Can I drive to a hut in summer?

10th Mountain strongly discourages using motorized vehicles to reach the huts, except as support for hikers or bikers. The hut system was created for non-motorized travel and we encourage guests to reach the hut under their own power.

If you use a support vehicle, note that each hut is surrounded by a Forest Service-enforced, non-motorized envelope. Boundaries restrict access around the huts from 1/8 to 1/2 mile, although several huts have larger envelopes. If you must drive, 4WD high-clearance vehicles are recommended for all routes – see 4WD High Clearance filter option. The roads to a handful of huts are particularly steep and hazardous and 10th Mountain does not recommend driving to these huts – see Extreme 4WD High Clearance filter option.

Vehicle access to the huts is not always possible. After storms, mud can make many routes impassable. Be prepared with backpacks, hiking boots, rain gear, and warm clothes, in case you have to hike into or out of a hut due to road conditions or mechanical problems. The US Forest Service, not 10th Mountain, controls the gates on the roads that lead to the huts. Gates are sometimes locked, especially early or late in the season, due to road conditions and snow. Hagerman Pass in particular tends to open late and close early. After winters with heavy snowfall, it opened as late as mid-August. Additionally, the road to the 10th Mountain Division Hut is periodically closed in the summer season due to road damage and bad conditions.

Please keep all of this in mind when planning your trip and be prepared to travel to the hut under your own power. 10th Mountain does not encourage or guarantee vehicle access to the huts.

There is a cart at most hut closure gates that can be used to ferry gear from your vehicle to the hut.