Mendocino National Forest Area

Pillsbury-Indian Dick Road has a lot to offer all levels of explorers, providing all forms of camping, including designated dispersed sites with cement pads and limitless trials in the area. Pillsbury-Indian Dick Road starts as a scenic drive around Mendocino National Forest's largest lake, Lake Pillsbury. The initial trip around the lake is a slow, mostly paved drive, allowing for beautiful views, including ample wildlife, mountains, and vegetation. Once past the lake, the trail turns to rough dirt, so high clearance will be needed. Thanks to the maintenance of the Forest Service, this trail has no technical sections, allowing for an easy, relaxing drive during the dry months. Due to past wildfires, downed trees are likely to block the road. Pillsbury-Indian Dick Road transitions from high-elevation shelf roads to rolling hills. You will cross the Mendocino Pass/Alder Springs Road at the Black Butte River Ranch approximately halfway through. Black Butte River Ranch has a small, seasonal store to restock basic supplies and offers designated campsites with basic facilities and clean water. This crossing provides an excellent opportunity to switch trails or return to pavement, allowing easy access to multiple highways. Choosing to continue Pillsbury-Indian Dick Road results in a there-and-back trail, with the northern half leading to The Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness.

Camping is abundant along Pilsbury-Indian Dick Road. There are multiple designated campsites with facilities and ample dispersed camping locations with year-round water access. A few of the designated camping areas even include concrete pads. This trail allows for endless options for dispersed camping with and without fire rings already established.

Forest Road M3 in Mendocino National Forest is a great trail for all levels of experience, especially beginners wanting to test out stock, four-wheel drive high clearance vehicles. Most of this trail is a smooth graded road with the occasional large pothole and steep climb on sharp corners, requiring good tire placement for stock rigs. This trail will take you through deeply wooded areas, burned clearings from wildfires that occurred between 2018-2020, and multiple other ecosystems. Due to the wildfires, downed trees and roadblocks are possible. M3 and the surrounding area allow ample dispersed camping near year-round creeks and multiple designated campsites with fire rings and vaulted toilets. Completing M3 requires one water crossing, depending on the time of year.

Alder Springs Road, also known as FH7, is a main forest road found in Mendocino National Forest. FH7 runs from the small town of Covelo, CA, to Elk Creek, CA. Starting in Covelo, you will pass through rolling hills with Heritage Oak Trees. As the elevation climes, you find yourself in dense Conifer groves with birds-eye views of the surrounding mountains. While never officially closed, FH7 becomes impassable due to higher elevations and snowfall; However, it remains a great place to test your snow wheeling abilities or enjoy a quiet winter camping trip. During the warmer months, this trail is easily passable with all stock, high clearance vehicles, or vans. This road is well traveled in both directions, making the hardest part of being aware of oncoming vehicles. Spanning 35 miles, with limitless side trails to explore, this area has something for everyone. As you explore, there will be endless dispersed camping and a few designated camping locations with primitive amenities.

Sunflower Glade Road is a short trail located on the border of The Mendocino National Forest and Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness. The surrounding area is mostly burned due to recent wildfires, so there is a high chance of downed trees blocking the road. This trail is an easy, there-and-back trail with a few dispersed camping locations offering no amenities or fire rings. Sunflower Glade Road is a good trail for Overlanders of all skills and vehicles.

Georges Valley Road is a short trail at the end of the Pillsbury-Indian Dick trail located in the Mendocino National Forest. This trail is a there-and-back trail with a couple of dispersed camping sites. Georges Valley Road is a one-lane, narrow trail that any stock offroad vehicle can travel, providing no real challenges except for a few potholes that will make stock vehicles choose a careful line. The end of the trail is a decent location for bigger groups to set up a dispersed camping site for a night, providing shade and ample space for multiple vehicles.