2026 Silverado 2500HD ZR2 Hot Springs AR

The 2026 Silverado 2500HD ZR2 clears 11.6 inches, approaches at 32.5 degrees, departs at 25.7 and breaks over at 21.2. Those figures belong to the ZR2 specifically, with its 1.5-inch factory-installed lift and 35-inch tires. The ZR2 is the only trim that carries them.

Off-Road Hardware by Trim

ZR2 is the only trim built for this. It carries Multimatic DSSV dampers, a position-sensitive damper design that gives the truck control on rough ground without turning the on-road ride to stone, and a 1.5-inch factory-installed lift. Traction hardware is a rear electronic locking differential and an Autotrac 2-speed transfer case with push button controls. HD Surround Vision is standard on the trim.

Every other trim gets what the lineup shares: a fully boxed frame, and on four-wheel-drive trucks an automatic locking rear differential. Four-wheel drive is standard equipment on LT, LTZ and ZR2, which are four-wheel drive only, and available on WT and Custom. Skid plates are available on trims below ZR2; on ZR2 they are part of the package.

Ground Clearance and Angles by Trim

One thing worth flagging, because it is counter-intuitive and gets reported backwards: the Bison's AEV stamped-steel front bumper makes its approach angle worse, not better, at 29.8 degrees against the standard ZR2's 32.5. The Bison trades that for a bumper built to take a hit and carry a winch.

Tires and Wheels for the Trail

The wheel and tire package is 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT mud-terrains on 18-inch Gloss Black rims carrying an etched ZR2 logo. That tire is doing a lot of the work in the clearance figure and most of it in the traction figure.

Water Fording and Crawl Ratio

No water-fording depth or crawl ratio is published for the Silverado HD ZR2. The half-ton ZR2's figures do not carry over; that is a different truck on a different platform, and its numbers do not describe this one.

What is published and relevant: the Autotrac 2-speed transfer case gives a low range, the rear electronic locking differential puts power to both rear wheels, and the skid plates protect the transfer case and the front end. If fording depth is the deciding factor for your use, ask us to check the figure against your specific build rather than trusting a number found online.

Trail Tech

HD Surround Vision is standard on ZR2, which matters more off pavement than it does in a parking space: on a narrow two-track you can see where the front tires actually are. The truck also carries Hitch Guidance as standard across the lineup, and higher trims add Bed View and the transparent-trailer view, which is genuinely useful when you are backing a trailer down an unimproved road.

Terrain-appropriate driving aids come with the four-wheel-drive hardware rather than as a separate package: the 2-speed transfer case with push button controls, the rear locker, and the automatic locking rear differential on other four-wheel-drive trims.

Where to Wheel Near the Ouachitas

The region's designated off-highway area is the Wolf Pen Gap Trail Complex in the Ouachita National Forest near Mena, managed by the US Forest Service, with roughly 42 miles of trail and about 35 miles marked and looped. Motorized use there is limited to designated roads and trails. It is seasonal: open from the first Friday in March through 31 October, plus a short window in late November and from 22 December to 2 January, and it closes when heavy rain hits or is forecast. Riding after sundown or before sunrise is prohibited.

It is also not where you take a 2500HD. Wolf Pen Gap is built for ATVs and side-by-sides on two-track, and a full-size heavy-duty truck is too big for most of the complex. If you own a ZR2 and a UTV, that is the trailer-and-tow story: the truck hauls the machines to the trailhead.

For the truck itself, the realistic ground is Forest Service roads through the Ouachita National Forest, which are open to licensed vehicles, the gravel county roads that feed the lakes and camps, and the unimproved approaches that turn to red clay after a storm. That is where 11.6 inches of clearance, the locker and the skid plates earn their money — and it is most of what an HD off-road truck is actually asked to do.

Which Silverado 2500HD for Which Terrain?

See which Silverado 2500HD configurations are on the lot, or call 501-881-4274. We are at 4573 Central Ave in Hot Springs, and Highway 7 is the route most of our Malvern and Arkadelphia customers take toward the forest, with Mena crews joining it further west.

Silverado 2500HD Off-Road FAQs

What is the ground clearance of the Silverado 2500HD ZR2?

11.6 inches, produced by a 1.5-inch factory-installed lift and 35-inch tires. That lift and tyre package is exclusive to the ZR2.

What are the ZR2's approach and departure angles?

32.5 degrees approach, 25.7 degrees departure and 21.2 degrees breakover. The ZR2 Bison measures 29.8, 25.7 and 22.6.

Does the ZR2 tow less than other trims?

No. Properly equipped with the Duramax and the Max Trailering Package, ZR2 carries the same 22,050-pound gooseneck and 20,000-pound conventional ratings as every other trim.

What tires come on the ZR2?

35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT mud-terrain tires on 18-inch Gloss Black wheels with an etched ZR2 logo.

How deep can a Silverado 2500HD ZR2 ford?

No fording depth is published for this truck. The half-ton ZR2's figure does not apply to it; that is a different platform. Ask us to check against your specific build.

Can I take a Silverado 2500HD on the Wolf Pen Gap trails?

Wolf Pen Gap is a designated Forest Service OHV complex, but it is built for ATVs and side-by-sides and a full-size heavy-duty truck is too large for most of it. Motorized use is limited to designated roads and trails, and the complex is seasonal and closes in wet conditions. The practical use for a 2500HD is hauling machines to the trailhead and running Forest Service roads.

Explore the Silverado 2500HD