Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Alderpoint, California

As you enter from this northern part of the trail, you'll be surrounded by trees covered in moss, beautiful views of the ocean peaking in through the trees, and well-grated gravel. There are parts of the trail that are narrow with some wash-out sections and some drop-off sections on the west side of...
Learn more about Usal Road (Northern Portion)

This is a steep one-lane dirt road that is not very heavily used and is reasonably well maintained by the county. On about sixty percent of the trail, two rigs can slowly and carefully pass by each other, thirty percent will require one of the two rigs to move out of the way and the rest will requir...
Learn more about Usal Road (Southern Portion)

Pillsberry to Black Butte Trail is a calm, scenic gravel road with some campsites along the river. It's an easy driving, wide road, not normally passable in the wintertime because of snow. There is one small landslide that you can fit a large 4 x 4 through; besides that, the trail is well maintained...
Learn more about Pillsbury-Indian Dick Road

This is a 43-mile-long trek through dirt logging roads with spectacular views of the northern California redwoods. It is a great way to start a trip up the Mendocino coastline and on your way to Usal Road (an overlanding favorite in northern California). The route starts on the Willits main street a...
Learn more about Sherwood Road

Mendocino County Road 500 connects the east end of Caspar Orchard Road (at a location known locally as 'Scales') to California Route 20, and is located entirely within the Jackson Demonstration State Forest. At one time, this was an active logging road, and an occasional logging truck could be encou...
Learn more about Mendocino County Road 500

This trail has a gate, so it is likely closed for the winter. The trail is a hard-pack gravel road with some potholes and rutted-out sections. There are a couple of spots that get a little narrow. but does have beautiful trails. The trail looks like it was recently cleared, as there are trees along ...
Learn more about Lower Middle Ridge - FS 21N07

At the beginning of the trail, there is a sign that states "closed at creek crossing". However, we did not encounter a creek crossing or any closures along this trail before it meets at M3. Where the road continues after M3 states that it's closed. This trail is a gravel trail with some rutted out s...
Learn more about Road 311

This trail starts off looking like it was freshly graded and then turns into a rutted-out trail. Nothing too difficult, just some sections where water was flowing down and created a rut in the road. This trail does have a few spots where you can pull off to camp as well, with some beautiful views.
Learn more about Alder Springs W.C. - FS 21N30

Erickson Ridge Loop is a relatively easy loop trail in Mendocino National Forest. From M1 (Elk Mountain Road) going north, the trail starts on your left, with a narrower dirt trail on the left and a wider trail (FR 20N04) on the right. The suggested route is to start on the narrower dirt trail on th...
Learn more about Erickson Ridge Loop

This trail is a combination of dirt and gravel. The trail is fairly flat with the occasional rutted wash from water flow. Not far down the trail is the Rattlesnake Firefighter Memorial and the trailhead leading to their gravesites. This road states that it is not maintained in inclement weather. The...
Learn more about Road 307

Hull Mountain is a dominant peak and rises over 5,000 feet above Lake Pillsbury in the southwest part of the Mendocino National Forest. This is a beautiful area for camping and other recreational activities. Relatively easy mountain roads take you on a journey deep into the wilds of the back countr...
Learn more about Hull Mountain Trail

Single wide trail that navigates up and across a ridge. It can get really tight with overgrown vegetation. A good amount of washes, ditches, and water drainage humps, and a few hill climbs and descents. The trail is mixed-use, so watch out for anything from trucks to dirt bikes. There are areas for ...
Learn more about Rattlesnake 4x4 85467

This trail is more of a fire road. Mostly one vehicle wide, but with plenty of chances to pass. More of a fun route than staying on the main Elk Mountain road and possibly following slow trucks with trailers. There are plenty of primitive camping areas, but travelers should pay attention to land own...
Learn more about Packsaddle - FS 18N25

This is a tight single wide out and back trail that ends at OHV trail heads. The end of the trail is sooner than expected as is turns into single track and is too narrow for a truck but just before it is wide to turn around and has some primitive camp spots along the route. Trail is mostly flat and ...
Learn more about East York - FS 17N73

Single wide out and back trail that drops down into a canyon. Some sections are overgrown. Trail ends before it how it shows on the map. There is a spur to the right in the end and you can primitive camp in that turn out. There are a couple washes and ruts but can be navigated in 2wd.
Learn more about Enterprise - FS 17N72

This is an out-and-back shared-use trail that takes you to multiple trail heads for off-highway vehicles. There are a couple of dispersed camp sites along the trail. This is a single-wide trail with a few areas to pass or turn out. There are a couple of small washes as well.
Learn more about Little Round - FS 17N37

This trail goes around the north ridge of Horse Mountain and is mainly one vehicle wide. Multiple small washes, but easy to navigate around or over. There are multiple Dispersed camp areas along the trail; some have good views off the ridge. Has some fire damage, so may encounter downed trees after ...
Learn more about Horse Mountain - FS 17N27

This is an out-and-back trail that is shared use and leads to multiple off-highway vehicle trails. There are some dispersed campsites along the way and at the end, but there is a huge dedicated dispersed primitive campsite area about halfway through. This is a single-wide, mostly flat trail that get...
Learn more about Willow Rock - FS 17N39

This trail takes you right up the mountain to the peak of Horse Mountain. The first (top) is ideal for dispersed camping and awesome views into the canyon and Clear Lake below. There is another high spot and other places to disperse camp at the end of the trail. Single wide out and back with small w...
Learn more about Horse Mountain Peak - FS 17N85

This is an out-and-back trail that leads to off-highway specific trails. It is also shared use, so be cautious of others. There are dispersed camp sites along the way, and it ends in a bigger one. The trail is narrow, but it has room for a full-size truck and multiple spots to pull out or turn aroun...
Learn more about Bluejay - FS 17N38

Mendocino County Road 500 connects the east end of Caspar Orchard Road (at a location known locally as 'Scales') to California Route 20, and is located entirely within the Jackson Demonstration State Forest. At one time, this was an active logging road, and an occasional logging truck could be encou...
Learn more about Mendocino County Road 500

This trail has a gate, so it is likely closed for the winter. The trail is a hard-pack gravel road with some potholes and rutted-out sections. There are a couple of spots that get a little narrow. but does have beautiful trails. The trail looks like it was recently cleared, as there are trees along ...
Learn more about Lower Middle Ridge - FS 21N07

At the beginning of the trail, there is a sign that states "closed at creek crossing". However, we did not encounter a creek crossing or any closures along this trail before it meets at M3. Where the road continues after M3 states that it's closed. This trail is a gravel trail with some rutted out s...
Learn more about Road 311

This trail starts off looking like it was freshly graded and then turns into a rutted-out trail. Nothing too difficult, just some sections where water was flowing down and created a rut in the road. This trail does have a few spots where you can pull off to camp as well, with some beautiful views.
Learn more about Alder Springs W.C. - FS 21N30

Mendocino County Road 500 connects the east end of Caspar Orchard Road (at a location known locally as 'Scales') to California Route 20, and is located entirely within the Jackson Demonstration State Forest. At one time, this was an active logging road, and an occasional logging truck could be encou...
Learn more about Mendocino County Road 500

This trail has a gate, so it is likely closed for the winter. The trail is a hard-pack gravel road with some potholes and rutted-out sections. There are a couple of spots that get a little narrow. but does have beautiful trails. The trail looks like it was recently cleared, as there are trees along ...
Learn more about Lower Middle Ridge - FS 21N07

At the beginning of the trail, there is a sign that states "closed at creek crossing". However, we did not encounter a creek crossing or any closures along this trail before it meets at M3. Where the road continues after M3 states that it's closed. This trail is a gravel trail with some rutted out s...
Learn more about Road 311

This trail starts off looking like it was freshly graded and then turns into a rutted-out trail. Nothing too difficult, just some sections where water was flowing down and created a rut in the road. This trail does have a few spots where you can pull off to camp as well, with some beautiful views.
Learn more about Alder Springs W.C. - FS 21N30