Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Desert Hot Springs, California

This trail takes you to Eureka Peak, which is a mountain top viewpoint allowing you to have a 360-degree view of the area from a high elevation. There are hiking trails throughout this area and…
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This is an easy trail that most stock vehicles could tackle. There are some really beautiful views, and the high point is the lookout, which gives a breathtaking view of the sunset. There are 5…
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This well-maintained fire road takes you up to boulder basin group campsite. On the way there, you'll see some turn-outs for rock climbing and overlanding. During the winter months, trails may be impassable due to…
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Roadrunner Rut is an easy dirt road that climbs into the jumbo boulder gardens and skirts along Black Lava Butte. It changes its name to BLM S1421 as it crosses into BLM lands and descends…
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San Jacinto Ridge is a two-way trail running East to West between the Banning-Idyllwild Panoramic Highway (SR 243) and Bee Canyon Road (FS 5S07) in the San Bernardino National Forest. Comprised of mostly hard-pack dirt,…
Learn more about San Jacinto Ridge Trail (FS 5S09)

This is a level 2-rated full-width road back to Highway 243. This is the fastest and safest way back up to Highway 243. The route through Bee Canyon is currently closed. 2 areas had a…
Learn more about East Indian Canyon 4S10

Sleepy Hollow spur, an out-and-back trail in the San Bernardino National Forest, offers an outstanding spot to find quiet dispersed camping after a day of rough off-roading on Heartbreak Ridge and surrounding trails. A terrific…
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2N93 Wildhorse Meadow is in the San Bernardino National Forest, southeast of Big Bear Lake. This trail has designated camping, with two yellow post sites on 2N93F. It's obvious where Wildhorse Meadow gets its name…
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5S06 Idyllwild Control is a 6-mile point-to-point trail rated 3 of 10 located within the San Bernardino National Forest, San Jacinto Ranger District. 5S06 climbs from Highway 74 nearly 3,000 feet, ending at the intersection…
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This short dead-end spur accesses an overlook that provides territorial views into the valley below and the Bighorn Mountains Wilderness on both sides of the New Dixie Mine Road. It starts out as an easy…
Learn more about Spur - BLM C2317

This is mostly a graded forest road with sections of varying degrees of obstacles such as ruts, shale, and washes. You will come across pine trees to cacti. There is potential snow in the winter…
Learn more about NF 2NO1 Broom Flats

New Dixie Mine Road runs West from Hwy 247 at Flamingo Heights into an unnamed valley that splits two separate sections of the Bighorn Mountain Wilderness. This 8.5-mile road is generally an easy drive with…
Learn more about New Dixie Mine Road - BLM C2330

This short, sandy 1-mile spur road is broken into two separate numbered segments - BLM C2319 AND BLM C2352. It accesses a small parking area at the Bighorn Mountain Wilderness boundary and a single remote…
Learn more about Spur Roads - BLM C2319 - C2352

This short half-mile spur legally enters the Bighorn Mountain Wilderness to reach a spring. The road surface is dirt and sand. The land on both sides of the road is wilderness. Stay on the established…
Learn more about Spur - BLM C2315

Rouse Ridge via Cottonwood is a trail that scales Rouse Ridge/Thomas Mountain using Cottonwood (6S18) and Thomas Mountain Rd (6S13). This trail offers stunning views in all directions as you ascend and descend the mountain.…
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Beautiful trail overlooking the neighboring town of Banning and the surrounding mountains. The deserted mountainscape is chock-full of secluded camp spots with some wind cover and appears to be used for shooting occasionally. The trail…
Learn more about Idyllwild Mountain Road

Bighorn Connector is a well-used trail that connects the ends of adjacent BLM roads that terminate near the Bighorn Wilderness boundary to create a series of interconnected loops. It is an easy combination of sandy…
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This is a less often traveled trail close to Burns Canyon and 18. Although there are not any vistas, there are a few points to stop and enjoy the solitude. The section closest to Burns…
Learn more about Smarts Ranch 3N03

BLM #C3524 is a mellow, sandy road that climbs from Highway 18 up into the boulders at the NE corner of the Bighorn Wilderness boundary. It is only rated a two because of a couple…
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BLM #C3429 is a sandy road that climbs from Cholla Road in the community of Johnson Valley, CA into the boulders along to the boundary of the Bighorn Mountains Wilderness. It is part of a…
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Front Line Road is in the San Bernardino National Forest just south of Big Bear Lake. It provides a casual meandering trail run alongside a shallow canyon formed by the 8,000-foot San Bernardino Mountain Range…
Learn more about Radford Frontline Road - FS 104

Uneven, rutted dirt trail with loose rocks and sand. Muddy conditions should be expected during the rainy season. The trail is primarily one vehicle wide with some portions wide enough for passing oncoming traffic. Steep…
Learn more about 6S13 - Thomas Mountain Road

This trail connects the Rouse Ridge via Cottonwood trail to the Thomas Mountain Campground via the western end of Thomas Mountain Road. During dry months, the trail is an easily passable dirt road, requiring only…
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Rouse Hill is a ridgeline trail with tremendous west and east views. This trail is predominately hard-packed dirt with a loose top layer. It can be a bit sandy in some sections but that will…
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Rouse Hill Road is for street-legal vehicles only; no green stickers or OHV vehicles. Full-size vehicles are at home here, as the trail is a single track with plenty of room. The beginning of this…
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This trail offers a fantastic introduction to desert driving, primarily wide enough for two cars and framed by Joshua Trees. While there are a few soft sand patches to be aware of, the ride is…
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Sand Canyon (FS 2N27) is primarily a hard-packed sand and rocky gravel road. It is an easy ride in the summer months; however, there is no winter maintenance. During times of rain, snow, and ice,…
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Santa Rosa Truck Trail is an out-and-back well-maintained fire road that climbs to over 8000ft. The lower parts are smooth and wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other. As it rises in elevation…
Learn more about Santa Rosa Truck Trail 7S02

This 50-inch trail network offers some great, varied terrain in the Cactus Flats area. The trails are well-marked, easy to follow, and are fun on bikes and ATVs of all sizes. This network consists of…
Learn more about Pinyon & Vista Trail Loop - FS 2E20

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