Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Central Valley (historical), California

This is a wide-open easy trail from the Chappie staging area, past Mammoth Mountain, to a lunch spot. It's easy for all riding abilities, with a ton of overlooks along the way. During the spring, you will find a lot of waterfalls along the road. This route also goes through several burn scars, which...
Learn more about Mammoth Mountain Trail 1

While the trail is an easy dirt road the real story is the river. The Lower McCloud River flows approximately 12 miles from Lake McCloud into Lake Shasta. It can have an emerald green color, which can be due to suspended sand, volcanic ash, and other particulate matter. There are two campgrounds on ...
Learn more about McCloud River 38N53

This is a fun drive up through the mountains that will require 4x4 high clearance. However, it does not require lockers. Bring a lunch and enjoy the backcountry, with some great views of valleys and mountains.
Learn more about Jack's Backbone

The Dill Scenic Trail is an out and back at Shasta National Forest in California. There are great views of Mount Shasta as well as the surrounding mountains. This trail is not difficult by any means, but some higher ground clearance and good tires will go a long way. The trail starts out extremely d...
Learn more about Dill Scenic Trail

This trail is long but easy with plenty of camping options along the way, with many that will fit multiple vehicles. No obstacles along the trail. There are great views of Lassen Peak from multiple spots on the trail. Some camp spots have views of Lassen Peak from them as well.
Learn more about North Philbrook - 27N06

This trail is a mix of gravel and dirt. This is a short 1-mile trail that does have some narrow spots and shelf sections. There was also a nice-sized camp spot on the trail that had a nice view of the mountains and valleys in the distance.
Learn more about Calf Spur South - FS 27N12Y

This is a long, mostly gravel trail. The first half of the trail is pretty flat and smooth; the second half has more wash/rut damage. There are multiple spots to pull off to camp along the trail, some spots being pretty big for multiple vehicles. The trail ends at a large area to camp as well.
Learn more about Elam Carter - FS 28N12

This trail begins at Highway 44, travels through Lassen National Forest into Lassen Volcanic National Park, and concludes at Butte Lake. The trail is not technical, but can be eroded and present long stretches of washboards. Butte Lake, Campground, Ranger Station, and Cinder Cone hike can all be fou...
Learn more about Butte Lake

This is a long trail that is a mix of dirt and gravel. There are some sections of the trail that have great views of Lassen Peak. There are a few washes along the trail and some shelf roads. There is also a small creek crossing. There are plenty of spots to pull off and camp as well. Some that can h...
Learn more about Rattlesnake - FS 27N12

This is a beautiful trail with dense green trees around it. The trail is dirt with a layer of dried pine needles. There aren't any ruts or washes along this trail at the time of mapping, but there are dead branches in and along the side of the trail. There is a nice, wide-open camp spot along the tr...
Learn more about Colby Loop - FS 27N06B

This dirt trail leads up to the Colby Mountain Lookout. The trail itself is easy. Colby Mountain Lookout is at the end of the trail, and the lookout has been manned by Ken Jordan from 1985 to 2024, and will be opening back up in the 2026 season before retiring. There are obviously some great views a...
Learn more about Colby Mountain Lookout - FS 27N36

This is a dirt trail and isn't too long. There are no washes or ruts or any obstacles along this trail; it's pretty straightforward. Has a couple of cool views along the trail. There is a large camping area at the end of the trail that looks like a nice spot. Can fit multiple vehicles in it.
Learn more about Deer Creek S - FS 28N12G

This trail does go farther than it's mapped, but there was a very large tree that fell on the trail that looks like it's been there for a little bit, with the amount of dirt/ground that has grown around the sides of it. This is the eastern section of the trail. The trail did have some small washes a...
Learn more about Deer Creek South - FS 28N49

This trail is a mix of dirt and gravel. The trail has small ruts but nothing big. Some of the bushes come into the trail, making it a little narrower in some sections, but it is mostly open. The trail ends with a very large flat area to camp, which can hold multiple vehicles.
Learn more about Humboldt North West - FS 27N80

Willow Lake Road takes you to Willow Lake Campground where there are opportunities for fishing, hiking, hot springs, geysers and wildlife viewing. The road in is doable in any high clearance vehicle. When approaching the campground there are ruts and high rocks. The campground has a vault toilet.
Learn more about Willow Lake Road 29N14

This is a dirt trail that has some small wash sections along it, but it's nothing too crazy. This trail is not too long, and it ends in a great spot to camp. The area to camp at the end is really big; you can easily get multiple vehicles in it to camp. There's Butt Creek near the camp spot as well.
Learn more about Robbers Roost - FS 27N14

This is a dirt trail with some small rocks along the trail. Some bushes along the side of the trail make some sections narrower than others. Some small ruts and a tree are overhanging into the trail, but that can easily be driven around. There is a nice, large area to camp at the end of the trail as...
Learn more about West Ruffa - FS 27N93

This trail is a mix of dirt and gravel. This trail is closed during the winter, 11/1-5/1, or as conditions allow, and has a sign and gate closing it off during the season. There are some fairly large ruts along the trail, which make some of those sections of the trail fairly narrow.
Learn more about Colby Creek - FS 26N59

This is a short spur trail that has a large camp spot at the end of it that can fit multiple vehicles. This is an easy trail, no washes or ruts. There is a rust-resistant sugar pine with signs to protect it for reforestation efforts. This is a beautiful trail and a camp in dense forest.
Learn more about Willow Creek - FS 26N07

This is a short trail with small washes and ruts along the way, but nothing extreme or technical. The trail is surrounded by dense green forest, so it's really pretty. There are some small areas along the trail to camp and a small area at the end that you could camp as well, but it may be difficult ...
Learn more about Eagle Rock - FS 27N59

This is a wide-open easy trail from the Chappie staging area, past Mammoth Mountain, to a lunch spot. It's easy for all riding abilities, with a ton of overlooks along the way. During the spring, you will find a lot of waterfalls along the road. This route also goes through several burn scars, which...
Learn more about Mammoth Mountain Trail 1

This is a fun drive up through the mountains that will require 4x4 high clearance. However, it does not require lockers. Bring a lunch and enjoy the backcountry, with some great views of valleys and mountains.
Learn more about Jack's Backbone

The Dill Scenic Trail is an out and back at Shasta National Forest in California. There are great views of Mount Shasta as well as the surrounding mountains. This trail is not difficult by any means, but some higher ground clearance and good tires will go a long way. The trail starts out extremely d...
Learn more about Dill Scenic Trail

This trail is long but easy with plenty of camping options along the way, with many that will fit multiple vehicles. No obstacles along the trail. There are great views of Lassen Peak from multiple spots on the trail. Some camp spots have views of Lassen Peak from them as well.
Learn more about North Philbrook - 27N06

This is a wide-open easy trail from the Chappie staging area, past Mammoth Mountain, to a lunch spot. It's easy for all riding abilities, with a ton of overlooks along the way. During the spring, you will find a lot of waterfalls along the road. This route also goes through several burn scars, which...
Learn more about Mammoth Mountain Trail 1

This is a fun drive up through the mountains that will require 4x4 high clearance. However, it does not require lockers. Bring a lunch and enjoy the backcountry, with some great views of valleys and mountains.
Learn more about Jack's Backbone

The Dill Scenic Trail is an out and back at Shasta National Forest in California. There are great views of Mount Shasta as well as the surrounding mountains. This trail is not difficult by any means, but some higher ground clearance and good tires will go a long way. The trail starts out extremely d...
Learn more about Dill Scenic Trail

This trail is long but easy with plenty of camping options along the way, with many that will fit multiple vehicles. No obstacles along the trail. There are great views of Lassen Peak from multiple spots on the trail. Some camp spots have views of Lassen Peak from them as well.
Learn more about North Philbrook - 27N06