Powers Swain Chevrolet · Fayetteville, NC
Chevy Colorado Trail Boss: The Weekend Off-Road Truck for Fayetteville
A two-inch factory lift, 32-inch all-terrains and a real two-speed transfer case, in the middle of the lineup instead of at the top of it. Here is what that buys you within two hours of Bragg Blvd.
What the Colorado Trail Boss Actually Adds
The Trail Boss sits fourth in a six-trim lineup and it is the point where the Colorado stops being an appearance package and starts being an off-road truck. It also happens to be the point where the price is still reasonable.
It runs a two-inch factory-installed lift, 18-inch wheels wearing 32-inch all-terrain tires, a two-speed automatic transfer case with a shield underneath it, and four selectable drive modes with an off-road performance display in the cluster. Four-wheel drive is standard. So is the Advanced Trailering Package, which most people do not realise until they read the sticker.
What it does not add is power, because there is nothing to add. Every Colorado, from the Work Truck up, runs the same 2.7L TurboMax at 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft. A Trail Boss is not quicker than an LT. It is taller, better shod and better geared for what happens after the asphalt ends.
The lifted stance and 32-inch all-terrains are the whole argument for this trim.
Best pick for this use caseTrail Boss, if the trail is the point. Step to the Z71 only if you want the LED lighting and the nicer interior, because underneath they run the same off-road hardware.
The Uwharrie Run: Fayetteville's Real Off-Road Weekend
If you live in Cumberland County and you want to wheel legally, the answer is the Badin Lake OHV Trail Complex in the Uwharrie National Forest. It is the only public motorized trail system in the North Carolina Piedmont, and it is close enough to do in a day.
The drive is about 71 miles to Troy, roughly an hour and 45 minutes running NC-24 and NC-27 west out of Fayetteville. Leave Bragg Blvd at seven and you are airing down before nine.
What to know before you go
- Nine trails, roughly 17 miles. Rated easy through extremely difficult and marked with orange diamond two-way markers, so there is something here whether it is your first time out or your fiftieth.
- Full-size four-wheel drives are welcome alongside the side-by-sides, ATVs and dirt bikes. This is not an ATV-only park.
- Start at Art Lilley Campground, Falls Dam or Dutch John. The Forest Service specifically says not to start at Cotton Place on the eastern end of the Daniel Trail. That is the extremely difficult section and it is not recommended for stock four-wheel drives or beginners.
- A trail pass is required and has to be displayed on the vehicle. Passes are sold at the Uwharrie Ranger District office at 789 Biscoe Rd in Troy and at vendors around the forest.
- Check the season before you drive out. These trails close seasonally and after weather, and the closure dates move. Call the Uwharrie Ranger District at (910) 576-6391 or read the current alerts on the Forest Service page.
- The Forest Service does not tow vehicles off the trail. If you get stuck or break something, removing the vehicle is your problem. Carry recovery gear and have a plan.
An honest word on which trails. A Trail Boss on 32-inch all-terrains handles the easy and moderate trails comfortably. The hardest lines at Badin Lake are rated extremely difficult for a reason, and those favour a ZR2 with front and rear lockers and Multimatic DSSV dampers, or a rig somebody has already put money into. Know which trail you are pointing at, air down, and go with at least one other vehicle. Nobody should be out there alone in a stock truck.
Current trail information from the US Forest Service.
Back to topSand Roads, Game Land and River Access Closer to Home
Not every weekend justifies a two-hour drive. The Sandhills start about forty minutes west of Fayetteville, and the terrain out that way asks a different question of a truck than the Uwharrie rocks do.
Deep dry sand is where four-wheel drive and tire pressure matter more than lift and lockers. A Trail Boss on 32-inch all-terrains, aired down, with the transfer case in four-high, does this well. The off-road drive modes retune the throttle and traction control for exactly this surface, and the off-road performance display gives you pitch and roll on the screen instead of a guess.
Where Fayetteville trucks actually go
- Sandhills Game Land, west toward Hoffman and Southern Pines. NC Wildlife Resources Commission land, sand access roads, and the reason a lot of trucks around here wear all-terrains in the first place. Check current access rules and season dates with the Commission before you go.
- Carvers Creek State Park, just north in Spring Lake. Not an off-road destination, but a genuinely good Saturday morning and about fifteen minutes from the dealership.
- Raven Rock State Park, up US-401 toward Lillington, roughly half an hour. Trailhead parking, a river, and enough hiking to justify the gear in the bed.
- Cape Fear River boat access. Ramps are where the Trail Boss's clearance and traction earn their keep on a wet, mossy concrete slope with a trailer behind you.
- Lumber River State Park, south toward Lumberton. Paddling country, and the sort of gravel access road that is unpleasant in a car and unremarkable in this truck.
Loose surfaces are where the drive modes and the all-terrains matter more than the lift does.
Best pick for this use caseTrail Boss again, though a Z71 is the same truck underneath. If you tow off a soft ramp regularly, the Advanced Trailering Package being standard on both is the detail worth knowing.
Towing on Monday, Trails on Saturday
The reason the Trail Boss works as a one-truck answer is that the off-road hardware does not cost it capability anywhere else. It tows up to 7,700 lbs when properly equipped, the same as a Work Truck and the same as a Z71, and the Advanced Trailering Package that unlocks that rating is standard rather than a box you have to remember to tick.
That package is worth understanding. It brings the integrated trailer brake controller, and it works alongside Hitch View, which is standard on every Colorado and lets you zoom top-down on the hitch so you can back onto a coupler alone. On a gravel boat ramp with people waiting behind you, that feature is worth more than any spec on the window sticker. We break the whole thing down on the Colorado towing package page.
The ZR2 is the exception here. Its rating drops to 6,000 lbs, because the mud-terrains, the taller lift and the gearing that make it better on a trail make it worse behind a trailer. If your weekends involve both a boat and a trail, the Trail Boss is the better compromise and it is not close.
Back to topTrail Boss Against the Rest of the Lineup
Same engine on every line of this table. What changes is height, rubber and gearing.
| Trim | Starting MSRP | EPA city/hwy/comb | Off-road hardware | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LT | $36,000 | 19/24/21 RWD | Stock height, all-season tires | The daily driver that occasionally hauls |
| Trail Boss | $40,500 | 17/22/19 | 2-inch lift, 32-inch all-terrains, 4 drive modes | Weekends off the pavement, weekdays on it |
| Z71 | $44,600 | 17/22/19 | Same as Trail Boss, plus LED lighting and interior upgrades | The same weekends, with a nicer truck |
| ZR2 | $50,700 | 17/17/17 | 3-inch lift, 33-inch mud-terrains, dual lockers, DSSV dampers | People who run the hard trails on purpose |
Starting MSRP excludes the $2,095 destination and handling charge, tax, title, license and dealer fees. EPA figures are estimates and your actual mileage will vary. The full six-trim breakdown is on our Colorado trim comparison page.
Read the fuel economy column honestly before you sign. The Trail Boss costs you two miles per gallon against a rear-drive LT, every day, whether you go to the Uwharrie that month or not. If the trails are a real plan rather than a nice idea, it is easily worth it. If they are a nice idea, the LT is the better truck and we will tell you so.
Sources: Chevrolet Colorado specifications, EPA fuel economy ratings, and the US Forest Service Badin Lake OHV Trail Complex pages.
Back to topTrail Boss Questions from Fayetteville Drivers
Is the Colorado Trail Boss capable enough for the Badin Lake OHV trails?
For the easy and moderate trails in the complex, comfortably. The two-inch factory lift, 32-inch all-terrain tires, two-speed automatic transfer case and off-road drive modes are real hardware, not an appearance package. Badin Lake rates its nine trails from easy to extremely difficult, and the hardest of them favour a ZR2 with locking differentials or a built rig. Know which trails you are running before you go, and go with somebody.
How far is the Uwharrie National Forest from Fayetteville?
About 71 road miles to Troy, roughly an hour and 45 minutes, running NC-24 and NC-27 west out of Fayetteville. That makes the Badin Lake OHV Trail Complex a genuine day trip rather than an overnight, which is a large part of why it is the default answer for anyone in Cumberland County who wants to wheel. It is the only public motorized trail system in the North Carolina Piedmont.
Do I need a permit to run the Badin Lake OHV trails?
Yes. The Forest Service requires a trail pass displayed on the vehicle, and passes are sold at the Uwharrie Ranger District office at 789 Biscoe Rd in Troy and at vendors around the forest. Pass prices and the open season both change, and the complex carries seasonal closures, so call the district office at (910) 576-6391 or check the Forest Service page before you load up. A ten-minute phone call beats a two-hour drive to a closed gate.
What is the difference between the Trail Boss and the Z71?
Off the pavement, very little. Both get the two-inch factory lift, the 32-inch all-terrain tires, four selectable drive modes with an off-road performance display, and the two-speed automatic transfer case with a shield. The Z71 costs roughly $4,100 more and spends it on LED headlamps, taillamps and fog lamps, a nicer interior and a higher content level. If the trail is the point, the Trail Boss gets you there for less.
Can the Trail Boss still tow a boat and haul gear?
Yes, and it comes better equipped for it than the cheaper trims. The Advanced Trailering Package is standard on the Trail Boss, so it tows up to 7,700 lbs when properly equipped, the same as any other Colorado except the ZR2. That covers a boat headed to Jordan Lake, a two-horse trailer, or a loaded utility trailer. The bed offers up to 25 tie-downs and an available 120-volt outlet.
What does the Trail Boss cost in fuel economy day to day?
EPA rates the Trail Boss at 17 city and 22 highway, against 19 and 24 for a rear-wheel-drive LT. The lift, the wider stance and the 32-inch all-terrains are what cost you that, not the engine, which is identical. Over a year of running Cliffdale Road and the All American Freeway that is a real if modest difference. Your actual mileage will vary.
Is the Trail Boss a good truck if I mostly drive on pavement?
It is a good truck, but you would be paying for hardware you are not using. If honest weekends look more like Carvers Creek and the Cape Fear River Trail than the Uwharrie, an LT at $36,000 rides better on Bragg Blvd, costs less to keep in tires and gets better mileage. The Trail Boss earns its money when the road runs out. Buy the truck you actually use.
Can I drive a Trail Boss at Powers Swain?
Yes. Call (910) 864-9500 and we will have one ready at 4709 Bragg Blvd. Ask to drive it back to back with an LT if you are undecided, because the ride difference between 32-inch all-terrains on a lifted truck and 17-inch all-seasons at stock height is something you feel in the first mile. Inventory changes weekly, so call ahead to confirm what is on the lot.
What Our Fayetteville Customers Say
We Are Fifteen Minutes From Your Driveway
Powers Swain Chevrolet
Family owned on Bragg Blvd since 1961. If you are going to the Uwharrie in the spring, come drive the truck now rather than in March when everybody else does.
- 4709 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28303
- Sales: (910) 864-9500
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- Serving Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Raeford and Sanford
The Trail Is Two Hours West. Come Get the Truck.
Inventory changes weekly, so call and we will tell you which Trail Bosses are on the lot today.
Powers Swain Chevrolet · 4709 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28303