North & Middle Fork of the Swan River

Total Miles
13.6

Elevation

3,854.31 ft

Duration

3.5 Hours

Technical Rating

6

Difficult

Best Time

Summer, Fall

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North & Middle Fork of the Swan River 5

Trail Overview

There are some cool ghost town ruins to see along this trail that ends up at the top of Wise Mountain. Once you clear the timberline, you'll be treated to some simply amazing views. The trail is open to unlicensed vehicles and is open from May 21 to November 22.

Photos of North & Middle Fork of the Swan River

North & Middle Fork of the Swan River
North & Middle Fork of the Swan River

Difficulty

Difficult. Steep, loose and rocky climbs on North Fork. The upper section of the Middle Fork is very narrow, rocky 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 low-range gearing, but use careful judgment if conditions deteriorate.

History

The piles of rock seen along Tiger Road are from dredge mining that took place between 1898 and 1942. Large barges created their own deep ponds as they sucked silt and rock from the bottom of the Swan and Blue Rivers. Parts of an old dredge barge can be seen in a pond along Tiger Road 2.5 miles east of Highway 9. Swandyke was an active mining town between 1898 and 1910 with a population near 500. The town was a stage stop for passengers coming over Georgia Pass. Businesses included a saloon, barber shop, butcher shop and blacksmith shop.

Technical Rating

6

Status Reports

Matthew Mcfarland
Aug 23, 2024
4x4
Open
Normal
Fun trail, great views. Weather changes very quickly; went from fog and rain to sunny within 20 minutes. You go through a nice lush forest, then go on a ridge, then back through the forest. We saw a few elk or deer, no mountain goats. A few sus
A W
Aug 10, 2024
2017 Arctic Cat HDX 700
Open
Normal
Muddy/Wet
We did the North Fork up to Wise Mountain in a stock six man Arctic Cat UTV (i.e. not a lot of clearance compared to some of the RZRs). Had it in four wheel drive low full throttle for the part after Garibaldi Gulch. Engine struggled I think because of the altitude - but we made it! Did not try crossing over to Deer Creek or coming down the South Fork. Just turned around and went back.
Paul Roebuck
Aug 09, 2024
4x4
Open
Great trail with awesome views. Few tight areas between trees but overall open. It does require high ground clearance in a few areas. One area going up has a few small areas of rock crawling that does require some skill. The rain started about 1/3 of the way in and made it more challenging but overall was a great ride. Give yourself time, it will take a couple hours. We ran across 5 Jeeps ahead of us and 1 Jeep and 1 motorcycle coming at us.
Daniel Mullins
Jul 29, 2024
2021 RAM 1500
Open
Normal
Dusty

Access Description

From Highway 9 about 3 miles north of Breckenridge, head east on well-marked Tiger Road. Follow sign for golf course. Continue east after the pavement ends on a well-graded gravel road. Watch for staging area on right after about 4.8 miles. Continue another mile to start of North Fork route on left just before heavy wooden bridge.

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