6/3/2026 Posted On: 6/3/2026 By: erdi9596 Info: Hiked Princeton on 6/2/26. In stock 2016 subaru crosstrek I made it to parking above the radio towers. There was only one crux section of the drive that I had to get out and pick my line. IYKYK, that car does not have the greatest engine for climbing but it does have 8.7 clearance. Nothing was too steep for the subie. Just the one spot of line choice to get through deep potholes. | 1 |
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5/30/2026 Posted On: 5/30/2026 By: wallabally Info: Personally was not brave enough to make it up the 4WD road in our Subaru Forester. Turned around when it got really gnarly about halfway up. Had to back down about a quarter mile to a pull-off. I think you could do it if you have more experience off-roading. | 1 |
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5/25/2026 Posted On: 5/26/2026 By: Okottke Info: The road is rough and narrow with one major obstacle around half way up. Two incredible young women proved to me that when there’s a will there’s a way by bringing their outback all the way up. I was shaking in my boots in a Bronco sport and needed some emotional support from kind strangers in order to make it past a couple spots where I got stuck. There are no turn outs and it is pretty bumpy so if you are like my and off roading scares you, you should probably park at the bottom lot. Also there is additional parking a short ways up from the radio towers I would shoot for that lot first. | ||||
5/16/2026 Posted On: 5/16/2026 By: Cruiser Info: Mt Princeton road was in good condition today. We didn't encounter any snow or mud before the radio towers. There's was a switchback before the place where the hiking trail leaves the road that was still holding enough snow that I wouldn't have tried to drive past it but things are melting very quickly and I'm sure you'll be able to drive to the end of the road really soon. There were multiple spots not very far above the radio towers that could have accommodated 2-4 cars. Road as far as the towers seemed subaruable to me if you're careful and take it slowly. | 2 |
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3/12/2026 Posted On: 3/12/2026 By: Skimo95 Info: 4wd friendly to radio towers. Possible past that but I wouldn’t advise it | 5 |
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1/11/2026 Posted On: 1/11/2026 By: arthurspiderman Info: Made it to the radio towers (10,800') in a CR-V without much struggle. The crux is at the switchback at 9,500' due to a big icy section. Overall, the south facing portions are quite bare and the rest is just compacted snow/ice. Great way to get an easy snowflake on Princeton! | 5 |
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12/21/2025 Posted On: 12/22/2025 By: AlejandraOutside Info: One port-o-potty was tipped on its side, as a heads up. Lower trailhead is almost completely dry. | 1 |
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11/2/2025 Posted On: 11/2/2025 By: joflyer22 Info: 4x4 road open and snow-free to the radio towers and beyond as of 11/2. There were ruts like other reports mentioned earlier this year but very easy going the whole way in a higher clearance vehicle (stock 4Runner). | 1 |
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9/25/2025 Posted On: 9/26/2025 By: feldyinstilly Info: As others have said, the road is quite rutted out by now. I still think it's Subaruable and that I could have gotten my Forester Wilderness up there without much hassle. But, I'm not an off-road driving guru and took my mountain bike instead. Two Rubicons and one Trailhawk were parked up there. Probably 2-3 difficult obstacles to clear, with the rest of it just slow-going. 16 old-school Army-style Jeeps were headed up. As much as biking up kinda sucked, I'd rather avoid a one-up/one-down standoff lol. | 1 |
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9/14/2025 Posted On: 9/14/2025 By: paigemoney Info: The road is in worse condition than when I was here earlier this year on Memorial Day. The road overall is much more washed out, and the ruts around 9,700 feet are significantly deeper. Some rocks have been placed to improve traction, but vehicles without good clearance may scrape on them. On a switchback after the ruts while ascending, there’s a spot where it looks like people have gotten stuck or spun out; it’s avoidable but difficult to see in the dark. Above the camping area, there are a few pulloffs that can accommodate about three cars total—one each! One at roughly 11,600 feet, another around 11,450 feet, and one on the first curve past the camping area. No parking beyond these spots before the trail. | 1 |
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8/31/2025 Posted On: 8/31/2025 By: CraigE Info: Mount Princeton Road is in rougher shape than the last time I was up there in 2022. Still definitely Subaruable, but it took more care than I expected (and I’m a pretty brave Subaru driver). The road is rutted from runoff pretty much the whole way to the radio towers. And there are two deep holes on a curve around 9,700 feet that require very precise tire placement. But at least the road isn’t very rocky — just washed-out dirt. | ||||
8/16/2025 Posted On: 8/20/2025 By: SloanerBroner Info: Went up this road in a stock Subaru OBW as someone who has never driven a 4WD road before, and didn't have any major problems until I tried to push further than the final switchback before the trail begins around 12,000ft. Wouldn't suggest taking anything higher than that final switchback if you don't have exceptional 4WD, clearance, and confidence in your skills as the road gets a little narrower and a little more treacherous past that point. I saw stock Outbacks and Crosstreks at the 10,800ft parking area, who seemed to have made it to that point without any issue. There is a section before 10,800ft in which even trucks had bottomed out, but my OBW miraculously didn't, you just need to find the right line to make it past some obstacles. Happy hiking and good luck to future climbers! | 1 |
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8/5/2025 Posted On: 8/5/2025 By: brymiccol Info: I made it up to the towers, and a little past, in a standard Crosstrek (8.7 inches of clearance). I definitely scraped on the rutted section, but other than that, not too bad at all. It was just sketchy enough to make it fun! | ||||
7/26/2025 Posted On: 7/28/2025 By: ezabielski Info: Don't know why the previous person said there's "functionally" no parking past the radio towers, which is not true. There's another set of parking spots a little ways beyond the towers. Then there are a couple more difficult switchbacks you could park on the outside of. Then where the trail departs the road there are two tiny slanted pullouts. Also don't be like the Jeep, Subaru, and Chevy that almost completely blocked the road at the towers Saturday by parking poorly. | 1 |
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7/21/2025 Posted On: 7/21/2025 By: EvanKBlack Info: Warning to drivers: though road itself is not too terrible (the biggest obstacle for a stock Nissan Rogue AWD was one part with 2 holes on the left and right sides), to say there are "limited" pulloffs is not accurate. Functionally, there are ZERO. Driving this is a real gamble--you have to hope that no one else is coming the other way, and also that no one else (like an RV I found myself behind Saturday night) is getting themselves stuck, requiring everyone reverse downhill, perhaps in the dark. I heard multiple people had serious vehicle issues when I was on trail--engines dying, getting stuck on an obstacle. Safer to consign yourself to hiking/running (or biking?) the road, or possibly hitching a ride up. |
