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3N16 - Holcomb Valley
Trail Information
Difficulty - Mandatory
1 -
EASY
Difficulty - Optional
2 -
EASY
Status
Open
Distance
25.75 mi
Duration (one-way)
About 1 hour, 30 minutes
Highest Elevation
7500 ft
Shape of Trail
Connector
Typically Open
Year Round
Best Direction
East
Official Trail Name
3N16
Nearest Town
Big Bear Lake
Nearest Services
Big Bear Lake
Management Agency
San Bernardino National Forest
District
Mountaintop Ranger District
Highlights
Altitude
Camping
Desert
Forest
Overland
Scenic
Snow Wheeling
Water3N16 provides a scenic, enjoyable drive for all off-road enthusiasts. At roughly 26 miles, this overland trail will take you through the backwoods of the San Bernardino National Forest. Along with some great views, 3N16 also has a historic route for which more information can be found at Big Bear Discovery Center or Gold Fever Trail's trail review. 3N16 is the main connector between most of the trails in Big Bear, including Holcomb Creek, Dishpan Springs, John Bull, White Mountain, Gold Mountain, and many more. Just be warned that there are several water crossings along this trail that can swell up in flash flood conditions. While snow on this trail can get over 5 feet deep in the winter. Please plan accordingly and travel in pairs.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
Recommended Vehicle:
2WD Vehicle with High Clearance
Concerns:
Summary:
This is a dirt road and is passable in almost any standard high-ground clearance vehicle.
The trail is slightly rougher on the east side between Gold Mountain and the Eastern Trailhead. If you tried hard, you might be able to make a 2 rating line in this section.
The trail could change based on the weather and the long-term effects at times. Even though the forest service is fast to fix this road, sometimes after weather there can create small obstacles or ruts you will have to drive through.
Community Consensus
1 votes
15 votes
5 votes
Easier
Spot On
Harder
The weighted average of your fellow members agreement of our trail rating. As trail conditions change this helps us keep the community aware of changes.
Mandatory
1 -
EASY
The hardest part of the trail that you
cannot bypass - you have to drive it.
Optional
2 -
EASY
The hardest part of the trail that is
purely optional - you can bypass it.
Dirt and/or rocky road. Potential rocks and/or tree stumps less than 5" tall and/or vertical ledges less than 5" tall and/or near vertical ledges or waterfalls less than 6" inches. Good tire placement likely. Can be steep, but with good traction. Read More about our Rating System
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Trail Navigation
3N16, aka Holcomb Valley Road, is the perfect trail for all off-road enthusiasts that love some overland trail rides. At about 26 miles long, the trail starts in Running Springs and goes all the way to Big Bear, ending near Baldwin Lake. 3N16 passes several hard trails such as Dishpan Springs (3N34), Holcomb Creek (3N93), 2N06X, John Bull (3N10), Gold Mountain (3N69), and many other great and exciting trails. 3N16 Holcomb Valley Road is a great trail for first-time off-roaders and also provides plenty of entertainment for the more experienced. For the history of Holcomb Valley, please visit Gold Fever Trail here. Important Note: While the road is 26 miles long, only the 11 miles from the Crab Flats Campground junction with 3N34 to Forest OHV Road 3N56 are open to non-street legal vehicles. Reminders: 1. Non-street legal vehicles cannot use the portion of 3N16 to Green Valley Lake Road. 2. Non-street legal vehicles cannot use the portion of 3N16 from 3N56 to the Dump Access Road. 3. Street-legal vehicles only on roads or trails into the communities of Big Bear, Fawnskin, and Green Valley Lake. You can find more information on the historical background of the area at the Big Bear Discovery Center: Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 5 days/week Closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays Located at: 40971 North Shore Drive/ Hwy 38, Fawnskin, CA 92333 Phone: (909) 382-2790
1. Trailhead (0 mi)
Trailhead on the south end. This is a great spot to air down and disconnect your sway bar if you plan on doing other trails. Airing down will also help make the ride a lot smoother. 34.233556, -117.089418
2. 2N54 and Edison Road - Stay Left (1.4 mi)
Stay to the west as you pass 2N54 and Edison Road. You can also use this area for a small staging area, but please do not block this trail.
This trail takes you to 2N13 - Snow Slide
3. Bridge (3.75 mi)
Now a bridge, this used to be a deep water crossing. This crossing could easily get over 3 feet deep in the middle when you were able to cross the water. But now there is a bridge that takes you over the lite reconstructed water flow.
See 3rd pictures for what the crossing used to be like.
4. 3N34 Dishpan Springs/Crab Flats - Turn Right (4 mi)
Turn right at Crab Flat Cutoff to stay on 3N16. If you go straight, the trail takes you to Crab Flat Campground and 3N34 - Dishpan Springs
Click here to find more information for 3N34 - Dishpan Springs Trail
5. 3N93 Holcomb Creek, Pacific Crest Trail, Water Crossing - Continue Straight (7 mi)
Continue straight through the water crossing which is roughly 4 inch's deep. If you wish to access 3N93 – Holcomb Creek turn East. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses 3N16 between the creek and 3N93 (Pacific Crest Trail is a hiking only trail.)
Click here for more informationon 3N93 – Holcomb Creek
6. 2N06X Lower Largo Trail - Continue Straight (9 mi)
Stay to the north at the trailhead for Lower Largo Flats - 2N06X. Lower Largo Flats - 2N06X breaks off to the south of 3N16. For more information, click here for Lower Largo Flats - 2N06X
7. 3N97 - Continue Straight (10.75 mi)
Follow the main path which stays East/West. 3N97 is a short path with nothing on it from this side.
8. 3N14 Coxey Road - Continue Straight (12.4 mi)
Continue straight at 3N14 – Coxey Road. If you choose to go north, this will take you down the mountain toward Hesperia. If you go south, this will take you into Fawnskin. Click here for more infomation on 3N14 – Coxey Road
9. 3N11 - Continue Straight (12.5 mi)
Continue straight at 3N11. This is the cut-off to 3N17 – White Mountain. For more information on 3N17 – White Mountain You can find more information for 3N11, click here 3N11.
10. 3N17 - Continue Straight (14.7 mi)
Continue straight. This is the other White Mountain cut-off, 3N17. For more information on 3N17 – White Mountain. Click here on 3N17 – White Mountain
11. 3N17 White Mountain - Continue Straight (15.75 mi)
Continue straight. This is the east most end of White Mountain, 3N17.
For more information on this trail, please click here for 3N17 – White Mountain
12. 3N89 - Continue Straight (16.5 mi)
3N89 - Hitchcock heads off to the south. The trail takes you over to 3N08 near one of the yellow post sites.
13. 3N54 and 3N08 - Continue Straight (18 mi)
Continue straight at 3N54 and 3N08. For more information on 3N08, please click here: 3N08 - Holcomb Creek Road
14. 3N83 Upper Holcomb - Continue Straight (18.2 mi)
3N83 - Upper Holcomb is a quick and mildly challenging off-road run through the dense forest of upper Holcomb Valley.
15. 3N12 Delamar Mountain - Continue Straight (18.5 mi)
Continue straight at 3N12.
For more information on 3N12, please visit: 3N12 - Delamar Mountain Road
16. 3N82 Little Holcomb - Continue Straight (18.8 mi)
3N82 - Little Holcomb is a quick off-road run through the dense forest of upper Holcomb Valley
17. Holcomb Valley (19 mi)
The history of Holcomb Valley goes;
Bill Holcomb was hired by other prospectors to hunt bear in the hills. On a hunting trip up Polique Canyon, he first saw Holcomb Valley off to the North just 2 miles away. The group back at Starvation Flats later named this area Holcomb's Valley.
The following day, Bill and Ben Choteau (Cherokee Indian), wounded a "Monster Grizzly." The blood trail lead them to a quartz ledge which caught Bills attention. While up there, they took some large pieces of the quartz where they planned on taking back to town to test it and while washing the rock off in the stream they discovered abundant amount of gold lying in the stream bed.
The news spread quickly and by July 1860 the valley was swarming with prospectors.
18. 3N10 John Bull - Turn Right (19.5 mi)
Go right at 3N10 John Bull. This is the westerly side of John Bull. Many people feel this is the harder route because it is easy to get stuck on the down hills, this is if you slip off the rocks during the hard obstacles.
You can find more information for John Bull at 3N10 - John Bull
19. Holcomb Valley Dispersed Camping Area - Continue Straight (19.5 mi)
Holcomb Valley Dispersed Camping Area a great place to pull off the side of the road, pop up a tent, and relax. This area provides a lot of shaded camping usually with outhouses. This area can get pretty busy but it is easy to get to with almost any vehicle.
20. 2N09 Polique Canyon - Turn Left (19.6 mi)
Go left at 2N09. If you go straight, this will take you to 2N09 - Polique Canyon (Trail Rating 1-2) and eventually drop you back on Highway 38. You can find more information for 2N09 at 2N09 – Polique Canyon.
21. 3N07 Van Dusen Creek - Continue Straight (20 mi)
Stay to the south as you pass 3N07 - Van Dusen Creek. This trail takes you back to the climbing areas such as Coyote Crag. It also takes you back to 3N07A - The Squeeze and lots of great dispersed camping spots.
22. 3N05 and Holcomb Valley Campground - Continue Straight (20.3 mi)
3N05 is the trail that is part of the Gold Fever Trail and loops outside of Holcomb Valley Campground. Along this Route, you will find things like the Hanging Tree and the Two-Gun Saloon (Used to be here).
This is the west entrance to this trail.
Just feet past this is Holcomb Valley Campground
23. 3N09 Van Dusen and Holcomb Valley Campground - Continue Straight (21 mi)
Continue Straight at 3N09 Van Dusen (Trail Rating 1-2). This trail will drop you on Highway 38 by the Big Bear Discovery Center.
You can find more information about Van Dusen Trail at 3N09 – Van Duesen Canyon
On the other side of the road is Holcomb Valley Campground. This unique campground gates never close meaning you can camp here year around. But the campground amenities like the bathrooms do close and are only open to for the Spring to Fall.
24. Holcomb Valley Day Use Area - Continue Straight (21.2 mi)
If looking for a place to get back into the woods and relax. This is a great area to do so. This is a day-use-only area, thus no camping.
In this area, you can easily get away from the road and enjoy the thick forest canopy.
For more info, check out Holcomb Valley Day Use Area
25. 3N05 - Continue Straight (21.8 mi)
3N05 is the trail that is part of the Gold Fever Trail and loops outside of Holcomb Valley Campground. Along this Route, you will find things like the Hanging Tree and the Two-Gun Saloon (Which used to be here).
This is the east entrance to this trail.
26. Miners Cabin (21.5 mi)
Old Miners Cabin from the Gold Rush in Big Bear. For more information, please visit The Big Bear Discovery Center and ask about the Gold Fever Trail.
The original cabin was burned down in November 1983. The forest service rebuilt the cabin to represent what it was once before. The original cabin only had 4 foot tall walls and at the highest point in the roof was from the ground to ceiling 6 foot.
27. 3N76 - Continue Straight (22.8 mi)
3N76 is a lightly traveled off-road trail in the San Bernardino National Forest is easy to access off of 3N16 but has a remote, isolated feel to it.
28. 3N32 Union Flat - Continue Straight (22.2 mi)
Continue straight at 3N32 - Union Flat. If you turn off on 3N32 - Union Flat, this will drop you into the middle of John Bull at John Bull Gate Keeper. Prior to reaching 3N10 - John Bull (Hard), there is a trail called 3N07A - The Squeeze(Moderate) to the east.
29. 3N76 East - Continue Straight (22.2 mi)
This short stretch of dirt road in the San Bernardino National Forest was once part of a longer loop trail that connected to . 3N76 East has since been blocked at the base of an old hill climb that once connected the two ends. Now, this forest road is little more than a short detour leading to a dead-end and a small turn-around to lead you back out to 3N16.
While this trail doesn't really lead anywhere, it does travel through some thickly forested area and offers a few minutes of extra exploration while off-roading in Big Bear's Holcomb Valley.
30. 3N79 - Continue Straight (22.7 mi)
3N79 - Tanglewood is a short, easy off-road trail that is all about the destination at the end; the Tanglewood Group Campground.
31. 3N02 Burnt Flat - Continue Straight (23.75 mi)
Continue straight at 3N02. If you go North, this will take you to the east most end of John Bull - 3N10.
You can find more information for John Bull at 3N10 - John Bull
32. 3N69 Gold Mountain - Continue Straight (24.5 mi)
Stay north on the trail at 3N69 - Gold Mountain(Hard). If you take the trail south, you will run 3N69 - Gold Mountain backwards. Many people say going in this direction on Gold Mountain is much easier.
33. Lucky Baldwin Mine (25.2 mi)
Lucky Baldwin Mine
34.303006, -116.829308
This history on the mine is gold was discovered in 1873 when Barney and Charley Carter were enroute to the Ross Mine. While camped for the night along the North Shore of Baldwin Lake, Barney went to inspect the "Shiny Stuff" in the quartz ledge immediately above their camp. His brief exploration led to the a mountain of gold ore. Elais J. "Lucky" Baldwin purchased "Carters' Quartz Hill" for $30,000.
By 1876, Baldwin had 180 men working his mine and a 40 stamp mill was in place. The concrete footings can be seen to the west. The site of the large mill and cyanide processing plant was added in 1899. The mill was in operation as late as 1923.
(Watch for the wooden structure on the right / south side of the road. This was once a Ore Bin, built in 1945.)
34. 3N61 Jacoby Canyon - Continue Straight (25.3 mi)
Stay South at 3N61 - Jacoby Canyon. If you take 3N61, this will drop you onto Highway 18 on the backside of the mountain range.
For more information on Jacoby Canyon, please visit: 3N61 - Jacoby Canyon
35. Trail Ends (26 mi)
East end of the trail.
34.303755, -116.822680
Dispersed
Improved
Since 3N16 is the main backbone of Holcomb Valley, this trail has more camping along it than we can describe. The trail has endless dispersed camping spots that will cater to everyone's needs, along with some unique places with stunning views. The more popular places to camp along this trail are Big Pine Flats Campground near 3N14 and Holcomb Valley Campground near 3N07. The San Bernardino National Forest is a nearby oasis for millions of Southern Californians who want to escape for the weekend and go camping. The higher elevations of the forest mean that the summertime temperatures are cooler than the valleys below. As an added bonus, most campgrounds have shaded sites, and some are near streams or lakes. Many campgrounds are adjacent to beautiful natural areas, and you can find solitude on quiet wilderness trails. Some campgrounds are reserved campsites, and on weekends or holidays, we definitely recommend making a reservation. To do this, visitors can go online to www.recreation.gov or call toll-free 1-877-444-6777. Most campgrounds can accommodate both tent campers and RVs. All campgrounds have picnic tables and restroom facilities, and some even have showers and other amenities. Most campsites accommodate up to 6 people and 2 tents. There may be an additional cost for more than one vehicle. The Forest Service describes camping as either developed (usually accessible by road and including facilities like picnic tables, restrooms, and fire rings) or undeveloped/dispersed (remote areas accessible only by dirt roads or trails, with no facilities). During winter months, some locations may be inaccessible due to snow or closed. Check with the local Ranger Station for updated conditions. More info can be found at San Bernardino National Forest Camping.
Starting Point
Running Springs, CA
From Highway 18 in Running Springs, take Green Valley Lake Road which is roughly 2.5 miles to the dirt turn off on the left side of the road.
3N16 (34.233731, -117.089501)
Trail Reviews
4.9/5 (77)
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/29/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Holcomb Valley is the major dirt road thoroughfare of the San Bernadino NF. Condition wise it’s pretty much what you would expect from a well traveled, 2wd accessible forest service road. It’s a little more beat up than normal after the winter but still easy. Expect lots of activity, campers and other vehicles through here.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/08/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Ran the trail, overall about the same amount of damage as a normal winter. Since they didn't fix the damage from last winter things got a little worse. The east side is actually smoother while the westside is rougher and has a few more issues. Overall a 2wd vehicle can still do this, but it is a bit harder right now.
Temporary Closure
Visited: 03/18/2023
The forest service has deemed the San Bernardino Forest unsafe for public off-roaders to use until June 30th.
For more information on this:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1095216.pdf
If you disagree with the complete forest closure, please call (909) 382-2682 and ask to speak to the head ranger.
You can also contact the head office in Washington,DC, and voice your concern there. (202) 912-7055
Another person you could contact your senator and express your feeling - (949) 598-5850 (Alex Padilla) or (202) 224-3121 (DC switch board)
If you are unhappy with this at all, please make sure you sign up for the local off-road collations (Cal4wheel, and Corva). Feel free to reach out to them and ask what you can do.
Cal4Wheel - (916) 381-8300
CORVA - 916-710-1950
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 12/18/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Drove this in our Jeep JKU on 35" MT's, with 4" lift and 5.13 gears. Suffice to say we did not encounter anything our rig was not capable of doing, we started on the west end and it was definitely slow going as the snow and water runoff have created some pretty sizeable ruts that you could end up getting stuck in if you are not careful. Also there was a lot of ice while we were there so several spots were a bit sketchy and we did a decent amount of sliding, so choose your lines wisely and just take it slow and you will be just fine. Saw lots of side by sides as well. I rated this trail as harder than normal just because of the weather and elements. Overall had a fun time with the wife and baby with us.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/03/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
We used this trail over the weekend to access other trails such as Holcomb Creek and John Bull. The beginning few miles on the west side were was pretty chewed up; still easily doable by any 4wd or awd vehicle with some clearance but you might have to take it slow in a few places.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 06/12/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Took this trail after doing 2N02 up from the desert... made for a long day on the trail, but the beautiful scenery on both trails made it worth it. Nothing too hard here, but good practice for new drivers, and an amazing day out in the wilderness even for the best of drivers. Good times!
Open
Visited: 01/29/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Ran the east half of the trail with a large group. for the most part it is an easy trail but the 2WD trucks in the group had trouble with the ice and large mud puddles. Once the ice all melts and the puddles dry out this is an easy trail doable by any high clearance vehicle.
Open
Visited: 01/17/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Drove from Gold Fever back two Running Springs (Rubicon-experienced off roader) . We battled the Squeeze longer than we thought due to serious trail conditions. That put us 90 mins behind schedule . The last two miles on 3N16 was quite the struggle. Sun was down , heavy freezing rain . The deep melting mud and snow-referenced in the review below- became ICE 6 pm . Had to winch one or two people out and I had to use my plastic tracks to get up a few hills. Great experience and practice. (word to the wise, get in before the sunset and the freeze!)
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 01/14/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Harder
Entire trail was open. My Jeep and friend's 4Runner started around 9am. Probably the only people on that trail for awhile. Not many defined tracks through the snow for a good four miles initially. Ground clearance and 4low were needed through the snow packed areas for sure. Numerous large puddles and mud pits. Took us 4ish hrs including stops and lunch to finish the 26 miles. Saw only three cars the entire time. All lifted and modded. Been all over that trail during warmer seasons, currently the snow makes it fun but for sure not for everyone.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 12/20/2021
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Great trail! Very easy, even in winter with lots of snow on the ground. Covered the first portion of the route from Green Valley Rd to Coxey Rd. Beautiful views, lots of snow playgrounds and had the whole place to ourselves. Highly recommended.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/22/2021
With the exception of mile or so near the dump site on the eastern end of the trail, the trail is very nice and easy to follow. Easily done with any 2WD SUV. I ran the trail east to west over the course of 2 days, incorporating the Gold Fever Trail as well.
I started out on the eastern end near the dumpsite. This part of the road is rocky and I ended up airing down to absorb the bumps. Much of this area is recovering from a fire as well and isn't particularly pretty to look at, relative to the rest of the trails in Big Bear. Also, the Doble and Lucky Mine areas were closed off. Unless you're also trying to do the whole Gold Fever Trail, I would skip the eastern end of this trail altogether and start at the 2N09 from North Shore Drive and run north till the intersection of Holcomb Valley Road, the turn left (west). If you're interested in the historical turn-offs, you can go right then backtrack.
The main reason I did this trail was to see if there were any decent campsites. While there are a couple areas where you could camp, I believe all the best camping is on the south side of the lake in the area behind the town. That being said, I would still encourage people to run this trail east to west because nearer the west end, the trail becomes a downhill slalom course. For a mile or two, the trail becomes sandy and winds and curves down the mountain. The banks are high and beg you to let off the brake. This whole section was a blast! I'm sure its fun to run going uphill, but going downhill and accelerating through some of the banks was the closest thing to a roller coaster ride that I've been on in a while!
At the time I ran it, there was a downed log part-way into the trail at 34.26 N, -117.03 W.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/02/2021
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
If you're driving up to Big Bear you know that it's a beautiful place that offers lots of trails. Once of my favorite things to do is to get off the main highway into town and take 3N16, which eventually leads into Fawnskin. This trail offers views of all the beautiful trees, smooth dirt road, and just a nice transition into town. You don't even really need to air down. This road also leads into all the camping sites north of Big Bear Lake. Highly recommended to check out.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/04/2021
Took the trial off the Coxey Truck Trail coming up from Apple Valley side; we made the left at the Big Pine Flat campgrounds and took Holcomb all the way in to Big Bear. No issues with the trail. EASILY passable in 2wd. Was a nice trip with the temp around 85 at most.
Open
Visited: 02/21/2021
North-facing portions of the trail are packed with unhealthy levels of ice. While I made it through without a scratch, I nearly soiled my underwear a few times. Opportunities to slide off cliffs were way too abundant. I hadn't planned on this being a white-knuckle ride. I figured by Feb 20th, the snow would all be gone, but shaded sections are still way too icy. Next time, I'm waiting until a snow-free time of year.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 01/16/2021
As a newbie to this hobby, I was looking for an easy trail that I could get my feet (and tires) wet. I chose this trail because it was close by and seemed to be an easy trek. Got to the trail around 10am today. There was a bit of snow pack in various spots along the route, but nothing major. I ended up taking my new, stock, Ram Rebel the full 26 miles and never had an area where it had any trouble fitting. The trail is fairly level with some good big puddles to splash in and a few areas of ruts, but overall it's mostly a casual drive. Beautiful scenery and was not crowded at all. Saw maybe half a dozen people at various points with plenty of room to move off to the side and let people through.
Highly recommend this trail for anyone who's nervous about taking their vehicle off road.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 09/01/2020
A section of Holcomb under repair was planned to be opened 8/28 so holding our breath sure enough it was at least opened by the day of our trip. Being the easy trail it is makes for a nice sightseeing drive especially in the great weather we had today. We saw deer and a inquisitive fawn who inched closer but was quickly lead away by the mother but with some space between us the deer seemed only mildly concerned. The Crab Flat Campground was open and only 1 tent in the entire prepared sites. Some sites were posted as open but many were posted as reserved. Camping was $24/night. One of my favorite spots on the road was around way point 13 and coming upon a very large meadow with dozens of horses grazing. It was right up there with the crushed car:).
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/09/2020
Such beautiful scenery on this trail! With the different landscapes throughout, it made us feel like we weren't in SoCal. We traveled East from Running Springs. Pretty smooth ride until the end where it got a bit rocky. We will be back to camp and try out the other trails nearby.
Open
Visited: 06/25/2020
This was a great trail, very easy and scenic with plenty of places to camp. You could easily take this trail in 2WD. It is a great way to take to connect to a bunch of other great trails or if you are looking to off-road to the main group of camp grounds out there. We ended up starting here and working our way all the way though Rattlesnake Canyon which was a 2 day trip and it was awesome!
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/26/2020
We actually did this trail in two parts since we were camped in the Holcomb Creek area. Coming in, we started the trail on the south end from Green Valley. Beautiful trail with a couple of water crossings. It’s a bit rutted, with some deep holes from the rains and runoff - it’s quite a bit rougher than I remembered it to be, but there are actually some paved sections in the randomest places.
On our second day we made a run down to Fawnskin for ice and decided to hit the trail from the Baldwin Lake side. This end of the trail has seen better days and is much rougher. It’s still an amazing drive though! There is so much history and lore along this section of what was once a mining trail. It’s definitely worth taking a couple hours to explore the area, see the Gold Fever trail and have a nice lunch in the beautiful National Forest.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/25/2020
Did this trail with my small hatchback AWD on a stock rims and suspension with All terrain tires. It's a great off road trail to test my skills and vehicle for a beginner like me. I only made it up to Way Point #9 and had to turn back because it was getting dark and had a reservation at Crab Flats Campground. I will definitely come back to finish this trail soon with a lifted suspension and with some friends.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/23/2020
The trail is very scenic and really easy in the warm months. I have done it twice within a months time. Once during the day and once at night. Both times have been fun. Its a trail that a lot of people take, but its not overly crowded at all. I've seen everything from minivans, a Kia Optima to well built rigs. Its a nice and easy trail during the dry months. I'm looking forward to trying it when there is snow.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/23/2020
Nice and easy trail. I've done it in both directions. I've done it during the day and during the night. The trail is nice and scenic. A 2 wheel drive can easily do it when dry. I've seen a minivan and even a Kia Optima out there. Many people travel this trail and camp alongside in various spots. Great for a beginner or anyone who wants to take a nice long scenic offroad drive.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 05/17/2020
Great trail to add to any Big Bear ride in the mountains! We entered 3N16 from 3N14 Coxey Road and continued East towards Baldwin Lake! Beautiful day out in the mountains with great weather and lots of fellow trail riders all over! The trail is easy with nothing to really worry about. Any 4x4 truck or AWD can take on this trail with not much problem in dry conditions. When wet it may be little trickier in some spots but not bad.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/04/2019
I love this trail, not for its difficulty, but because it is the off-road highway though the trails of Big Bear. My wife and I were doing some of the trails on the northeast side of the lake Sunday and decided to take 3N16 back towards Arrowhead instead of hopping on the nearest paved road. We only came across maybe 3 or 4 other vehicles total over the 20 miles we drove it which was a nice surprise for a weekend. The trail itself was in good shape with zero obstacles of note.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 03/23/2019
We ran this trail starting from the Baldwin Lake end, and it was open all the way to Green Valley Lake. The first 2/3 of the trail was was fun, easy, mud, snow, and beautiful scenery. We ran across a pickup stuck in the mud being pulled out by a buddy. There are lots of trails that split off of 3N16, but several were closed. We got out an walked the closed 3N05 trail where it loops around the campground in holcomb valley, and it was basically a long mud bog. Back onto 3N16, once you start approaching Holcomb Creek from the east, and all the way up to about the last 2 miles of the trail ending near Green Valley Lake, there are several challenging washed out, and/or steep and rutted out sections.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 03/04/2019
We called the Discovery Center yesterday and learned the trail was open from Green Valley. We ran the trail today from the GV side to Holcomb Valley in our JL Rubicon. The first 5 miles of the trail had some treacherous washouts requiring 4 Wheel drive and sway bar disconnect. There are heavy rains forecasted in the next 36 hours, and I would bet on another closure. There were spots of deep standing water/mud in the valley itself. In fact, we ran across some stuck travelers in a 2 WD truck and winched them out. Be safe everyone!
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 01/20/2019
I was hoping to find a trail with snow. So, I thought of Holcolm Valley. They were skiing at Snow Summit due to snowfalls of the prior week, so, I thought there was a chance of snow in Holcolm valley. So I turned up Polique Canyon road from Highway 18 and went up to 3N16 Holcolm Valley Road. The trails were very wet and sloshy, with the little bit of snow there was being wet and almost entirely melted away. The temperature that afternoon was in the mid-fifties so, no surprise. I took 3N16 east all the way to the end at Baldwin Lake. There were several large bodies of standing water across the trail that made me hesitate before crossing, but, they were not too deep, and the underlying trail not too muddy. Maybe in another month, there will be packed snow on the trail. By the time I got to Highway 18 at Baldwin Lake, my truck was covered in mud.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/25/2018
This was a nice, mellow trail in my stock 4runner. We saw plenty of Subaru's out there, having no issues, but I would recommend a higher clearance vehicle--depending on experience. The trail was fairly rutted in many areas. I took my 2 year old daughter out for her first off-road trip and she had a blast. We had to keep it VERY slow, for her sake, but there is so much to see you really don't need to rush. We printed directions from this site and downloaded a Google Earth map of the area (for offline use), and had no troubles finding our way. The trails are cleanly marked at intersections and the scenery was gorgeous. We did not cross any water but there were a couple of mud puddles that were easily avoidable, if need be. We put it in 4wd a few times but it was definitely not necessary. We were crawling the steeper uphill sections to keep it smooth for my daughter. We made a day out of this trip, spending about 4 hours on the trail and ending at the Lake to go play with the ducks. We made a great lunch (propane-only grills were are allowed on 8/25/18) and stopped many of times along the way to explore on foot. All in all, this is a fun place to take the family (if they are comfortable off-road) and it looks like a great place to go wheeling. Much appreciation to this site for answering my questions and giving me the information (confidence) I needed to take my little girl on her first off-road trip--safely.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 04/09/2018
Ran a majority of the trail over the weekend. Bounced in and out of the trail as we did Holcomb Creek and John Bull. I couldn't believe how perfect the weather was.
The trail as seen better days. Clearly, a lot of rain must have gone through the mnts recently as there are lots of signs of it. Still passable in a 2wd but low ground clearance might be an issue.
Still sucks seeing that bridge.
But my New Falken Tires were amazing on the trail. Best decision I have done with the jeep was putting these bad boys on.
Open
Visited: 03/17/2018
The road was freshly covered by snow from the recent snow storm and my 2 car group was lucky enough to be the first group on the road that morning. We made out way from Big Pine Campground to Holcomb Valley and then backtracked on March 18th.
There was some icy area's where 4x4 did help to get up some of the small hills.
Camping was great at the Holcomb Valley campground where a few other brave souls spent that night.
Open
Visited: 01/20/2018
All in all, a wonderful run. Last week it wasn't nearly as nice as this week due to the fresh snowfall.
Drone footage taken where we went sledding and a few other people were airing down:
https://youtu.be/Nu_fWEu0Mbw
Driving Trail (3 parts):
https://youtu.be/QCUDhmFsS_Q
https://youtu.be/nHkir_8PLio
https://youtu.be/IJByxI5n18g
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/30/2017
I am happy to report that 3N16 was completely open this weekend. The bridge is up as of a month ago and the east end of the trail is open too. The fire damage doesn't look very good but at least they have reopened the trail.
Road Conditions Report: I personally didn't drive the entire trail but I did navigate roughly 80% of it. In that 80% of the trail, it seemed if they have completely re-graded the entire road. It was very smooth.
Open
Visited: 07/30/2017
I am happy to report that 3N16 was completely open this weekend. The bridge is up as of a month ago and the east end of the trail is open too. The fire damage doesn't look very good but at least they have reopened the trail.
Road Conditions Report: I personally didn't drive the entire trail but I did navigate roughly 80% of it. In that 80% of the trail, it seemed if they have completely re-graded the entire road. It was very smooth.
Permanently Closed
Visited: 05/20/2017
Went up today planning on going west to east as shown in the description here. Saw this sign at the trail head as soon as you turn off Green Valley Lake Rd.
So the road is closed, but me and a few others made it through east to west (opposite of what it shows here)
Only a couple miles heading east from crab flats is closed
Definitely recommend not ignoring the signs.
The road is pretty tore up from recent rains.
High clearance vehicle 4wd recommended
Also there is a new bridge going over the big water crossing
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 02/03/2016
Went up to go skiing but the conditions were horrible. Decided to take the truck into Holcomb Valley but that almost turned into a bad decision. The conditions were ICE (Not Icy, implying there is something else then ice). The Ice was about 6-9 inches thick and was fun but sort of stressful to drive on.
But the area is open and a lighter vehicle should be fine.
From the Community
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Josh Noesser
Mapping Crew - California
Joshua Noesser grew up in Southern California but has lived in different parts of the country during his young adult life. Josh was first turned to four wheeling when he road with one of his friends dad up Surprise Canyon in the Panamint Valley at age14. After nearly 3 different roll overs later and a half dozen intense waterfalls, Josh was hooked. At 16 he purchased his first Jeep a CJ 7 and by 17 was putting his first locker in it.
Currently, Josh is the owner and CEO of Nybble, an IT Solutions Company based in Orange County, California. Nybble isn't your normal IT company where everyone stays in and plays video games. Nybble's average company trip is out on the trails since a good amount of his staff enjoy wheeling too. As Josh likes to say, he offers the only IT Company with the ability to provide services in extreme locations. "If you want a server at the top of The Hammers, we will take care of that for you."
Today you can find Josh out on the trail behind the wheel in one of his three different off-road vehicles. See the vehicles below for more information.
If you ever run into Josh, please say high, he is a very friendly person and is always happy to have a new person join the group.
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