Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Buck Meadows, California

This narrow trail begins directly off the main paved road and travels over fine, loose red dirt that can become considerably more difficult when wet. There is little room for vehicles to pass, with overgrown vegetation along the route, although pinstriping is generally avoidable. Around 0.4 miles, a...
Learn more about FS 1S48Y

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 miles when traveling north to south. As a county-maintained road, only street-legal vehicles are permitted,...
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 that is quickly deteriorating to dirt, providing a transition from highway condi...
Learn more about FS 1S22

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 at the Pines Campground, transforming this into an out-and-back trail configuration unless yo...
Learn more about Smith Peak Lookout - FS 1S16

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. Starting just off Bucks Meadow Road, 3 miles south of Bucks Meadow, the route immediately cros...
Learn more about Moore Creek Road - FS 1S29

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 from one and a half vehicles wide to single vehicle width, surrounded by dense forests that some...
Learn more about FS 1S15

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 varied terrain. The hard-packed dirt and sand surface maintains one and a half to two vehicles in width, f...
Learn more about Moore Pilot Ridge - FS 2S14

This narrow trail travels over fine, loose red dirt that can become considerably more difficult when wet. There is little room for vehicles to pass, although the vegetation generally allows pinstriping to be avoided with careful driving. The route is camper and van-friendly with no significant obsta...
Learn more about FS 1S72Y

This narrow, fine-dirt trail is a one-way-in, one-way-out route that leads to a spring. There is little room for vehicles to pass, with ruts remaining around 4–6 inches deep throughout. The fine-dirt surface can become considerably more difficult when wet. Camping is plentiful, with more than six le...
Learn more about FS 1S08Y

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 surface creates very dusty conditions throughout the journey, with numerous trees surrounding the trai...
Learn more about Smith Ridge - FS 1S28

This wide, fine red-dirt trail begins with a steep hill climb and ruts reaching 4–5 inches deep. The loose surface can become considerably more difficult when wet, and 4WD or AWD is recommended for additional traction while climbing. There is enough room for vehicles to pass, and there are no signif...
Learn more about FS 1S25Y

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 mud holes less than 12" in depth. There is a short section of HWY 120 which must be traveled. Th...
Learn more about Tolumne Road/120 Bypass

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 immediately begins climbing while providing views of hills, valleys, forest, and mountains in the di...
Learn more about FS 1S80

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 surface. After the first mile, private land ends and the trail continues through t...
Learn more about Jordan Creek Road - FS 2S17

This extremely narrow, fine-dirt trail descends the hillside with ruts reaching 12–16 inches deep. Heavy overgrown vegetation makes pinstriping unavoidable, while tree branches create low overhead clearance of approximately 7–8 feet in some sections. Narrow standing trees, along with fallen and cut ...
Learn more about FS 1S73Y

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 entrance, the trail features hard-packed sand and dirt that has been recently graded, though the ...
Learn more about FS 2S09

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 very beginning. The hard-packed sand surface with some gravel maintains a width o...
Learn more about FS 1S66

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 natural corridors and periodic exposure as it descends toward the valley floor. Pleasant views of fa...
Learn more about FS 2S37

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 varied terrain. The route begins as a one and a half to two vehicles wide hard-packed dirt surface that is relativ...
Learn more about Pilot Ridge - FS 1S14

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 width of 1.5 vehicles on sandy surfaces that create very dusty conditions throughout the journey. Overgrown ...
Learn more about FS 2S33

This narrow trail begins directly off the main paved road and travels over fine, loose red dirt that can become considerably more difficult when wet. There is little room for vehicles to pass, with overgrown vegetation along the route, although pinstriping is generally avoidable. Around 0.4 miles, a...
Learn more about FS 1S48Y

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 that is quickly deteriorating to dirt, providing a transition from highway condi...
Learn more about FS 1S22

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. Starting just off Bucks Meadow Road, 3 miles south of Bucks Meadow, the route immediately cros...
Learn more about Moore Creek Road - FS 1S29

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 from one and a half vehicles wide to single vehicle width, surrounded by dense forests that some...
Learn more about FS 1S15

This narrow trail begins directly off the main paved road and travels over fine, loose red dirt that can become considerably more difficult when wet. There is little room for vehicles to pass, with overgrown vegetation along the route, although pinstriping is generally avoidable. Around 0.4 miles, a...
Learn more about FS 1S48Y

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 that is quickly deteriorating to dirt, providing a transition from highway condi...
Learn more about FS 1S22

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. Starting just off Bucks Meadow Road, 3 miles south of Bucks Meadow, the route immediately cros...
Learn more about Moore Creek Road - FS 1S29

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 from one and a half vehicles wide to single vehicle width, surrounded by dense forests that some...
Learn more about FS 1S15