Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Hamilton Branch, California

This is a great, easy-to-moderate trail during the summer that just about any capable 4WD vehicle can enjoy. The route crosses Goodrich Creek and the adjacent historic flume, offering beautiful scenery and several great spots to stop and take in the views. Be aware that this trail is highly seasona...
Learn more about Gator's Flume Run

This is mostly a gravel trail through a previously burned section of the forest. There's also a campground called Soldier Meadows Campground that was closed at the time of mapping the trail in early June. It's not clear if there's a time it will open. There's a nice creek that runs along a section o...
Learn more about Coyote (Collins 500) - FS 28N36

Mainly a nice fire road with some small washes, unless you go early in the season. This trail rides the side of a ridge with good views occasionally, and it also has some spots to disperse camp. Could be slippery when wet since there is a lot of red clay.
Learn more about North Branch

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

Tight, windy trail that drops down into a small canyon. The original second half of the trail is washed away, so it now ends sooner, but it ends in a nice flat area to disperse camp next to a stream with small waterfalls. Sign of fire damage and some standing dead trees in the area so be cautious if...
Learn more about Oak Flat

This trail takes you up the side of the canyon on multiple different shelf roads, ending in trees and a wider trail. It stops at Butt Valley Dam/Reservoir. Looks to have a road around it to go to other trails. Workers at the dam look like they share the trail, and depending on the time of year, have...
Learn more about Caribou

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 is a fun singletrack accessed from the west side of the trail system that goes through dry and grassy terrain. The trailhead is on the corner of a switchback on 25N14 road, and it starts by going over a bunch of loose rock for the first couple turns of the trail as it gradually switchbacks up t...
Learn more about Lower Indian Falls Ridge

The trail climbs a bit along the ridge. It’s well-maintained, as the end of the trail leads to a large water pipeline. There are also rockfalls along the trail, so be cautious when coming around turns. The trail is out-and-back and will be very slick when wet from red clay.
Learn more about Walters Slide

This trail takes you from deep in the canyon straight up to the top of the mountain. Some switchbacks and small washes. Goes from more forest to barren red dirt and rock. One section towards the top is narrow with overgrown bushes. Many trees down, we cleared all but one big one near the end of the ...
Learn more about Belden-Longville Burma Road

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 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 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 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 is one of only a few ATV options in the Mount Hough Trail System. It starts near the Mount Hough Trailhead on the north end at a marked entrance, and descends down several wide and gradual switchbacks. The trail is narrow and primitive, with not many tracks, and it doesn’t look very ridden by A...
Learn more about 10M29

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 an Out-and-Back spur trail that ends in a big flat open area perfect for dispersed camping. There is another small spur at the end for more dispersed camping. The trail ends at a gate since that leads to a PG&E site. Lots of big views on this trail and at the end for camp, but it is not shad...
Learn more about Belden-Longville

Mount Hough is the longest trail in the trail system, at 11 miles long, and is popular with downhill mountain bikers as it is a fun and flowy descent, dropping almost 4,000 feet in elevation gain from north to south. It’s a pretty gradual descent, with big banked corners, wide switchbacks, and mild ...
Learn more about Mount Hough

This trail goes through a section of the forest that has been previously burned. The trail consists of dirt with a little bit of gravel and baseball and softball-sized rocks. There are some ruts and washes along the trail. A few miles into the trail, there were a few fallen dead trees over the trail...
Learn more about Cirby Tie - FS 26N33

This is a 1-mile connecting piece of trail between the upper and lower segments of the Acorn Grotto Trail. This segment is easy, as it climbs up a hillside on a wide smooth path for the first half of the route, then descends back down. It’s a little bit shelfy as it hugs the hillside, but it does no...
Learn more about Acorn Connector

This is a great, easy-to-moderate trail during the summer that just about any capable 4WD vehicle can enjoy. The route crosses Goodrich Creek and the adjacent historic flume, offering beautiful scenery and several great spots to stop and take in the views. Be aware that this trail is highly seasona...
Learn more about Gator's Flume Run

This is mostly a gravel trail through a previously burned section of the forest. There's also a campground called Soldier Meadows Campground that was closed at the time of mapping the trail in early June. It's not clear if there's a time it will open. There's a nice creek that runs along a section o...
Learn more about Coyote (Collins 500) - FS 28N36

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 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 is a great, easy-to-moderate trail during the summer that just about any capable 4WD vehicle can enjoy. The route crosses Goodrich Creek and the adjacent historic flume, offering beautiful scenery and several great spots to stop and take in the views. Be aware that this trail is highly seasona...
Learn more about Gator's Flume Run

This is mostly a gravel trail through a previously burned section of the forest. There's also a campground called Soldier Meadows Campground that was closed at the time of mapping the trail in early June. It's not clear if there's a time it will open. There's a nice creek that runs along a section o...
Learn more about Coyote (Collins 500) - FS 28N36

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 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