The Colorado's off-road trims start at 9.5 inches of ground clearance on a Trail Boss and reach 12.2 inches on a ZR2 Bison, and the hardware between those two points is what you are paying for. Trail Boss, Z71 and ZR2 all come with four-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer case as standard, so low range is not the variable. What separates them is suspension travel, tire, ride height and whether the differentials lock.

Around here the shape of a trail day is a long paved approach and a short rough section: an hour out toward the Ouachita National Forest on pavement, then ten or fifteen minutes that decide whether you brought enough truck. That shape is the reason the Trail Boss sells so well in this market and the reason the ZR2 is worth its money to a smaller group of buyers who know exactly which fifteen minutes they mean.

Off-Road Hardware by Trim

Three trims carry off-road equipment, and the split is clean: two comfort-and-clearance trims and one purpose-built one. All three have four-wheel drive and a two-speed automatic transfer case as standard.

Trail Boss, from $40,500 before destination

A 2-inch factory-installed lift, 18-inch wheels on 32-inch all-terrain tires, a transfer case shield, four selectable drive modes with an off-road performance display, and 9.5 inches of ground clearance. New Trail Boss 20-inch wheels are available this year. The rear differential does not lock, and there are no adjustable dampers; this is a lift-and-tires trim done properly rather than a cut-down ZR2.

Z71, from $44,600 before destination

The same 18-inch wheels on 32-inch all-terrain tires and the same four selectable drive modes as the Trail Boss, without the 2-inch lift, plus LED headlamps, taillamps and fog lamps and a Jet Black interior with Adrenaline Red accents. Available new Z71 20-inch wheels are on the sheet this year. It is the comfort-weighted member of the group.

ZR2, from $50,700 before destination

This is the one that locks. Front and rear electronic locking differentials are exclusive to it in this lineup, and that single fact does more for a buyer who wheels alone than anything else on the sheet. Around it sit Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers, a 3-inch factory-installed lift, 17-inch wheels wrapped in 33-inch mud-terrains, 10.7 inches of clearance, full skid plates and rocker protection, and five drive modes including a sand mode no other Colorado gets. Available underbody cameras, a segment first, let you see the line under the truck instead of guessing at it.

ZR2 Bison, a package on the ZR2

An AEV package rather than a seventh trim: 35-inch mud-terrain tires, 12.2 inches of ground clearance, 5 Boron steel skid plates, and front and rear jounce control dampers. It holds a best-in-class record for ground clearance, breakover angle and underbody protection. It is ordered rather than stocked here, so plan on a build sheet and a wait.

Ground Clearance and Angles by Trim

The ZR2 measures 38.6 degrees approach, 25.2 departure and 24.8 breakover at 10.7 inches of clearance. The Bison trades approach for the rest of it. Trail Boss rows are clearance only, and the note beneath the table says why.

Two things in that table trip people up. The Bison's approach angle is lower than the standard ZR2's, because its bigger bumpers and 35-inch tires change the geometry in both directions at once; it buys clearance and breakover, not approach. And figures you will see attributed to a plain ZR2 online are frequently the Bison's, which is how a 26.9-degree breakover ends up quoted for a truck that measures 24.8.

Tires and Wheels for the Trail

Tire choice is the single biggest difference in how these three feel off pavement, and it is also the one that costs you on the highway.

EPA-estimated combined MPG. Source: fueleconomy.gov. Your actual mileage will vary.

Note the 17-inch wheel on the ZR2 next to the 18-inch on the trims below it. That is deliberate: a smaller wheel inside a 33-inch tire means more sidewall, which is what lets you air down for traction and absorb a rock strike without bending a rim. It is one of the clearer signals that the ZR2 was designed around the tire rather than around the look.

Lockers, Drive Modes and Water Crossings

The ZR2 is the only Colorado with front and rear electronic locking differentials, and that is the hardware difference that matters most when traction runs out. The Trail Boss and Z71 rely on their transfer case, their tires and traction control.

Drive modes scale with the hardware: four selectable modes on the Trail Boss and Z71, five on the ZR2 including a sand mode exclusive to it. The terrain mode is built for steep climbs and crawling over obstacles, and it can apply the brakes automatically for climbing control. Available underbody cameras on the ZR2 let you see what is beneath the truck rather than guessing at it, which is more useful on a rocky line than any single spec on this page.

On water crossings, take the number from your owner's manual. What the truck gives you is measurable: 9.5 to 12.2 inches of ground clearance depending on trim, full skid plates and rocker protection on the ZR2, and 5 Boron steel skid plates on the Bison. That matters here — spring storms leave standing water across the low crossings on the county roads all season, and clearance is what gets you through them.

Trail Tech

The Colorado's off-road technology is camera-led and display-led rather than a suite of driver aids, and most of it is standard across the lineup.

An 11.3-inch diagonal center touchscreen with Google built-in and an 11-inch diagonal digital driver information center are standard on every trim, including the WT, and the off-road performance display that shows drive mode, pitch and roll runs on those screens. Multiple camera views are available; the ZR2 adds underbody cameras. Chevy Safety Assist is standard everywhere, and blind spot detection is standard too. Full detail is on the tech and safety page.

Where to Wheel Near Hot Springs

Two things are true about off-road access in this part of Arkansas: there is a great deal of public land, and very little of it is open to recreational four-wheeling. Getting that distinction wrong is expensive.

The forest surrounding this area contains both open and closed routes. Forest roads are not uniformly open to off-highway use, designations change, and a road being on a map is not permission to drive it. Check the current motor vehicle use map with the Forest Service before you plan a day around any specific route, every season, because the designations are what change, not the roads.

The Talimena Scenic Drive is a paved mountain highway rather than a trail, and it is the honest answer for most Trail Boss owners: a genuinely good drive with real elevation, gravel spurs and forest access along it, and open all year. Highway 7 through the Ouachitas is the same kind of proposition. For a long scenic run with an occasional rough spur, the Trail Boss covers it completely.

Which Colorado Off-Road Trim for Which Terrain

Match the hardware to the day you actually have, not the day you might have.

If towing is also on the list, note that the ZR2 is rated at 6,000 lbs on a properly equipped crew cab rather than the 7,700 lbs a properly equipped Trail Boss or Z71 crew cab carries. The towing page covers that trade in full. Allen Tillery Auto Chevrolet is at 4573 Central Ave and the sales line is 501-881-4274; come drive a Trail Boss before you decide you need a ZR2, because for a lot of buyers in Mena and out toward Nashville, and for the Benton, Bryant and Little Rock drivers who make the run down, the answer turns out to be the Trail Boss.

Colorado Off-Road FAQs

What is the difference between the Colorado Trail Boss and the ZR2?

The Trail Boss adds a 2-inch lift, 32-inch all-terrain tires and 9.5 inches of ground clearance. The ZR2 adds Multimatic DSSV dampers, front and rear electronic locking differentials, a 3-inch lift, 33-inch mud-terrain tires and 10.7 inches of clearance.

How much ground clearance does the Colorado ZR2 have?

10.7 inches on the ZR2 and 12.2 inches with the ZR2 Bison package. A Trail Boss sits at 9.5 inches.

Does the Trail Boss have locking differentials?

No. Front and rear electronic locking differentials are exclusive to the ZR2 in the 2026 Colorado lineup. The Trail Boss has four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case, all-terrain tires and a transfer case shield.

How deep can a Colorado go through water?

Take that figure from the owner's manual for your own truck. What the Colorado gives you is ground clearance you can measure: 9.5 inches on a Trail Boss, 10.7 on a ZR2 and 12.2 on a ZR2 Bison, with full skid plates and rocker protection underneath.

Is the ZR2 Bison a separate trim?

No. It is an AEV package fitted to the ZR2, adding 35-inch mud-terrain tires, 12.2 inches of ground clearance, 5 Boron steel skid plates and front and rear jounce control dampers.

Can I off-road in the Ouachita National Forest?

Some routes are open and some are not, and the designations change. Check the current Forest Service motor vehicle use map before planning a trip around a specific road; a road appearing on a map is not permission to drive it.

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