Resident's of Bellevue use the gravel road running through the bottom of Slaughterhouse Canyon for runs, walks, bike rides, walking the dog, you name it.

The scale of Slaughterhouse Canyon is impressive. From the mouth of the drainage you get a feel for its great size, but only a hint. Traveling further east and out the draw the vast grass and sage covered hills keep rising and rising. It's a big place.

The road can be pretty rough in places, and it gets steep as it climbs higher; finally intersecting with Quigley Canyon Road - at about 8.5 miles out of Bellevue.

The first few miles of the road are mellow, but it's uphill and a rough gravel road. People on bicycles, those who have experience on mountain bikes or gravel bikes, will find the going pretty easy, but beginners may find the climbing more difficult due to the sometimes loose and rowdy condition of the road. After three miles the grade gets steeper - intermediate grades; definitely harder. After a total of 6 miles it again steepens for a couple miles - it is steep, but it gets really, really steep before cresting over for a short bit into the intersection with Quigley Canyon Road.

The very steep section of the road that is about 8 miles out gets washed out and ditch-like at times, depending on when it last received maintenance. For most people it is not something you want to be trying to drive a vehicle up or down, but some sure do. On the roadway itself, one side, or the other, or both sides of the two-track can be eroded, deep ditches. Not a big deal to walk through or push a bike through, but pretty tough conditions if you are driving a car. We do not recommended driving up to the higher, narrow portions of the road. Meeting someone driving in the other direction would be a problem, as turning around is impossible in places, and making room for passing can be problematic.