Jay J.What Do Green, Blue, and Black Mean?
In many off-road trail systems, a green circle means easiest, a blue square means more difficult, and a black diamond means most difficult. Green often describes graded dirt roads or mild obstacles. Blue can introduce ruts, loose climbs, and moderate rocks. Black can involve steep ledges, narrow passages, severe off-camber sections, and higher damage risk. Read the local trail-system legend: the same colors can be applied differently by land managers and mapping services.
What Do 1-10 Trail Ratings Mean?
On onX Offroad's published technical rating scale, the numbers have specific descriptions:
- 1–3, Easy: mostly dirt roads, shallow ruts, small rocks, and occasional obstacles up to about 12 inches.
- 4–6, Intermediate: deeper ruts, loose or off-camber terrain, and obstacles rising from roughly 18 inches to 3 feet depending on rating.
- 7–8, Advanced: large rocks, shelves, deep holes, steep grades and exposure. Vehicle damage and rollovers are possible.
- 9–10, Extreme: severe technical obstacles and high risk of damage or rollover, for highly experienced drivers with heavily modified vehicles.
Those figures describe onX's system, not a universal legal standard. Another trail guide may use 1–10 differently. A trail labeled 6 by one provider is not guaranteed equivalent to a 6 elsewhere.
What Can a Stock Bronco Handle?
For someone new to off-roading in a stock Bronco, I recommend onX-rated 1–3 trails to start, provided recent reports confirm they are dry and passable for a full-width 4x4. A stock Bronco can handle harder terrain, but its trim, tires, underbody protection, wheelbase and driver experience change the answer. A two-door Base Bronco and a four-door Badlands are not interchangeable on a tight rock obstacle.
Can Sasquatch Handle a Rating 6?
Sometimes, but I would not use the Sasquatch badge as permission to enter a rating 6 trail blindly. Its larger tires, lockers, and ground clearance help with traction and obstacles, but a three-foot ledge, steep off-camber section, or narrow route can still exceed a driver's skill or the vehicle's geometry. For a first outing in a Sasquatch Bronco, start with ratings 2–4 and move up after learning how the vehicle behaves on small obstacles. For a 5–6 trail, review recent photos of the hardest section, consider a spotter and a second vehicle, and confirm there is a safe turnaround or bypass.
What Matters More Than the Trail's Rating?
Read the obstacle description. A route with 12-inch rocks and plenty of width is different from a narrow shelf road with a steep drop. Check minimum width, maximum ledge height, water depth, steepness, off-camber exposure, mud, and available bypasses. A long-wheelbase four-door might bottom out on a breakover where a two-door clears, while a taller vehicle may feel less stable on a side slope.
Can Rain Make a Moderate Trail Dangerous?
Yes. A dry 3-rated route can develop deep ruts, slick clay, or dangerous crossings after storms. Ratings typically describe a route under broadly normal conditions, not the worst day of the year. Check recent trip reports, official closures, and weather before departure. Never enter moving water based on a rating alone, and turn around when conditions differ from the guide.
How Should You Pick a First Trail?
Pick an open, full-width trail rated 1 or 2 with no mandatory water crossings, no exposed shelf-road sections, and several safe pullouts. Download the route for offline use, tell someone where you are going, carry a tire inflator and recovery gear suitable for your vehicle, and avoid going alone on remote routes. Graduate to harder trails after learning tire placement, spotting, and safe recovery.
For a starting point, see our trails for a stock Ford Bronco guide. Rating definitions: onX Offroad Technical Ratings.