Do I need 4-wheel drive to get to these two places?

[steve_moran]

Hi,

My vehicle is a Toyota Corolla sedan (front-wheel drive, but only 2-wheel drive). Does anybody know if this car can make it to the trailhead for the hike to Gibbs Lake? If it can't make it all the way to the trailhead, how close can it get?

I also want to drive to the Bald Mountain lookout. Here again, does anybody know if my car can make it the the lookout?

I'm planning on doing these things the last week in September, so hopefully snow won't be an issue -- the question is whether I need 4-wheel drive to get to these two places even when there isn't snow on the road, or if my vehicle can get to them.

Thanks!

Regards,
Steve

[huts]

You may not make it much past Lower Horse Meadow (to the Gibbs trailhead) without 4X. There is a steep hill and a pretty good sized pull-out at the bottom. I think this is more than a mile from the trailhead, I bet you can find the hill on the topo map. I remember parking a Toyota Corolla sedan there......From what I can gather Bald Mountain should be doable but I have not been there myself.

[SierraVisions]

I think that the Bald Mtn Rd is closed. It was back in July. It got washed out early in the summer. You might want to call ahead to see if they've opened it back up.
Steven

[steve_moran]

Thanks to SierraVisions and huts for their replies. I went to these two places within the last week, and I can confirm that (1) you DO need 4x4 to make it to the Gibbs Lake trailhead, and (2) you do NOT need 4x4 to make it to the Bald Mountain Lookout.