Joe -- A high clearance vehicle is good for some of the roads -- esp. the road to California Gulch (5-striped sparrow) and some other roads, eg. French Joe Canyon. However, legions of birders have made it to these sites with careful driving in normal sedans, too! For almost every other area, the roads, although dirt, are fine for a regular car. Unless you can get a very very good deal on a 4wd (try local, non-chain outfits) a regular car should be fine. That's all I have ever used. (But we were very glad to have had a 4WD in Colorado last month, since we landed in a major snowstorm!) Gail Mackiernan Silver Spring, MD