California Off-Road Trails

High up in the Lassen National Forest, you will find the High Lakes OHV area. This hardly touched offroading/overlanders' dream is a must-stop location when traveling near Paradise, CA. With dense forests, beautiful snowmelt and spring-fed lakes, never-ending views, it is hard to believe this area is utterly unknown to the majority of the offroad crowd. Running through the center of the area is Trail 611, or High Lakes Trail, which is the main trail that services the area. This connector trail is the primarily into the High Lakes area. But just because it is the main trail, it doesn't mean it is easy. Even though the trail is fine for most high-ground clearance 4x4s, there are a couple of moderate no-named obstacles, so it would be best to have 4WD to ensure you won't have any issues. But don't let the moderate difficulty obstacles stop you from exploring this area; the many lakes, including Long Lake, Cambell Lake, Morris Lake, Spring Valley Lake, and several others, are all just a stone's throw off the trail. This is an excellent trail for dispersed camping because of the unique lake camping opportunities. That is because almost every lake has a moderately improved campsite with a fire ring and a unique but scenic view of its specific lake in the background. Each location is different-sized and can support groups from 2 to 6 vehicles. All the sites are flat-level dirt, making them ideal for ground camping. Just don't forget your fishing license and polls. Also, keep in mind that this area is bear country.

Trail 32E303 is a scenic and rugged trail within California’s Coyote Flats Trail Network, offering a high-altitude adventure for experienced off-roaders. Climbing from Big Pine into the upper reaches of the Inyo National Forest, this trail winds its way up steep, sandy hills before leveling out on a stunning alpine plateau at elevations between 10,000 and 11,000 feet. Along the ascent, drivers will encounter moderately difficult rocky sections, narrow tracks, and exposed shelf roads, making high-clearance 4x4 vehicles with low-range gearing a must.

Once on the plateau, the trail opens up to sweeping views of the Sierra backcountry and provides access to remote lakes like Funnel and Baker, both known for their natural beauty and dispersed camping opportunities. While Trail 32E303 offers plenty of visual reward and historical interest, including remnants of an old airstrip and mining sites, it lacks ideal campsites along its path. For better camping options, consider detouring to Trail 32E304 or the Funnel Lake area.

Remote and largely off the grid, this route is best explored in summer or early fall after snowmelt. With its combination of technical terrain, mountain scenery, and solitude, 32E303 delivers a true backcountry experience for those up to the challenge.

Crossing the desert can be one of the most enjoyable Overlanding adventures you can do. Cahuilla Trail is a great trail that takes you from Highway 78 near Ocotillo Wells to near the old abandoned naval base. The route passes the Atrian Well and gas domes, making this one of the more epic locations in the Ocotillo Wells OHV park. The western end of the trail near the highway has camping suitable for everything up to an RV. But if you want something a bit more epic, check out the hills on the north side of the OHV park. The east end of this trail has some odd camping restrictions that affect when you can camp. So please ask the park before camping on the trail's east end.

Deep in the mountains near Calico lies trails rarely taken. Vodkaberry is a short but fun 4x4 trail with a couple of obstacles. Vodkaberry's main attraction is a double waterfall with the upper fall comprised of a 6-foot ledge. If you have the skill, this can be a fun trip when cutting across Doran Canyon and Wall Street.

Thing Valley Road is easily accessed off Sunrise Highway (S1) on Mt. Laguna. It parallels and crosses the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It is mostly graded with large humps in the road for erosion control. Some of the humps are tall and steep, enough to think twice about bringing a vehicle with a low break-over angle. There are loose rocks, but 2WD vehicles should manage them well enough.

The route is located in the Cleveland National Forest where dispersed camping is allowed, however, the appropriate passes and permits are required. There are several campsites along the way, including one at the intersection with the PCT.

The road exits the Cleveland National Forest at 2.1 miles and is gated at 2.6 miles with a very small space to turn around.

Cherry Gap runs along a ridge above Hume Lake in the Sequoia National Forest to the west of Kings Canyon National Park. The trail is great for those looking for something more challenging than your average maintained forest road. It also offers a great view of the lake below, plus a few welcoming pullouts for dispersed camping. The trail begins off Highway 180 at Cherry Gap, rising and falling between 6,000 and 7,000 feet as it follows the ridge. Driver experience and 4WD are necessary due to steep grades and four rock obstacles near the midpoint. The most challenging section requires traversing the steep face of a boulder or navigating around the boulder in loose dirt while precariously close to the edge of the mountain. Running the trail from northeast to southwest is the most challenging.

Aftershock is a fun but difficult rock crawling trail.  The trail is not as hard as the Hammers but harder than almost anything else most have tried.  The trail is a narrow canyon with waterfalls, giant boulders, and soft sand to mix things up.  Be ready for some body damage and breakage because, like most of the other Johnson Valley trails, this one isn't forgiving.

As a continuation of Indian Gorge, South Indian Canyon drives through a much more expansive canyon from Indian Valley. Along this adventure, you are submersed in the cirque-shaped bowls in boulder-laid mountains. This cirque-shaped bowl, however, doesn't include glacier-packed lakes but rather an entire sampling of desert plantlife that includes cholla, agave, creosote, and ocotillo. The drive-in provides one experience, while the drive-out gives you an entirely different perspective of Indian Gorge, which you took to get here.

Fish Slough Road takes you on a trip through the ages. Volcanic rock lines the road to the south as you go through the Volcanic Tablelands BLM Park. The rock rises from the Earth in long, flat table-like formations called mesas.

In the middle and northern part of the trail, the arid terrain of the Owens Valley gives way to spectacular views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west and The White Mountains to the east.

The road itself is in good condition. It’s a graded dirt road with a couple of sandy spots, but nothing any high-clearance 2WD vehicle can’t handle. Unless there is a bad storm, the road can get washed away and very sandy, so check conditions before going.

Around the halfway mark are the Chidago Canyon Petroglyphs, a short walk from the road. This historic landmark of rock art is believed to date back at least 3500 years. They were created by ancestors of the Paiute-Shoshone peoples. The Red Canyon petroglyphs are also on this trail, which requires a short hike.Chidago Flats and Casa Diablo trails meet up with Fish Slough and are just as incredible and worth the drive, especially driving through the slot canyon in Chidago Flats.