Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Highlands, North Carolina

Little Yellow Mountain is a well-maintained gravel road that branches off of Blue Valley Road and connects to Clear Creek Road. It is wide enough for two vehicles most of the way. There are several campsites and minimal cell service. About halfway through, you will be treated to Brook Creek Falls vi...
Learn more about Little Yellow Mountain - FS 367

Blue Valley Road winds through the scenic Blue Valley Experimental Forest near Highlands, North Carolina. Starting with a brief stretch of pavement, the road quickly transitions to gravel, passing scattered homes before opening into a serene stretch of dispersed campsites. From here, the road offers...
Learn more about Blue Valley Road

FS 4567 Big Creek Road is a well-maintained gravel road that has the very nice Secret Falls Hiking trail directly off of it. This road was 2 miles long and took us about 12 minutes to travel. There was room for 2 vehicles to pass one another comfortably. The Secret Falls hike is closer to the south...
Learn more about Big Creek Road - FS 4567

Brown Gap - FS 77 is a 0.9-mile out-and-back route that follows a generously sized single-lane gravel road through heavily forested terrain. The road is well maintained and rated easy, providing a smooth driving surface with straightforward travel throughout its short length. Although brief, the rou...
Learn more about Brown Gap - FS 77

Holcomb Creek runs through the Chattahoochee National Forest and connects Billingsley Creek (FS 86B) to Hale Ridge on the Georgia Traverse. This trail is mostly natural with some gravel. It is a single-vehicle wide trail with several places to pass or turn around. After heavy rains, there are a few ...
Learn more about Holcomb Creek - FS 696

Billingsley Creek - FS 86B branches off of the Georgia Traverse in the Chattahoochee National Forest. It is a gravel road with some 12-18" ruts. At the beginning, there are several large campsites right on Billingsley Creek. Please tread lightly, as the signage makes it clear others haven't done so ...
Learn more about Billingsley Creek - FS 86B

Evans Creek (FS 4621) is a 1.6-mile out-and-back route that follows a generously sized single-lane road with places to pass over a well-maintained packed dirt and gravel surface. The route travels through heavily forested terrain and is rated easy, offering a smooth driving surface with no significa...
Learn more about Evans Creek - FS 4621

Three Forks (FS 75) is a 1-mile out-and-back route that follows a lightly maintained packed dirt and gravel surface through heavily forested terrain. The road is a single lane with places to pass and carries an easy difficulty rating, making it a straightforward drive for most vehicles. A quiet fore...
Learn more about Three Forks - FS 75

This is simply a scenic alternative to the main loop of the South Carolina Adventure Route. It loops around the confluence of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia, extending your ride of the SCAR with some additional trail. About the SCAR: The South Carolina Adventure Route loops through appr...
Learn more about Tri State - SCAR Alternate

Tottery Pole is a side trail of the Georgia Traverse. It runs from FS86 (The Georgia Traverse) in the north and connects to Hale Ridge in the south. The trail is gravel and dirt (with some rocky surfaces) and meanders through Georgia's Chattahoochee National Forest. For part of the trail's path, it ...
Learn more about Tottery Pole

If you want to connect the Trans America Trail with the South Carolina Adventure Route, this is your path. It's located North of Walhalla, and connects the SCAR to both the TAT and the Smokey Mountain 500 (SM500). The track is primarily gravel and pavement, but contains some steep grades and ruts wh...
Learn more about Trans America Trail / SCAR Connector

This is an out-and-back side trail from the famous FS 156-Sarahs Creek, that follows a relatively easy, mostly single-lane gravel and dirt road through scenic sections of the Warwomen Wildlife Management Area. Along the route, you may encounter a few small washouts and a few moderate mud/water puddl...
Learn more about FS 156A

Hale Ridge is a gravel and rock road in Georgia's Chattahoochee National Forest. The trail runs from FS86 (The Georgia Traverse) in the north, to Warwoman Road in the south. Hale Ridge is a basic trail and can be completed by most vehicles, but could be difficult for 2WD vehicles during inclement we...
Learn more about Hale Ridge

Big Bend is a short but beautiful trail that takes you through the dense Sumter National Forest. It provides multiple access points to the Big Bend trail system, which crosses over Crane Creek and leads to the wild and scenic Chattooga River, offering world-class trout fishing and endless hiking. Th...
Learn more about Big Bend - FS 709

This is an out-and-back side trail from the famous Earls Ford Road, that follows a moderate, mostly single-lane gravel and dirt road through scenic sections of the Chattooga River Ranger District. At the fork towards the beginning of the trail, be sure to stay to the right so you don't trespass onto...
Learn more about FR 159 - Derby Shire Lane

This 7+ mile Forrest Service Road connects to the top-rated Sarahs Creek and offers many opportunities for camping and some fishing along the way. Most of the road is well maintained and wide enough for two vehicles to pass, except for the last half mile on the western side, which is much more narro...
Learn more about Walnut Fork

This road is seasonally open during the fall and offers unmatched views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The first part of this route is very easy to drive and crosses countless bridges over small mountain streams, eventually concluding at a large open campsite along the river. Along the route there is ...
Learn more about Musterground Road - Part 1

This trail is an easy gravel ride that connects you to 155A. This trail can be completed in 2WD when dry, but it can get slick on the uphills after rain. There are 2 campsites along the trail. One of the campsites has a stream where can collect water or swim. There is more to this trail, but there i...
Learn more about Tuckaluge Creek Road/153

Sandy Ford is a short trail that holds an amazing surprise at the end. The road is regularly maintained; the biggest obstacle is a creek crossing that gets up to 18 inches deep but is passable by any truck or SUV. There are dispersed campsites along the route and if you're lucky to find it empty, th...
Learn more about Sandy Ford

Norton Field - FS 715A is a well-maintained gravel road that winds through the Sumter National Forest. It starts in a clear-cut and then leads into a dense canopy. Along the trail, there is a large parking area and an open field where you can explore Tamassee Creek. At the end of the trail, there is...
Learn more about Norton Field - FS 715A

Little Yellow Mountain is a well-maintained gravel road that branches off of Blue Valley Road and connects to Clear Creek Road. It is wide enough for two vehicles most of the way. There are several campsites and minimal cell service. About halfway through, you will be treated to Brook Creek Falls vi...
Learn more about Little Yellow Mountain - FS 367

Blue Valley Road winds through the scenic Blue Valley Experimental Forest near Highlands, North Carolina. Starting with a brief stretch of pavement, the road quickly transitions to gravel, passing scattered homes before opening into a serene stretch of dispersed campsites. From here, the road offers...
Learn more about Blue Valley Road

Billingsley Creek - FS 86B branches off of the Georgia Traverse in the Chattahoochee National Forest. It is a gravel road with some 12-18" ruts. At the beginning, there are several large campsites right on Billingsley Creek. Please tread lightly, as the signage makes it clear others haven't done so ...
Learn more about Billingsley Creek - FS 86B

This road is seasonally open during the fall and offers unmatched views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The first part of this route is very easy to drive and crosses countless bridges over small mountain streams, eventually concluding at a large open campsite along the river. Along the route there is ...
Learn more about Musterground Road - Part 1

Little Yellow Mountain is a well-maintained gravel road that branches off of Blue Valley Road and connects to Clear Creek Road. It is wide enough for two vehicles most of the way. There are several campsites and minimal cell service. About halfway through, you will be treated to Brook Creek Falls vi...
Learn more about Little Yellow Mountain - FS 367

Blue Valley Road winds through the scenic Blue Valley Experimental Forest near Highlands, North Carolina. Starting with a brief stretch of pavement, the road quickly transitions to gravel, passing scattered homes before opening into a serene stretch of dispersed campsites. From here, the road offers...
Learn more about Blue Valley Road

Billingsley Creek - FS 86B branches off of the Georgia Traverse in the Chattahoochee National Forest. It is a gravel road with some 12-18" ruts. At the beginning, there are several large campsites right on Billingsley Creek. Please tread lightly, as the signage makes it clear others haven't done so ...
Learn more about Billingsley Creek - FS 86B

Big Bend is a short but beautiful trail that takes you through the dense Sumter National Forest. It provides multiple access points to the Big Bend trail system, which crosses over Crane Creek and leads to the wild and scenic Chattooga River, offering world-class trout fishing and endless hiking. Th...
Learn more about Big Bend - FS 709