Are ordinary cars allowed on Ipsut Creek Road?

[Norman_Clyde]

I am hoping to drive to Ipsut Creek tomorrow, in my non-high clearance vehicle, in order to take the family for a car camp in a little less crowded MRNP setting. I have heard that the difficulty of the road is exaggerated, and that a regular vehicle can make it. However, it appears on the map that a ranger is posted at the start of this road. I'm wondering: will the ranger forbid me and my Volvo to enter the park by this route? Will I have to drive a car full of disappointed children two more hours to some plan B campsite instead?

[Fairweather]

You'll have no problem. Just one little slow section through the washout. Be sure to check out the short little hike to Chenius Falls at about mile 2.5 (from the gate). It is a short hop across the Carbon River on a log bridge. Beautiful. The kids will love it.

[chucK]

Just call the ranger station Norman. I'm sure they'll give you the straight dope.

[Gordonb]

We went through last month in our Windstar. No problem. One rough section with a small creek flowing accross. If you have lowered your car it would be a problem. There were pleanty of cars with lower clearance than ours at the trailhead.

[chilly]

I'm a little late to help, but for everyone else heading that way....I saw a lowrider truck go their with no problem last week!!!! Just take it slow through the washout, the rest is bomber.

[Norman_Clyde]

We got through fine and had a very nice weekend. ChucK, you're so right about the rangers. The website says in one spot, "The Ipsut Creek road is open to high clearance vehicles ONLY" , but if you look for the latest road info, the paragraph says that high clearance vehicles are "suggested". We saw every kind of car in there except low riders.

We didn't do much hiking, but spent about an hour playing in the pools below Ipsut Falls. There is a deep pool pretty high up which is hidden from the trail and excellent for skinny-dipping, if you don't mind the cold. Magnificent old growth cedar and hemlock up there, only a moderate number of hikers, about fifty-fifty between the casual weekend campers and the goretex warriors. I got a kick out of seeing one guy come down the trail from Carbon Glacier--the only trail in the entire valley--looking down every few yards at a small object in his hand. Of course, he was consulting his GPS.