In this heat you just want to get out of the city.

Imagine taking your 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness on a weekend trip to a national park for some fun. You want to escape the heat of the city and go off the beaten path camping, hiking, mountain biking or kayaking.

That’s why you bought your new Subaru Crosstrek. Subaru says, “We hope you get out there and explore a bit this weekend.”

That’s what you do: explore.

Your weekend getaway is fun as you drive up a national park trail that is difficult for many SUVs, but not for your Crosstrek Wilderness. Your Subaru 4WD vehicle handles the rough terrain without much difficulty.

The mood is bad at the weekend.

Your weekend getaway takes a turn for the worse when you return home. A letter from the National Park Service is in your mailbox. A user in the Reddit subreddit “National Parks” posted this letter.

July 13, 2024

Reference case: (redacted in the letter)

To: (redacted in letter)

On June 22, 2024, at approximately 4:51 p.m., a vehicle registered to you and this address was traveling on Colorado River Overlook Road in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park in violation of the Superintendent’s Compendium. This road is closed to four-wheel drive vehicles while the vehicle registered to you is a four-wheel drive vehicle. The vehicle was an orange Subaru Crosstrek. With a license plate (redacted in the letter).

36 CFR1.5(f): Closures and restricted public use. Violation of a closure, designation, use, or activity restriction or condition. Visiting hours or restricted public use are prohibited.

As stated in the Superintendent’s Compendium:

“High clearance four-wheel drive is required for motor vehicles traveling on the following roads: Elephant Hill, Sale Creek, Horse Canyon, Lavender Canyon, Lockhart Canyon, and Colorado Overlook Road.

Future violations may result in forfeiture of property, a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment of up to six months, and/or other penalties. We thank you for your cooperation.

Yours sincerely

(Redacted in the letter)

Needles District

Canyonlands National Park

National Park Service

I would be shocked to receive this letter. You handled the steep and rocky terrain in your Subaru Crosstrek with no problem. You had a great time and returned to the trail safely and without incident.

The Crosstrek owner says, “Some have asked how my vehicle performed on the road. I definitely don’t recommend others with similar vehicles drive this road, especially given the obvious controls, but my car performed well. There were some technical spots that a less experienced driver might have had trouble with, but I never felt like any of the challenges were specific to my vehicle. I had a great time and Canyon Land is a beautiful park (maybe my favorite)! I highly recommend you all visit.”

What is the National Park Service’s problem?

According to the National Park Service, the Subaru vehicle did not have the appropriate propulsion system for the Colorado River Overlook Road.

There is a clear difference between the Subaru Crosstrek’s all-wheel drive (AWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD). Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system is always active and you don’t have to manually lock the wheels.

A four-wheel drive is engaged manually and you lock all four wheels for maximum traction when you are driving off-road or on loose or wet surfaces. When you are driving on the road (dry asphalt), you can turn the system off if you do not need it.

Subaru has X-Mode

However, the Crosstrek, Outback and Forester also feature X-Mode and Dual-Function X-Mode in the Wilderness trim for more challenging terrain when you need more traction. This system must be activated manually.

Subaru says: “X-Mode optimizes engine power and gear ratios, increases all-wheel drive involvement, and uses improved control of the Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) system to reduce individual wheel spin and provide optimal traction on low-friction surfaces. Sport, Limited and Wilderness models feature dual-function X-Mode with deep snow/mud setting.”

The National Park Service believes the Subaru Crosstrek does not have enough ground clearance for the Colorado River Overlook Road.

All Subaru SUVs have a ground clearance of 8.7 inches, which is enough for most off-road trails. The Crosstrek Wilderness has a raised suspension with 9.3 inches of ground clearance, providing more off-road capability.

Outback Wilderness has 9.4 inches and Forester Wilderness has 9.2 inches of ground clearance for overcoming rocks. All three Wilderness trims also have Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires for added traction.

I believe the National Park Service puts the Subaru Crosstrek in the same category as all other 4WD SUVs on the market. You should know that the standard Crosstrek with X-Mode can handle the rough terrain of the Colorado River Overlook Road.

The Crosstrek and other Wilderness trims can handle even more than the standard model.

So, keep having fun on the weekends in your Subaru Crosstrek. Just remember that until the National Park Service recognizes the unique capabilities of Subaru SUVs, you may face a possible fine or jail time for violating Section 36 CFR1.5(f): Closures and Restricted Public Use.

Let us know if you had a similar experience in the national park. If so, click the red “Add new comment” link below and join the conversation.

I’m Denis Flierl, a top reporter for Torque News since 2012. I have spent over 13 years in the automotive industry as a consultant and have worked with all the major auto brands. I am a veteran member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. My expert Subaru analysis can be found here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierlFacebook and Instagram.

Photo credit: Adventure Subaru via @nickcarsonphotos