Swauger Lake/Pass Creek

Level of Difficulty: 6 Intermediate (last 5 miles has  loose dirt/rock on relatively steep climb with a couple sharp switch backs.) 

Elevations: 6073 to 9721 feet.

Starting Point Coordinates: N43°55.533', W113°26.869'

Length of Trail: 72 miles

Approximate time: 4.5 hours

Date of Ride: August 31, 2007

For MapSend Data Click Here

For Google Earth Data Click Here.

 

 

 

---

From the push pin continue to go straight. We unloaded just outside of the gap, less than a mile from there, so that we could ride our bikes through. An awesome, 360 deg. view!

If you would rather not ride so far on your bike you could drive a truck right up to the point that the 4 wheeler trail begins and unload there. You'll notice on the Topo Map below, that we found a short cut on the way back, that saved us about 7 miles. I didn't see a sign on the road but the National Forest map labels it, Dry Creek Rd. It is just before a cattle guard and right before Corral Creek. Click the map for point to point directions.

---

 Elevation Profile:

This Topo map shows the overview of our ride. Pics 8 & 9 are taken on the way up on the long way. On the way back we took the upper part of that loop and saved about 7 miles. The Beginning of the 4-wheeler trail is where you could drive a higher clearance vehicle and unload there. You could drive most any vehicle to the place where Pic 10 is taken.

This is a closer view on the Topo Map of the last 6 miles or so.

Pic 1 -- This is looking towards the gap just after turning off of US 93.

Pic 2 -- This was a very bold Proghorn Antelope standing by the road on the way to the gap.

Pic 3 -- Riding through the gap.

Pic 4 -- It was difficult to capture the beauty of the rocks and the mountain going straight up over a thousand feet!

Pic 5 -- The landscape change dramatically once we were through the gap.

Pic 6 -- This is looking off to the left of the road toward the area that we would be going to. The lake is just over the mountain in the center. I believe that is Massacure Mountain.

Pic 7 -- Across the valley from where we turned off of Pass Creek Rd, to the North, is Bell Mountain.

Pic 8 -- Turning off of Pass Creek Road onto an unmark road lead us up Dry Creek. (And dry it was!)

Pic 9 -- This is a bit hard to figure out, but it is looking down on the remnents of a dam built in the 1920s.It looks as though they had faced an earthen dam with about a foot of concrete. By the looks of the location of the spillway, it held back water over 100 feet deep. It would be fun to know the history of it.

Pic 10 -- Once you get to the 4 wheeler trail, the scenery becomes very beautiful and the trail becomes a bit challenging in places with loose dirt and rocks on fairly steep climbs. Not a problem for a well experienced rider, but certainly not for a beginner.

Pic 11 -- Getting close, just over that grassy ridges lies the lake.

Pic 12 -- Looking down on the Swauger lake as we round the last turn. The lake looked like more of a pond, but I hear the fishing is good and the surrounding view is well worth the ride!

Pic 13 -- This is a close up on a very interesting formation on the side of the mountain. You can see it in the distance in Pic 11.

Pic 14 -- This is a pic of my friend Bill, who was my tour guide. He and his family had spent quite a bit of time there in the past.

Pic 15 -- We rode up to a ridge on the way back and took this shot looking south.

Pic 16 -- This is from the same spot looking North. At 9721 ft, you felt like you were almost on top of the world.

Pic 17 -- One last look back up the valley on the ride out.

Pic 18 -- Looking back at the little rain cloud that came down in drops that felt like small hail! It doesn't look like much but came down pretty hard for about two miles. This is back on Pass Creek Rd, near a small switch back before the summit.

Summary: Most of this ride was on a gravel road, but it was a great adventure. The first mile and the last six were breath takingly beautiful. The rest was very dry, with mostly sage brush near by, but surrounded by mountian peaks in the distance. If you wanted to, you could drive a truck right up to the point that the 4 wheeler trail begins and unload there. You'll notice that we found a short cut on the way back, that saved us about 7 miles.

This page was late updated: 9/1/07