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Information
Nearby Trails
| Status: | Open |
| Difficulty: |
1-6
(EASY - MODERATE)
|
| Length: | 19.89 miles |
| Highest Elevation: | 6700 feet |
| Duration: | About 3 hours |
| Shape of Trail: | Connector |
| Best Direction to Travel: | North |
| Nearest Town: | Mojave |
| Nearest Town w/ Services: | Mojave |
| Official Road Name: | SC65/27S11/36E52 |
| Management Agency: | Jawbone-Butterbredt BLM/Sequoia National Forest |
| District: |
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Highlights
You can be on this trail in just under two hours from the San Fernando Valley. Plan on spending the majority of the day on this trail and the cabin is a great place to hang out for a bit and have some lunch. Maybe even catch a nap. It's pretty unique to be able to travel along the desert and in just 11.4 miles you are starting to climb into the tress of the Sequoia National Forest. Pay close attention to all the cross trails especially in the desert part of the trail. Please keep in mind that this area is home to the California Desert Tortoise as well as a rare plant and archaeological artifacts. Please stay on the trail.
Video
Route Information
Technical Rating: (1-6)
(EASY - MODERATE)
Quite rocky or deep ruts. Rocks to 12" and frequent. Water crossings may exceed hub depth with strong currents. Shelves to 6". Mud may require checking before proceeding. Moderate grades to 20 degrees. Sidehill may approach 30 degrees. 4WD necessary and second attempts may be required with stock vehicles. Caution may be required with wider vehicles.
Read more about our rating systemDescription
The trail starts out in the desert on a very hard packed road that a 2-wheeldrive vehicle can get down without any issues. As you travel further north, the sand gets a little looser and deeper in places and you'll start to see some buried rocks. The road gets narrow and steeper around the Kiavah Wilderness and you will also start to see patches of old asphalt. When the road turns from SC65 to 27S11 you are now in the Sequoia National Forest and there are places on this road where caution needs to be taken and you will come across some very narrow sections. Some of the rock gardens from here and on 36E52 on do have a bypass. Others can easily be navigated.
Waypoints
1. McIvers Cabin SC65 Trail Head
There is an information kiosk here with a OHV map mail box here. On busy weekends the maps go quickly.
2. Intersection with LAP (0.3 mi)
Stay straight. This intersection is with what's known as the "powerline road" and the road it self makes for a great landmark any where in this part of the desert. Also there is a very large camp/staging area here. Remember to pack your trash out of these areas and the speed limit around the camp is 15MPH.
3. Intersection with SC5 (2.3 mi)
Stay straight.
4. Intersection with LA1 (4.5 mi)
After crossing the road, veer right to stay on SC65. This is the first Los Angeles Aqueduct road that you will cross.
5. Intersection with SC88 (4.7 mi)
Stay to the right.
6. Intersection with LA2 (5 mi)
Stay straight
7. Intersection with SC82 (6.1 mi)
Stay straight
8. Intersection with SC78 (7.1 mi)
Veer to the right. There is a large camp/staging area here.
9. Intersection with SC70 (7.4 mi)
Stay to the Left
10. Entry into the Kiavah Wilderness (8.1 mi)
11. Intersection with 27S11 (11.4 mi)
This is where you leave the BLM land and start traveling in the Sequoia National Forest. Notice the change in the road numbers.
12. Intersection with 36E52 (14.3 mi)
Go to the right here and again notice the change in the road numbers. There is a pretty decent size camp site just to the right as you start on 36E52. Also the sign says 4 1/2 miles. I clocked 5.3 on the GPS.
13. Pacific Crest Trail sign on the left (17 mi)
14. McIvers Cabin (19.6 mi)
YOU MADE IT! Please respect this cabin. It is a survival cabin for hunters and through hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail. Sign the guest book if you wish to and we always try to leave water or spare can food in the cabin. There is an outhouse here. Please help keep it clean.
Directions to Trailhead
Trailhead Coordinates: 35.484705, -117.956957
Head north on CA14 for 33.5 miles from the intersection of CA14 and CA58 in the town of Mojave. You will pass two turn offs on your left. One for Dove Springs and one Jawbone-Butterbredt. Just after Jawbone-Butterbredt turn off there is a turn off that drops off the side of the highway a couple of feet that is only marked by a black and white arrow that reads SC65. Make the quick right at the bottom of the turn out then stay to left at the little fork in the road. You will see a cattle guard and a brown BLM trail marker that reads SC65. This is the start of your nearly 20 mile trail ride that takes you from the desert to the Sequoia National Forest.
Camping
There are plenty of primitive camp sites all along the trail. Please pack out your trash and remember there is a 15mph speed limit as you go by any camp site.
Writer Information
Brian McEntyre
Mapping Crew - California
Born and raised in Southern California, Brian has always had the itch to be outdoors. Growing up, he spent lots of time riding dirt bikes all over the Mojave Desert. The first off-road trip he took was up to Shaver Lake in a 1967 CJ-5 and that was all it took. It doesn't matter if it's for the day or the weekend, he tries to get out as much as possible. His favorite place is up in the high country in the Sierras but when the snow hits and the trails start to close then it's time to head to the desert. Brian currently wheels a 2000 TJ, 44 rear, soon to be super 30 up front and 4.10 gears. Rock Hard bumpers protect the front and rear and the can holders and a rack help with the longer trips. There is a 8,000lb. winch up front with synthetic line. Inside you'll find a tuned CB, HAM radio, and satellite radio for NASCAR races and country music.
Community
Questions & Answers (1)
Q: Do you think the cabin's elevation would be pleasant enough when the desert floor is in the 90s?
–Marc Nitz (05/31/2017)
Trail Reviews (1)
| Author: | Official Crew |
| Status: | Open |
| Offroaded on: | 06/10/2017 |
A small group of us visited the cabin this past weekend. The road from Jawbone Canyon area to the cabin (Trail #SC65) had numerous whoop-dee-doos every 100' or so preventing anyone from traveling at a high rate of speed. It was pretty annoying. Once the whoops ended we started to climb the Scodie Mountains along a narrow shelf road (Waypoint #11) with pot-holed asphalt with very sharp corners making for a tough and slow commute. Once we reached the top and started traveling across the higher reaches of the trail, we started coming up to Pacific Crest Trail hikers who graciously moved out of the way for all of us. By the time we reached the upper elevation, we stopped at the radio tower for lunch and it was getting cold. We reached the cabin at about 2:30PM and a couple of us set up our campsites along with other hikers. The rest of our group headed back down the mountain as they could only come for the day. We spent the night and made a large campfire for us and the numerous PCT backpackers. They were stoked as they told us they were too tired to make a fire. Most of the hikers went to bed early (5pm) and we called it a night at 10pm. To help keep good relations between us (off-roaders) and them (hikers), we offered to carry out any trash that they had accumulated over their trip and they gladly gave us what they had. They were very happy!
