California Off-Road Trails

Leading into the heart of the Calico Mountains, Phillips Canyon East meanders next to open tunnels and deep pits, providing constant reminders of the silver mining era that once dominated this area. Beginning over flat soft sandy washes, this short trail soon transforms into a rough, rocky, narrow driving challenge. As the trail descends west from its peak, impressively tall and jagged rock walls hug the path leading to the very difficult Phillips Canyon West and Odessa Canyon trails.

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.

The desert on this trail offers a contrast of stark desolation and beauty. It is accented by the brilliant white summer afternoon clouds, making a casual drive over its length a memorable experience. To the west are stunning views of the Cottonwood Mountains, which are the alluvial material source, creating the gently sloping bajada you are on. There are many unnamed intersecting spurs to explore along the way and several hiking trails that lead into Joshua Tree National Park with trailheads just off the road. The open desert to the west served as a significant tank training area during World War II, and a short detour along the way will take you to the General Patton Memorial Museum.

The road's namesake, the Colorado River Aqueduct, whose water is the lifeblood of greater Los Angeles, courses through a series of tunnels bored under the rugged foothills a few feet north of the road. And if that were not enough, Aqueduct Road offers beautiful desert camping getaways near the start of the road and at the end next to the General Patton Memorial Museum, which is a great destination in itself.

Backdoor is probably the single hardest rock crawling obstacle that is possible without a winch. Only minutes from the famous King of the Hammers basecamp, this short trail can provide hours of entertainment for bystanders or years of bragging rights for drivers. For the drivers that think about trying this trail, most will turn around before even starting the trail while some will try and quickly fail. The majority of those who try it will rollover, but there are always the lucky few who will make it. ***Important Notice*** This trail is only for those with a very good/strong roll cage and a well-built vehicle.

Hill climbs, curvy off-camber stretches, moderate rocky patches, and high mountain views make up 2N27Y - Rouse Meadow / Skyline OHV. This steep, narrow, twisty 4x4 trail is part of the network of off-road trails in the San Bernardino Mountains, just north of the mountain lake community of Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino National Forest. This makes for a great add-on to a Willow Creek Jeep Trail run and offers a little more challenge than most trails in the immediate area.

Grubstake Canyon Road is a rolling desert trail formed by the conjunction of the Mojave’s Pinto Basin and the foothills of the Eagle Mountains until the road makes a short climb in the foothills to its completion. This northerly trail road provides a great example of this desert transition region between the Pinto Basin north and the Eagle Mountains east. The road slowly rises at spots high enough to enjoy the far-off vistas of the Pinto Basin. The last portion of the road climbs quickly, allowing close inspection of 2 abandoned and unnamed mines.

Hurricane Road is an easy dirt road that connects Elkhorn Road in the Carrizo Plain National Monument to Crocker Springs Road and Highway 33 by crossing over the Temblor Range. This road offers another option into and out of the Monument and is a good choice for those wishing to save time rather than make a full loop on Soda Lake Road or Elkhorn Road when sightseeing in the Monument.

The road is a graded, semi-maintained track of hard-pack desert dirt with occasional ruts and passable by 2WD sedans with adventurous drivers who take extra care when navigating over the rutted sections.

The GPS track ends where Hurricane Road transitions from dirt to the asphalt of Crocker Springs Road. Continuing along Crocker Springs Road will connect with Mocal Road and eventually to SR33.

There are no camping options along the road. However, it does cross Temblor Range Road, which lies within the approved Bureau of Land Management's Carrizo Plain Dispersed Car Camping Area. Consult the official BLM Carrizo Plain National Monument Recreation Map and Guide on where camping is permitted.

What might be the Holy Grail of the Gold Lakes area's scenic trails, 11E67, aka Gold Valley OHV Trail, is a wonderland for the eyes and soul. This trail takes you up on the ridges of some of the tallest mountains in the Tahoe National Forest area. From there, you can see hundreds of miles off in every direction. You can see Mt Shasta, Rainier, and many more snow-covered peaks in the distance. Not only are there never-ending views, but you also pass through Tahoe National Forest's dense pine forest, which makes you feel tiny in comparison. Once you drop down the southern half, you zig-zag the Pacific Crest Trail, pass by Hawley Lake, a troubled youths camp, and even over a massive abandoned gold mine with relics still sitting there as though the mine was active yesterday. Near the overlook, you pass through what feels like a haunted forest with odd-looking trees created from the overabundance of snow in the winter.  

This connector trail is a moderate-difficulty offroad trail. It is full of moderate rock crawling obstacles up to a couple of feet tall, making it ideal for keeping the crowds away and creating that secluded experience you dream of. Because of the many rock obstacles on the route, a stock high clearance 4x4 will be needed to complete this trail. Rocker guards are not a bad idea to avoid any possible body damage.

You are allowed to disperse camp in the area. Although most people camp at Snake Lake due to the ample tent camping and wind break from the hills, one fantastic spot on this trail is up on the overlook. The only drawback is that the area might be too windy. Due to that, a rooftop tent would be the ideal camping for this location. Because of the size of the turnout, a group of a dozen vehicles or so could use this area.

Owens River Road is a well-maintained dirt road that travels through the Inyo National Forest., and does not require high clearance or 4x4. Any car should be able to handle this trail. 

The trail's eastern section is very arid and desolate, symbolic of the landscape of the Eastern Sierras. You're surrounded by the White Mountains to the east and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west. You can see the unique formation of the Minaret Peaks to the west and the Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort. Along the trail, the terrain is mostly dry brush and shrubs, and there is volcanic igneous rock along sections to the east of the trail.

This road is part of an intricate trail system that offers many offshoots from the main road that goes into Little Antelope Valley and deeper into the Inyo National Forest. It is BLM land, so dispersed camping is available, but nothing directly on the main trail. The only designated campground is Big Springs at the trail's west end, but it is closed seasonally. Be sure to check if it's open before you go.

Casa Diable Road through Owens Valley has an extraordinary 360-degree view of the surrounding mountain ranges. The White Mountains to the east and the mighty Sierra Nevada Range to the west are encapsulating. Casa Diablo Mountain is smaller in scale, but its unique formation is worth the trip. It’s made up of small reddish volcanic rocks piled high.

The southern end of the trail is just outside Bishop, CA, along with the Volcanic Tablelands Wilderness, which has spectacular volcanic igneous rock that forms large flat-top mesas across the landscape. You can also see parts of Birchim Canyon to the west, which is carved by the Owens River. Much of the road is lined with dry brush and scrubs, which is typical in the arid climate of the Eastern Sierra region. 

Most of the road is gravel, but there are a couple of sandy parts, and 4WD is recommended depending on the road conditions. There is washboarding near the southern section, but it’s not too bad.

Casa Diablo Road travels through BLM land, so dispersed camping is available, but most of the camping is concentrated along the southern tip, where you can find some great campsites.

Other great trails in the area include Fish Slough to the south and Chidago Canyon to the north.

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.