Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Bowles, California

West Malum Ridge (FS 7S075) is a relaxed, scenic cruiser that invites you to roll down the windows and breathe in the Sierra air. This easy dirt road serves primarily as an access route to…
Learn more about West Malum Ridge - FS 7S075

Annex Sale (FS 7S062Y) is a short, sweet, and incredibly useful out-and-back trail for anyone looking to escape the crowds near Bass Lake. Branching off the paved Highland Drive, this easy dirt two-track climbs gently…
Learn more about Annex Sale - FS 7S062Y

23E298 is a 1.1-mile-long easy ATV trail through the Whisky Falls trail system in the Sierra National Forest. The south end starts off wide and easy, between scrub oaks and tall pines, with gradual corners,…
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Central Camp (FS 6S042) is the bustling, dusty artery of the Bass Lake high country. This wide two-lane dirt road serves as a critical link, climbing steadily from Malum Ridge Road on the east side…
Learn more about Central Camp - FS 6S042

This is a short ATV trail that connects from the Forest Service road FS 8S065A up to 23E291. It starts off with a semi-steep climb from the southeast end, with loose rocks and shallow ruts,…
Learn more about 23E268

This trail starts at the end of 23E268 and continues north on a similar path. It's a wide dirt two-track that winds through the pine trees, sometimes with the trees closely lining the path, but…
Learn more about 23E291

Rock Creek Road (FS 9S090) is the essential spinal cord of the Bald Mountain OHV area, a 12.7-mile journey that changes its personality more often than a moody teenager. Connecting Highway 168 at the Tamarack…
Learn more about Rock Creek Road - FS 9S090

This is one of the longer and easier ATV trails in the Whisky Falls trail system, at 1.4 miles long and rated Easy by the Forest Service. It's a mostly gradual and wide path through…
Learn more about 23E289

This is an extremely short, 0.7-mile spur trail that provides direct access to a spectacular summit and the Bald Mountain fire watchtower destination. The trail starts as a relatively clear two-track, but the difficulty ramps…
Learn more about Tower - FS 25E314

Bow Tie (FS 25E208) is a classic High Sierra connector that feels like a "greatest hits" album of the Bald Mountain region. Starting from Rock Creek Road, this trail winds south, linking up with Tower…
Learn more about Bow Tie - FS 25E208

This 1-mile-long ATV trail tightly winds through the Sierra National Forest, descending almost 600 feet in elevation from east to west through a shaded section of forest lined with ferns, cedars, and pines, and goes…
Learn more about 23E284

Don't let the name fool you--Plain (FS 26E211) is anything but boring. This delightful connector trail serves as a scenic bridge between the popular Bald Mountain (FS 26E219) route and the more technical Basecamp (FS…
Learn more about Plain - FS 26E211

This 4.6-mile forest connector is the definition of a "Sunday drive" in the woods--easy, breezy, and scenic. Francis Junction serves as a vital artery connecting two sections of Central Camp Road (FS 6S042), offering a…
Learn more about Francis Junction - FS 6S006

This is an essential, short 1.1-mile spur providing high-clearance access to a unique ridge-top viewpoint. The trail climbs rapidly through a mixed-severity 2020 Creek Wildfire burn zone, which has exposed the dramatic granite formations and…
Learn more about Azalea Creek - FS 9S014B

This is an easy, short 2.6-mile spur that leads to a scenic access at a spectacular campsite at a rock grouping above Azeala Creek with regional views out over Shaver Lake. The trail is a…
Learn more about Lower Tamarack - FS 9S014

This 0.7-mile connector trail in the Bald Mountain trail network is a short, twisty, and fun two-track trail that is essential for linking the high-elevation roads in the area ( between Lazy M and Bow…
Learn more about 45 Cutoff - FS 25E309

McCleod Flat (5S007Z) might be short on mileage, but it is high on utility, acting as the dusty red carpet to a playground of Sierra adventures. This quick, quarter-mile spur is the definition of "short…
Learn more about McLeod Flat - FS 5S007Z

This 2.8-mile road is a key connector designed for efficient travel through the high country. The trail is a wide, smooth two-track that traverses a vast expanse of the 2020 Creek Wildfire burn scar (visible…
Learn more about Lodgepole - FS 9s027

This 0.7-mile trail is a high-elevation, single-lane Forest Service road that connects the top of Lodgepole over to Bawdy around the peak of Tamarack Mountain. The entire trail traverses a highly exposed landscape within the…
Learn more about Mountain Top - FS 9S040A

This is an easy, wide 2.1-mile dirt forest service road designed for fast transit through the high country. The road runs through a massive, high-severity burn scar from the 2020 Creek Wildfire (visible in photos),…
Learn more about Lower Tamarack - FS 9s026

This 1.1-mile two-track is a forest service road that provides a quick transit connector between other roads in this ridge system. The trail runs entirely through a vast, exposed landscape that was severely burned during…
Learn more about Upper Tamarack Mountain - FS 9s028

This 1.6-mile forest service road is a high-elevation, single-lane administrative road designed for access to maintain an overhead power line passing through the area. The entire road traverses a highly exposed landscape within the 2020…
Learn more about Bawdy - FS 9s040

This is a challenging, 2.2-mile drive defined by extreme surface conditions and environmental hazards. The route begins briefly in a healthy, shaded stand of trees before immediately entering a vast, exposed burn scar from the…
Learn more about Upper South Fork Tamarack Creek - FS 9s023

Vista Dome (FS 6S088) is the kind of forest road that makes you want to roll down the windows and cruise. Unlike its rocky neighbors, this smooth, fast dirt and gravel road is a relaxing…
Learn more about Vista Dome - FS 6S088

This is an extremely short, easy 0.6-mile spur above the forest service road of the same name (6S088 -Vista Dome) that provides direct access to high-elevation viewpoints, climbing approximately 290 feet to a granite summit.…
Learn more about Vista Dome Spur - FS 22E347

This is an easy, fast, and fun 8.1-mile forest service road offering high-speed transit through a beautiful, healthy section of the high country. The road is a wide, two-lane track primarily comprised of well-graded gravel,…
Learn more about Foster Ridge - FS 9s010

This 7.9-mile road is a high-elevation artery providing fast, efficient access to the heart of the high-country trail network, including hiking trails accessing the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness. This road connects between CA 168 and FS…
Learn more about South Fork Tamarack - FS 9s069

Ponderosa Fire Line - Lower (FS 6S017) is the friendly, welcoming face of a trail with a split personality. Situated below the junction with Hugh Ryan, this section behaves like a civilized forest boulevard compared…
Learn more about Ponderosa Fire Line - Lower - FS 6S017

China Wells (FS 6S015) serves as the primary "spinal cord" of the Miami Mountain OHV system. This wide, well-graded forest service road runs north-south through the network, connecting the popular Kamook Staging Area to the…
Learn more about China Wells - FS 6S015

This is a short segment of single track, less than half a mile long, that weaves through a scenic forest of oak trees, Jeffrey pine, manzanita, and scrub oak. It is a narrow and winding…
Learn more about 21E203