Trailheads that need a 4x4

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May 31, 2015
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I'm hoping to move to southern Utah next year, mostly for the outdoor opportunities. I'm also in the market for a new vehicle. So, I was thinking: how necessary is 4-wheel-drive to really enjoy the southwest backcountry?

I know most trails are accessible by regular passenger vehicles, but how many of the iconic "must-see" destinations are only accessible with real hi-lo 4WD? I don't want this thread to turn into a which-vehicle debate, but I was wondering if I would be doing myself a disservice if I didnt have a capable truck or SUV. (Not a rock-crawler, just a daily driver that can get me where I want to go.)

I'm mostly talking about hiking, backpacking, and camping opportunities. Can I get to that awesome trailhead with only, say, a Honda Accord? Last year's visit to Utah/Arizona was greatly complicated by rain and rocky forest-service roads.

Thanks in advance, and I hope this is in the right place.
 
Plenty of places in Utah can be reached without 4wd, but you are certainly limiting your opportunities by having something that has very little capability and ground clearance like an Accord. Most of the popular trails can be reached without a 4x4. The less traveled and more remote destinations usually require better ground clearance and at times 4wheel drive. Southern Utah has a TON of places to explore offroad and your average 4x4 with low range will get you to 95% of the places you could ever want to go.

Depending on if you commute for work or not you may want to have a commuter car and then a cheap (but still reliable), beater offroad vehicle for camping, exploring, etc.
 
I would definitely get a 4x4 for southern Utah. I'm sure a Subaru would work fine but I think an Accord would leave you wanting more. I think that the first time it rained while you were trying to get back home from a trailhead on a dirt road you would wish that you had 4 wheel drive. Without 4 wheel drive I think you would be limited to fair weather driving to popular trailheads.
 
Although I don't do a ton of real 4wd, I like having the capability in reserve. It provides useful margin against unexpected conditions such as a washed out road or a surprise snowfall. I spend plenty of time in pretty remote places with kids and while I feel like I could walk out of most anyplace, that isn't the case for people with less endurance and short little legs.
 
Also, on moderate roads you can get places a lot faster in a high-clearance vehicle. Years ago, shortly after moving to Utah, my wife and I drove to the end of the Mexican Mountain road in a Honda Civic and it took forever. Can probably do the drive in half the time now in my 4runner.
 
Thanks for the replies! I suppose I should also ask: is real hi-lo 4WD the way to go, or would AWD systems on a slightly higher clearance (say, 1st Gen CR-V) be sufficient?

I suppose my trepidations all come down to gas mileage. As Eric said, a 2 car system might work best, but for now I'd really like to keep to just one daily driver. (I've done the car and 4X4 beater thing before. It was a headache, and just seemed to give me twice as many repairs to keep on top of. Of course, the truck was more for winter driving and hardware runs, not offroading)

Thanks again.
 
It really just depends on the vehicle and where you are looking to go. A first gen CR-V doesn't have much ground clearance. Some of the subaru models are just barely adequate and still offer decent mileage.

If money is the big factor then having two vehicles is actually cheaper in many cases once gas mileage, repairs, etc are factored in. Trying to make one vehicle fill all the roles means compromises all over the place and with a vehicle that really isn't meant to go offroad (IE, anything without a low range) you're going to see increased repairs needed and additional costs that you need to factor in.

A good example is tires on an awd vehicle, specifically a subaru. If you blow a tire (somewhat likely given that 95% of the tire options are very light duty) you have to replace all 4 tires if they have any appreciable wear due to the nature of the AWD system. From experience, Subarus are surprisingly capable offroad but that's also part of the problem since they can get you somewhere that you may not have any business being .

A true 4x4 like a Toyota 4runner will get you anywhere you want to go reliably, and a whole lot quicker too since you won't have to drive like a grandma over rough terrain.
 
I've had a Subaru for a couple of years. I had a civic for several before that. The Subaru has gotten me places that the civic couldn't, and sleeping in the back is real nice on longer trips. If you're budget isn't big enough for a real 4WD vehicle, you can do as Kelsey suggests, and bring a mountain bike to go those last few miles to trailheads. I kind of wish I would have just bought another civic and done that instead.
 
Personally, I would never consider being without a good off road vehicle when it comes to exploring the colorado plateau. Yeah, the most 'iconic' spots you probably don't need it, and there are workarounds, but I'd take a little extra gas cost over those hassles any day.
 
Personally, I would never consider being without a good off road vehicle when it comes to exploring the colorado plateau. Yeah, the most 'iconic' spots you probably don't need it, and there are workarounds, but I'd take a little extra gas cost over those hassles any day.

I agree. If you can afford it, why would you want to limit your possibilities if your main goal is to spend a lot of time in the outdoors. That's my opinion, anyway. Obviously, if cost is the reason, then you'll probably need to compromise somewhere.
 
Thanks again, guys. I was always steering towards a real 4x4, and cost isn't really the biggest issue, I just dont want to burn so much fuel if I don't have to. But I don't want to limit myself; I'm planning this move to experience the outdoors. I fell in love with the southwest on visits, but vacations are too rushed and only hit the guidebook highlights. I want the freedom to do the obscure trails that I read about, and to improvise if need be.

So I guess I'm getting a 4x4 again.
 
I don't think you'll regret it. In addition to not having to worry about getting to where you want to go, sometimes it's a lot easier to sleep in the back of my 4Runner when car camping in grizzly country, when it's raining, when it's really windy, when I get to a campsite really late, when I'm too lazy to set up the tent...well, you get the idea!
 
Factor in mud, sand, and snow, and a 4x4 becomes even more appealing. If you just want to hit Utah's 20 most popular hikes, an accord will be just fine. If you want to get into the deep backcountry, you'll want a 4x4.
 
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