Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Independence, California

This trail is a technical out-and-back side route off Moffat Ranch Road near the main attraction, Movie Road Drive in North Alabama Hills. The trail starts with an immediate climb up the side of several…
Learn more about North Alabama Hills Vista Trail

This is a 17-mile loop outside Big Pine. You can access the trail from Glacier Lodge Road or South School Street. From Glacier Lodge Road, access the trail on McMurry Meadows Road. The first 5…
Learn more about Crater Mountain Loop

Death Valley is famous for its barren valleys and soaring vistas, but few people wander into its more remote regions like Saline Valley. The road into this area is dirt and often heavily corrugated and…
Learn more about Saline Valley Road

This 2-mile "loop" starts at 5,285 feet of elevation and rises to 5,865 feet. The trail is sandy with a few rocky sections. There are also a few sections with ruts due to snowmelt and…
Learn more about South Fork Lubken Creek Canyon Loop

Hard Pack dirt with small water crossings and mud holes the trail runs close to the Owens River so there is plenty of fishing, a small freshwater pond for summer swimming, plenty of off-grid camping…
Learn more about Big Pine to Silver Canyon

This route climbs over 1,000 feet and drops just over 300 feet before peaking at 10,308 feet. The trail runs through an open meadow surrounded by hills and the Eastern Sierra Range, offering scenic high-country…
Learn more about FS 32E303 East

This route climbs 213 feet and drops 544 feet in elevation, featuring a sandy and grassy trail that climbs up into the hills. The dusty trail offers lots of interesting rock formations high up in…
Learn more about FS 32E302

This short trail takes you to the alpine lake, Funnel Lake, dropping 20 feet to 10,380 feet. The lake area is surrounded by hills of rock, creating a dramatic alpine setting. There are some limited…
Learn more about Funnel Lake - 32E304A

This sand, dirt, and gravel trail begins in a wide meadow before quickly climbing into a dense forest of tall pine trees. After weaving through the forest, the road opens again into a large meadow…
Learn more about Coyote Lake Trail - FS 31E304

This sand and dirt trail is filled with embedded rocks of all sizes, from small loose chunks to larger boulders scattered along the way. It climbs nearly 800 feet in under 3 miles and rewards…
Learn more about FS 32E306

This trail starts at the Grandview Campground and snakes its way through pinyon forest and majestic views of surrounding hills and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The first half is fairly easy with a couple of…
Learn more about Grandview Mine Road - 7S129

This 11.2-mile out-and-back trail climbs over 1,100 feet and drops almost 1,300 feet over 5.6 miles, winding through alternating meadows and pine tree forests. At mile one, there's a small creek crossing, after which the…
Learn more about FS 31E305

This two mile out and back trail drops 123 feet before climbing 564 feet to a high point of 11,112 feet, offering beautiful views of the Palisade Mountains in the Eastern Sierras and Brown Lake…
Learn more about FS 31E302

This rewarding route climbs almost 900 feet and drops just over 300 feet in just over 2 miles, offering beautiful views of the surrounding hills and mountains as you drive through meadows with small patches…
Learn more about FS 31E303

This 5.5-mile out-and-back trail climbs steadily toward one of the small peaks in the Eastern Sierra, offering a mix of rugged terrain and breathtaking vistas. The lower section starts as packed dirt with small embedded…
Learn more about FS 32E307

This route starts off as a wide very sandy road that goes by a very popular mountain bike area, so watch out for bikers throughout the journey. The trail takes you up a canyon with…
Learn more about Coyote Valley Road

This trail starts near the Bristlecone Visitor Center. The road passes through the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, known for its exceptionally old bristlecone pine trees. The majority of this trail is a nicely graded dirt…
Learn more about White Mountain Road

This 8.5-mile trail runs north to south. It can be ridden either way. It drops from 5,358 feet down to the valley at 3,418 feet. Starting from the top in the Piper Mountain Wilderness, the…
Learn more about Horse Thief Canyon

Silver Canyon Road is a seasonal, one-lane road connecting Bishop, CA to the high alpine White Mountain Road and up to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. It is best run east to west in late…
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It is a short and dusty gravel road, and as the name implies, it is a road to discovery. The valley's shape alters the wind in such a way leading to the unique Eureka Dunes.…
Learn more about Eureka Valley Road

This route drops over 200 feet in under 2 miles, winding through the hills while following power lines. The trail offers beautiful views of the Eastern Sierras on one side and the White Mountains on…
Learn more about Tungsten Hills Cutoff

Monache Meadows is a beautiful scenic valley surrounded by wilderness areas. The road follows and crosses the South fork of Kern River. There are great camp spots along the route and at the end. Explore,…
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This route drops over 734 feet in 2 miles, offering views of the Eastern Sierras, the White Mountains, the Buttermilk Rock Formations, and the Town of Bishop below as you descend. The trail features some…
Learn more about McGee Creek R2

This trail is part of the Death Valley/Big Pine Road. It is the summit crossing between the west side where Eureka Dunes is located and the east side at Crankshaft Crossing. The west side starts…
Learn more about Sulfur Mine Summit Crossing

This route starts at Highway 168, just north of Bishop, beginning as a very wide trail before narrowing after 1 mile as you enter the Tungsten Hills OHV area. The trail passes a pet cemetery…
Learn more about Tungsten City Road

This very sandy and dusty trail is one vehicle wide, lined with thick brush throughout most of the route. The trail offers stunning views of the Eastern Sierras and other surrounding hills and rock formations…
Learn more about Longley Meadow - FS 7504

This sandy cutoff trail connects Sawmill Road with Tungsten City Road, dropping almost 300 feet in almost 1.5 miles. The route offers views in all directions, including the Eastern Sierras, the White Mountains, the Buttermilk…
Learn more about Sawmill Connector

This very dusty route features sand with various-sized embedded rocks and is part of the larger R1 system. The trail is 1 1/2 vehicles wide with various shelf road sections along the creek, requiring extra…
Learn more about Tungsten Hills North

Chalk Bluff Road is a graded, well-used road with bouldering on the north side and fishing access to the south side. Chalk Bluff Road is well used. There is a vault toilet at the west…
Learn more about Chalk Bluff Road

Casa Diablo Road is a twenty-one-mile dirt road that connects Benton Crossing Road to the Bishop Area. It starts at 7414 feet and drops down over 3000 feet to 4170 feet. The first part, off…
Learn more about Casa Diablo Road