Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Desert Center, California

Corn Springs Trail is a sand and gravel mix. This trail is a fun short trail that has a campground you can stay at, several side roads to explore, several areas to rock hound, many…
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Red Cloud Mine trail is a 12.6-mile (25.2-mile) out-and-back rated 3 of 10 located near Desert Center. This generally level dirt trail has multiple sand washes that must be crossed to get to the trail…
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Dupont Rd is a 17.7-mile trail rated 3 out of 10. Depending on the direction run, two thousand one hundred seventy-seven feet of elevation are gained or lost on this trail. The majority of the…
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Bradshaw's Trail is roughly a 70-mile-long trail stretching from Blythe, CA, to the eastern side of the Salton Sea. The trail runs east to west although it can be traveled from either end, and goes…
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Right off the 10 Freeway just South of Joshua Tree National Park is the Red Canyon Jeep Trail. A 13-mile trail that winds its way through the mountains into the Bradshaw Trail. The trail is…
Learn more about SR2013 Red Canyon Jeep Trail

This is an alternate route from the Salton Sea to Bradshaw's Trail. From the 111, take Parkside Drive and make a left on Desert Aire Drive. The road will take you right next to the…
Learn more about Salton Sea to Bradshaw's Trail

This short, sweet cutover is much easier and less technical than the Western Hauser Geode beds route. The hill transitions are less severe and steep. The northern half is private property and signage states that…
Learn more about Wiley Well District Geode Beds

This is the Mecca Orocopia Trail, a connection to the Little Box Canyon Meccacopia Loop. This is an easy dirt road trail where you can admire the beautiful views of the Orocopia mountains. There is…
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Hidden in the Mecca Hills just South of Joshua Tree National Park is a fun little trail that winds you through tight canyon washes surrounded by high vertical cliffs of up to 40 feet. The…
Learn more about Little Box Canyon Meccacopia Loop

During the blooming season, this road offers beautiful views of multiple different flowers. This road runs through Bureau Land Management, a mixed surface of gravel, rock, and sand, with some sections more rutted, rocky, and…
Learn more about Flower Hill

Milpitas Wash is a mix surface of gravel, road and sand, with some sections more rutted, rocky and washed out. This road runs through Bureau Land Management, with plently of spots to pull over and…
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Take 62 from Joshua Tree to Cardiz Road (fill up in 29 Palms--there's no service station beyond that). Turning north off the highway onto the dirt at Cardiz Road, you're immediately greeted by the skeleton…
Learn more about 62 to 40 Cut Off

A great trail option to get out to the geode bed collection area. It begins as a wide washboard dirt trail with easy wash crossings. It is relatively flat and straight for a while. Once…
Learn more about Midway Well Road

Painted Canyon is a gorgeous landmark outside of Mecca, California. At the entrance to the road leading to the canyon, there is a warning sign that says "Passable for 4-Wheel Drive Vehicles Only". At the…
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Wind your way up this canyon that is primarily sand and small rocks. There are a few extra credit options that do have bypasses, except for one or two obstacles at the end. Anything other…
Learn more about Berdoo Canyon

This is a fantastic family adventure. The entire trail is located inside Joshua Tree National Park. It is a long loop trail that is very scenic with beautiful vistas, interesting rock formations, ancient volcanic lava…
Learn more about Geology Tour Road

Parachute Landing is an unmaintained paved road and beach trail leading to a decommissioned Naval Auxiliary Air Station. A non-technical but eroding road with sand drifts turns into a dirt path, eventually terminating at the…
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The trail is a combo of wide-graded sections and soft sandy washes. Some sand sections are deeper and longer than others, so airing down is always a good idea. The lower section of the trail…
Learn more about Lower Blythe Olgilby

Used by early settlers to travel between Vidal, California, and the now-ghost town of Midland, the Midland-Vidal Road was perhaps also used by Wyatt Earp, who lived in Vidal for a time. Along the drive,…
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Mine road runs through Bureau Land Management. It is a mixed surface road consisting of rock, gravel, and sand. Some sections are overgrown, so pinstripes are to be expected. Some spots have been washed out…
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This more fun route to the ghost-like town of Imperial Gables takes the traveler through a soft sand wash for most of the run. It will eventually pop out of the wash onto loose off-camber…
Learn more about The Back-way to Imperial Gables

Generally, it is a scenic drive along the Colorado River from Ehrenberg, AZ, to Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. Technically, it is not a challenging trail, and much is graded dirt, but beware of precipitation as…
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This easy wide, graded route leads through the desert to the ghostly-looking old town of Imperial Gables. The town is small, and interesting old roofless, abandoned structures with stone walls exist. Some buildings are more…
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Welcome to the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Recreational Area, the largest SVRA in California with more than 85,000 acres. OWSVRA is over 130 square miles with hundreds of miles of desert track open to all…
Learn more about Palm Wash

Welcome to the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Recreational Area, the largest SVRA in California with more than 85,000 acres. OWSVRA is over 130 square miles with hundreds of miles of desert track open to all…
Learn more about Arroyo Salado Wash

Welcome to the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Recreational Area, the largest SVRA in California with more than 85,000 acres. OWSVRA is over 130 square miles with hundreds of miles of desert track open to all…
Learn more about Campbell Wash

Welcome to the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Recreational Area, the largest SVRA in California with more than 85,000 acres. OWSVRA is over 130 square miles with hundreds of miles of desert track open to all…
Learn more about Tule Wash

Welcome to the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Recreational Area, the largest SVRA in California with more than 85,000 acres. OWSVRA is over 130 square miles with hundreds of miles of desert track open to all…
Learn more about Lakeshore Trail

Vinagre Wash Road runs mostly through a wash, the sand can be deep in areas, and the parts that aren't in the wash can be rocky and rutted. These spots are prone to flash floods,…
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Expect beautiful views of the Colorado River and Palo Verde Valley on this ~6-mile trail that starts at the end of the Blythe Intaglios trail. This is a 'Limited Use Area' with no cross-country motorized…
Learn more about Worthington Trail