Nevada Off-Road Trails

The Cassidy Mine Trail provides scenic access to the Black Rock Playa from Soldier Meadows and features some of the best elevated views in the southern Black Rock Desert. The short route descends roughly 200 feet, revealing sweeping panoramas of the playa, the Calico Hills, and the surrounding mountain ranges. Several spacious campsites overlook the desert below, offering incredible sunrises and sunsets and relief from the dust often found on the open playa. Large group campsites make excellent base camps for exploring the Black Rock and High Rock Canyon regions. Historic remnants of the Cassidy Mine and the old Trego Mining District can still be found scattered throughout the surrounding hills. While the trail presents no significant obstacles, seasonal weather and runoff can create washouts and rough sections on this unmaintained road.

This graded dirt road runs through the Wayne E. Kirch Wildlife Management Area in the White River Valley of Nye County, Nevada, connecting directly with Highway 318. The nearest town is Lund. Highlights include Dacey and Adam-McGill Reservoirs, and Hot Creek, a popular soaking creek, as the route travels through this Nevada Department of Wildlife-managed area.

There is no camping along the trail itself. Dave Deacon Campground sits at the end and offers some shady spots, though most sites sit in full sun and are exposed to the wind. Vegetation is limited primarily to sagebrush and provides very little wind protection. The ground surface is soft dirt.

Lower Pond Road is a short, scenic, high-desert dirt road in central Cave Valley. The route travels through low-lying grassland and sagebrush with views of the surrounding mountain ranges. It is a connector road and offers a quiet drive through the open valley floor.

The road is a dirt surface suitable for high-clearance vehicles, but it can become difficult when wet. It connects to the Silver State OHV Trail network and provides access for exploration in Cave Valley.

Dispersed camping is allowed on surrounding public lands, but there are no established campsites along the trail itself. Better options are found to the west along the numerous side spurs.

High above Reno, Hunter Lake crosses the Carson Range with sweeping city views and a changing landscape of grassy foothills, pine forests, and wet meadows. Following a motorized corridor through the Mount Rose Wilderness, this long route connects Reno’s western foothills with Verdi, offering enough variety to make a full day of exploring worthwhile. Rutted climbs and rocky stretches keep drivers engaged with a few challenges before the trail opens into broad meadows bordered by conifers and willow thickets. Small pools dot the high alpine meadowlands, creating an inviting place to pause along the journey, while scattered forest and meadow-edge campsites offer opportunities to settle in and enjoy a mountain evening above the bustle of town.

Silver King Well is a single-lane dirt trail (part of the broader Silver State Trail network) in the Schell Creek Range on BLM land northwest of Silver King Pass. The lower/southern half is a winding, rolling rough dirt trail through juniper and pine trees with sweeping blind corners, while the northern half transitions to a rockier, rougher, and bumpier two-track with exposed cobble and uneven. Standout features include the Historic Griswold Cabins (an early sheep-industry headquarters established 1898–99 by Chauncey Warner Griswold Sr., with the original log cabin serving as a cookhouse and the later Railroad Tie Cabin built by his son Gordon in 1932–34; the site is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and was stabilized in 2010), the nearby Silver King Mine, and the stone ruins of Silver King Well.

An established campsite with parking sits right at the Griswold Cabins. Dispersed sites are uncommon along the rest of the trail—there are few spurs or suitable pull-offs. A couple of spots exist near the Silver King Mine among the junipers, but they sit on a slight slope. Sites are mostly open dirt or sandy ground with only partial shade from scattered junipers; wind exposure is moderate in the more open stretches.

Coyote Road is a graded dirt road that continues from Dry Lake Road and ends at the Coyote Spring intersection on BLM land. The surface has mild washboard with stretches of loose gravel and small embedded rocks, and it can become muddy when wet, so use caution in those conditions. The trail runs through open high-desert flats lined with sagebrush and rabbitbrush, offering long straight views across the valley toward surrounding low hills and distant mountain ranges.

Dispersed camping is allowed, but there are no established sites and nowhere suitable along the trail. There is no shade or taller vegetation to block the wind. The ground surface is flat, soft dirt covered in sagebrush. Better camping opportunities can be found at Bristol Wells Road, the northern end of Mud Springs Road, or Dave Deacon Campground on the west side of Highway 318 off the Sunnyside Cutoff.

Coyote Spring Road is a rough dirt road on BLM land that intersects Coyote Rd, Mud Springs Road, and Sunnyside Road. It mostly crosses rolling hills, with deeper washes and ruts near the southern end; unlike the flatter, smoother adjoining trails, drivers should watch for possible washouts over blind hills. The surface is rocky and gravelly dirt with scattered stones, sections of exposed bedrock and caliche, and the route is lined with low sagebrush and sparse desert shrubs. Expansive views open across the high-desert valleys toward distant mountain ranges and prominent stratified hills.

No established campsites exist along this trail, and there are no suitable areas for dispersed camping (though it is allowed on BLM land). There are no trees or other tall vegetation to provide shade or block the wind. The ground is rocky, uneven dirt with exposed rock and caliche amid low sagebrush, leaving sites fully exposed and offering open views of the surrounding desert and mountains.

Ash Meadows Road runs north across an open desert basin, starting on a graded road that soon becomes packed dirt. Farther north the route crosses a rocky playa, with mountains in the distance and a view of the springs near the end. The road finishes at a link to Devils Hole Road, which makes an easy add-on for exploring the area.

People mostly use this road for its dispersed camping and wide-open scenery. It is an easy road suitable for a high clearance 2WD, and stock equipment is enough.

Camping is dispersed, with around a dozen spots along the road. Pullouts range from room for four or five rigs to a playa area that fits 15 to 20. None have shade, and privacy is limited, although spots farther from the road on the playa give more room to spread out. Several entrances have a small hump, but the playa area has none, so any size rig can get in. Mesquite cutting is not allowed.

Devils Hole Road heads north-northeast across the valley floor through open desert scrub, passing spring-fed wetland pockets with mountains visible in the distance. The main stop is Devils Hole, a small fenced pool in a rock cavity a couple of miles from the southern end. The pool is known as the only home of the Devils Hole pupfish. Visitors usually stop for a short walk and photos, and the road continues north across the basin, making it a simple drive for a quiet half-day outing.

The road is rated easy and is suitable for high clearance 2WD. The surface is gravel, grades are gentle, and the road is generally wide enough for two vehicles. Any ruts or dips are shallow, and there are no concerns along the trail. Overnight camping is not allowed within the refuge, so suitable camping is not present on the road and visitors should plan to camp elsewhere.

Springs Meadow Road runs east across open desert flats, with mesquite and saltbush lining the route. Near the east end, it approaches the spring-fed marsh country, where the surface stays gravel and the grades are gentle. The road connects with other refuge routes, so many visitors drive it as part of a longer loop. It is mainly used to reach the springs and to look for pupfish and the rare desert plants that grow only in this basin. The full drive takes under 15 minutes without stops.

The road is rated easy and suits a high clearance 2WD vehicle. Stock equipment is enough, since the only obstacles are minor dips and small rocks, and traction is good. It is generally wide enough for two vehicles to pass. Camping is not allowed, and a sign at the start also prohibits overnight parking. The road is open during daylight hours only, and visitors must be out by dusk and stay on the designated roads. Carry water and a camera.

IMV Alt Road crosses open desert on a gravel surface, heading west along the edge of the wildlife refuge. About halfway along is Fairbanks Springs, which sits at the corner of the refuge. A short walk down from the road reaches a small oasis of trees and greenery that contrasts sharply with the surrounding dry flats. Once at the spring, a sign reads,

"During 1905, Dad Fairbanks and his sons finished their grading contract on the Salt Lake and San Pedro Railroad in Las Vegas. Since most knowledgeable people saw little future in Las Vegas, population 300, with no mining and little ranch land, Ralph J. “Dad” and Celeste “Ma” Fairbanks, with eight mostly grown children, moved to Ash Meadows.

Here the Fairbanks family opened a stage station to provide beds, food, whiskey and poker to travelers, which supplemented their primary business of freighting from Las Vegas to the boom towns.

The Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad opened for business in 1907 and undercut their freighting business, causing the Fairbanks family to sell Fairbanks Springs and to move to the boomtown of Greenwater, California.

This plaque dedicated February 5, 2006, by the Queho Posse and Billy Holcomb Chapters of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus in cooperation with the Nevada Boom Towns History Event.+

The road is rated easy. Dips and ruts stay shallow, grades are gentle, and the road is generally wide enough for two vehicles. A high clearance 2WD vehicle with stock equipment is sufficient, and the drive takes roughly 25 minutes without stops. Suitable camping is not present on the road/trail. Conditions in the desert can change after storms, so scout the surface before heading out.

Powerline Road is a utility corridor that tracks a power line toward the Nopah Range Wilderness. The route crosses a paved highway and the Ash Meadows road before running out to a power transfer station. Stay on the road where it runs beside the wilderness boundary. The posted sign closes the land beyond it to motor vehicles. though camping is possible along the route, there were no signs of anyone choosing to camp in the area.

The early miles are mostly packed dirt and drive like an easy road. The surface turns rocky and uneven after crossing Ash Meadows. Expect cracked ground and spots where the tires sit at different heights, so crawl through rather than climbing the high side. The steep climb near the pole is best skipped, since the main road goes around it. Low spots that do not drain can hold mud.

North Tower Road is a short desert connector that ends at a junction with Caroline Road, which makes it useful as a link to nearby routes or as a quick standalone drive. The track begins on a rocky, ungraded surface before dropping into a wash, the main landmark along the way. Past the wash, the road climbs over a series of rocky rises through open Mojave scrub.

The road is rated moderate and suits a high clearance 4x4 with good tires. At the wash, drivers can choose a gentler line on the south side or a steeper line on the north side. Later climbs are steep enough that the hood blocks the view ahead, and loose ground near the end calls for steady momentum. Obstacles are mostly ledges, short steep grades and loose rock, so careful tire placement is the main skill needed.

Suitable camping is not present on the road/trail.

Spring Meadows South Road is a short gravel route that heads south across flat desert basin and passes through Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Travelers will see open desert scenery with wide views and little change in terrain along the way.

The road is mostly useful as a quick connector or a low-effort side trip while exploring the refuge. The whole 3.4 miles takes about 10 minutes at a relaxed pace. The surface is easy, and a high clearance 2WD vehicle is enough. The road is generally wide enough for two vehicles, and the driver's log notes no obstacles, tight spots or other concerns.

Suitable camping is not present on the road.

West Comm Tower Road is a short service route that begins on gravel and climbs into the desert towards a communication tower. Once on the ridge, the road follows the crest in a style similar to a Hogsback. A separate road also reaches that tower and branches off this one. Most people drive it for the open ridge views or as a quick add-on to other trails in the area.

The road is rated moderate and is best suited to a high clearance 4x4. Expect loose rock, short steep pitches, and possible ledges under 12 inches that call for careful tire placement. One gravel climb is loose enough that tires may spin a little on the way up. The road is generally one-vehicle-wide, with passing places. Suitable camping is not present on the road/trail.