Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Buck Meadows, California

This trail begins in Bucks Meadow just off Highway 120 and ends at Bull Creek Road, covering a primarily downhill route that drops almost 800 feet while gaining only 185 feet over just under 6…
Learn more about Bucks Meadow Road

This trail climbs over 200 feet and drops over 200 feet across just over 2.4 miles, starting conveniently just off Highway 120 within the Stanislaus National Forest. The first section features a previously paved surface…
Learn more about FS 1S22

This trail climbs over 1,200 feet and drops 100 feet across just over 4 miles, creating a sustained and challenging ascent from Smith Peak Lookout Road 1S16 to Jordan Creek Road. The sandy surface varies…
Learn more about FS 1S15

This trail climbs over 600 feet and drops over 450 feet across just over 5 miles, but has become a 10-mile in-and-out trail due to the closure of the north side bridge, eliminating through-passage options.…
Learn more about Moore Creek Road - FS 1S29

This trail begins at Buck Meadows Road and ends at the Pilot Ridge Road and Forest Service Road 2S33 junction, climbing over 1,300 feet and dropping almost 600 feet across just under 7 miles of…
Learn more about Moore Pilot Ridge - FS 2S14

This trail starts and stops on Buck Meadows Road, creating a point-to-point route that climbs almost 800 feet and drops just under 600 feet over just under 4 miles of challenging terrain. From the south…
Learn more about FS 2S09

This 5-mile point-to-point trail runs along HWY 120. The trail runs along the ridge of the Tolumne River Valley and gives excellent views of the valley below. The trail is mostly one vehicle with shallow…
Learn more about Tolumne Road/120 Bypass

This trail climbs almost 500 feet in just under 3 miles, though the entrance on the Smith Station side is now closed due to private land restrictions. Access is available behind the Groveland Ranger Station…
Learn more about Smith Peak Lookout - FS 1S16

This trail climbs over 400 feet and drops almost 400 feet across almost 3 miles of forested terrain, starting near the junction of Forest Service Roads 2S28 and 1S15 and ending at FS1S29. The sandy…
Learn more about Smith Ridge - FS 1S28

This trail drops over 800 feet in just over 4.5 miles, starting on Smith Station Road (FS J132). The route begins in a neighborhood area requiring respectful behavior, initially following a crushed granite gravel road…
Learn more about Jordan Creek Road - FS 2S17

This trail starts on Packard Canyon Road just up from Highway 120 and immediately transitions onto a shelf road configuration that overlooks the valley below, providing scenic views of mountains across the way from the…
Learn more about FS 1S66

This trail climbs almost 1,100 feet and drops 150 feet in just under 3 miles, starting and ending on Forest Service Road 1S66 as a 5-mile out-and-back trail. The distinctive red sand and clay surface…
Learn more about FS 1S80

This trail climbs over 600 feet and drops almost 1,200 feet across just over 5 miles of diverse terrain that spans BLM land and Stanislaus National Forest, though it begins on private land requiring respectful…
Learn more about Wagner Ridge Road - FS 2S08

This 15.1-mile point-to-point trail takes you up Packard Canyon to the Old Yosemite Coulterville Road. The trail starts with low brush and sparse trees that climb to more dense forest. There are a few areas…
Learn more about Packard Canyon Road

This is a lightly traveled trail with a dirt floor. Uneven, rutted dirt trail with erosion. Potential water crossings up to a foot deep, in the winter, and in some spots the rut is 3ft…
Learn more about The Rut

This trail starts just off the south side of Bucks Meadow Road, right after the road turns to dirt, climbing over 1,300 feet and dropping just over 300 feet across just under 6 miles of…
Learn more about Pilot Ridge - FS 1S14

This trail is a 3.5-mile out-and-back trail that drops almost 700 feet and climbs over 100 feet in just under 2 miles. The trail sometimes runs along shelf roads lined with trees and brush, providing…
Learn more about FS 2S37

This trail climbs 750 feet and drops just under 300 feet over just over 3 miles, weaving its way along shelf roads through canyons and up and down through rolling hills. The route maintains a…
Learn more about FS 2S33

This trail drops almost 400 feet in under 2 miles, beginning from the north entrance with immediate challenges, including ruts from water runoff as the route climbs a small hill. A small downed tree blocks…
Learn more about FS 2S41

This trail drops almost 900 feet and climbs almost 900 feet over almost 6 miles, starting near the junction of Pilot Ridge and Moore Pilot Ridge and ending at Old Yosemite Coulterville Road. Beginning at…
Learn more about FS 2S62

This trail starts just off Briceburg Road (FS 2S05) and ends at Old Yosemite Coulterville Road. The road then becomes paved. The route climbs almost 300 feet and drops almost 500 feet over 3.5 miles…
Learn more about Bull Creek Road North

This trail starts on Cherry Lake Road as a 4-mile in-and-out trail that climbs almost 200 feet and drops almost 200 feet in just over 2 miles within the Stanislaus National Forest. A primitive campground…
Learn more about FS 1S30

The original road leading into Yosemite Valley, this trail first opened in 1874. Enjoy panoramic views as you climb a well-maintained Forest Service road to Pilot Peak and follow a ridgeline towards Trumbull Peak. The…
Learn more about Old Yosemite Coulterville Road

This trail starts just off Highway 120, located 2.7 miles east of the Groveland District Ranger Office, and begins as a 1.5-vehicle-wide gravel trail with some sand sections. Lined with Ponderosa pine trees and bushes,…
Learn more about Boneyard Road - FS 1S07

This 11-mile out-and-back trail climbs almost 1,300 feet and drops over 800 feet, starting and ending at Old Yosemite Coulterville Road. The sand and dirt surface varies from 1 to 2 vehicles wide throughout its…
Learn more about FS 2S27

This trail climbs over 700 feet and drops almost 700 feet in just under 5 miles, starting just north of the Bull Creek OHV parking lot within the Stanislaus National Forest. The single vehicle-wide trail…
Learn more about FS 2S11

This trail starts just off Cherry Lake Road, climbing over 500 feet and dropping just over 100 feet in just under 5 miles of scenic terrain. The very sandy and dusty surface is lined with…
Learn more about FS 1S26

This trail is a nice little side venture just outside of Groveland that goes into the old burn area and has a few really great camping spots. There are some great spots to camp near…
Learn more about Middle Tuolumne River

This trail climbs almost 800 feet and drops almost 700 feet over just over 3.4 miles, starting as an out-and-back trail from Old Yosemite Coulterville Road. One spur trail, FS 2S27, cuts through the main…
Learn more about FS 2S66

Discover an exciting off-road trail tailored to 4x4 vehicles, combining moderate terrain with thrilling elements. While mostly easy to navigate, you'll encounter occasional gentle inclines and 12-inch deep ruts, adding a dash of excitement without…
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