't be mended with a heat gun, a beer, and a Saturday afternoon.
Black Bear Pass: We don't see too much damage on Black Bear aside from people gripping their steering wheel too tightly as they stare into the abyss below. While not technical, there are a few spots on Black Bear Pass where we tend to spot vehicles — the last of the steps and the world's tightest switchback that requires 2-3 3-point turns. It's also worth noting that the trail leading up to the steps (and the steps themselves) requires some specific lines so pay attention to the vehicle in front of you. The irony is that most of the damage happens after the scary sections. There's a surprisingly steep ledge at the waterfall/water-crossing after the first switchback that can scrape your bumper cover. Also, just beyond that point, almost every year someone gets their rear diff hung up on a quirky, rocky, mogul smack-dab in the middle of the trail.
A Perspective on Choosing Trails
So, if a stock 200 series ought to be able to do any of the trails, what advice do we have to those unfamiliar with the area? First, rest assured that there is no wrong answer. All the trails are scenic, offer a variety of terrain, include historic sites along the way, and provide ample opportunities for killer Instagram photos (we know this is why you're all here, anyway). Kidding.
Education: Ouray is one of the top offroad destinations in the country. We highly recommend using the time before the trip to learn more about the area and the full list of trails. We tend to highlight the trails that are most popular, beloved, and close to our home base in Ouray. That said, virtually every group will have flexibility to choose how to spend the back half of the day. You'll note some various options (along with leader preferences, potentially) in the trail descriptions. Many of our favorite trails are the gems that aren't even on the official trail signup list: Clear Lake, Last Dollar Road, Placer Gulch, and more. The Colorado FunTreks book is a great place to start.
Novelty: If you're new to wheeling, the 200, or the area, we do recommend working your way up to the more challenging trails. No one's going to stop you from jumping into the deep end by choosing Black Bear Pass as your first offroad experience (hey, it happened last year and those folks had a great time). The most unique aspect of this area that catches people by surprise is the sheer magnitude of the dropoffs on shelf roads combined with the stunning scenery in every direction. Like most things in life, the bigger challenges in Ouray are the mental ones.
Read the Leader's Trail Description: Just because we offer the same trail on multiple days does not mean that each leader will approach the trail the same way. For example, if I were running Imogene the pace would be on the faster side so that we have ample time to visit Brown Dog Pizza whereas another leader may go at a more relaxed pace to include extra time to capture photos of Imogene Basin's endless supply of Columbines.
Your Passengers: We often find that offroad travel is a bit more exhausting for the passengers — especially children. The Alpine Loop a not-to-be-missed experience but at the same time it's a long day no matter how you slice it.
Zero-Tolerance for Damage: The reality is that we've seen as much (or more) vehicle damage off the sanctioned group runs or on connector trails as we have on the official trail outings (to no fault of the drivers). If you want to minimize the risk that your vehicle takes any damage at all, then we do recommend sticking to the following trails: Corkscrew Gulch, California Gulch, Last Dollar Road, Yankee Boy Basin, Clear Lake, Ophir Pass, and maybe, just maybe Governor Basin (we haven't run it recently and don't have a report. We also expect the Slee Team to run easy-to-moderate trails for their sponsored trail days. The Alpine Loop itself is on the easy-moderate side but Mineral Creek stands in the way coming from Ouray. You may luck out and your leader will let you somehow meet the group at Engineer Pass but that kind of coordination seems unlikely.
What Do You Enjoy?: There's nothing like turning the corner of the final Black Bear steps looking straight down at Telluride. The valley floor is thousands of feet below and it's immediately obvious why this trail is on most people's bucket list. However, if you have a legitimate fear of heights or avoid shelf roads at all costs, we recommend considering other trails. Most trails are mountain passes so there's no getting around absolute heights, but only a couple have precarious, narrow shelf roads (Black Bear Pass, Governor Basin). We focus here on the fear of heights as it's the most common question posed by newcomers. Poughkeepsie Gulch, Yankee Boy Basin, and Imogene Pass would be your best bet for avoiding shelf roads.
