Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Kernville, California

Old State Road South begins as a wide, graded dirt road and winds its way upward through a series of switchbacks toward the mountains, delivering some of the most dramatic views in the area. Lake…
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Cannell FS24S12 is a 10 mile out and back that winds through young and mature pine trees within Sequoia National Forest, climbing over 900 feet and dropping over 550 feet across just over 6 miles…
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Cannell Meadow FS 24S56 is a 7-mile out-and-back winding through young pine trees within Sequoia National Forest, passing by Cannell Station and the Cannell Meadow Public Horse Camp along the way. The gentle and balanced…
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FS 25S02 departs from the north side of Old State Road and runs along a shelf road delivering some of the most stunning views in the network. Lake Isabella, the town of Lake Isabella, and…
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Sawmill Road is the primary west-to-east corridor in this section of the Sequoia National Forest, departing from Rancheria Road North and climbing over 2,300 feet in just over 7.5 miles. The trail runs along a…
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Kissack Cove runs along the shoreline of Kissack Cove on Lake Isabella through open grassland, offering one of the more relaxed and scenic drives in the area. The lake views are consistent throughout, with the…
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Black Mountain FS 32E360 winds through grass and tall pine trees within Sequoia National Forest, climbing over 500 feet and dropping over 200 feet in just under 2 miles. Evidence of the 2021 French Fire…
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Black Mountain Saddle (FS 32E59) branches off Calf Creek and pushes through a grass and pine forest corridor within Sequoia National Forest, much of which bears heavy evidence of the 2021 French Fire. The trail…
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Engineers Point Overlook is a short but steep climb delivering some of the best elevated views in the Lake Isabella area. The trail ascends over 100 feet to a high viewpoint above the lake where…
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Engineers Point runs along a shelf road tracing a peninsula on Lake Isabella, rolling up and down a series of steep hills with lake views throughout. The trail can be run as a straight out-and-back…
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Mount Mesa (FS 26S40A) departs from California Route 198 and rolls through a large open meadow running parallel to Kissack Bay on Lake Isabella before looping around the bay. The meadow and bay setting delivers…
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Rattlesnake (FS 26S34B) branches off Patterson Lane and runs along the south shore of Lake Isabella through an open grass meadow ringed by the foothills of the Sequoia National Forest. The lakeside access makes this…
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Cherry Hill Road South FS 22S12 picks up after Big Meadow and serves as the southern artery deeper into Sequoia National Forest, providing access to Long Meadow, Taylor Meadow, and various other trails along its…
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This is a great, flowy dirt road that offers some of the best views overlooking the Kern River Valley area. The path follows the natural curves of the mountainside, giving you plenty of chances to…
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Patterson Lane (FS 26S34) departs from California Route 198 and enters the South Fork Wildlife Area within Sequoia National Forest, offering a gentle and scenic drive through protected forest land. The hard-packed sand surface and…
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Cookes Peak (FS 25S21) departs and returns to Rancheria Road North, running along a shelf road with consistent views down into Lake Isabella, the valley below, and the mountains across the way. The dirt and…
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Portuguese Meadow FS 24S15 departs from Highway 155 and runs along a shelf road through green brush, grasses, and tall pine trees within Sequoia National Forest. Evidence of the 2021 French Fire is very evident…
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The Upper Dry Lake trail climbs nearly 150 feet in approximately a mile through young pine trees and other brush within Sequoia National Forest. Various flat open areas along the route provide good dispersed camping…
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Wendy Gap FS 25S17 departs from Rancheria Road near the Summit Forest Service Ranger Station and loops back to the same road through the heart of Sequoia National Forest. The trail runs along a shelf…
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Rancheria Spur FS 25S15C is a smooth, well-maintained shelf road spur off Rancheria Road that cuts through a pine forest still bearing visible signs of the 2021 French Fire. Glimpses of the canyon below, the…
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Shirley Meadows FS 25S31 departs from Rancheria Road and pushes into a thick stand of tall pine trees within Sequoia National Forest. The dense forest canopy and shelf road character give this trail a different…
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South Lake winds along the eastern edge of the South Lake village boundary, departing from Juniper Flat and tracing a course through open BLM land with the Sequoia National Forest mountains as a constant backdrop.…
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Juniper Flat is a smooth, easy cruise through BLM land on a hard-packed sandy two-track lined with notably large juniper trees that give the trail its name. At a Rating 1, this is about as…
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Rancheria Road North (FS 25S15) is one of the primary north-to-south corridors through this section of Sequoia National Forest, serving as the gateway to numerous spur trails in the network. The hard-packed dirt and gravel…
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Big Meadow FS 23S07 loops around Big Meadow, one of the most popular and beloved meadows in the area, set within thick pine forest in Sequoia National Forest. Camp Andrew Brown sits along the trail,…
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Taylor FS 24S13 winds through a pine forest within Sequoia National Forest, dropping over 500 feet across just over 4 miles with minimal elevation gain on the return. The wide two-lane surface is a mix…
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Little Dry Meadow is a compact but punchy out-and-back trail that climbs sharply from the southeast corner of South Lake toward the Sequoia National Forest boundary. Gaining 560 feet in under 1.5 miles, the trail…
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Cherry Hill Road North FS 22S12 is the primary artery into this district of Sequoia National Forest, departing from Sherman Pass Road and serving as the only route in and out of the Horse Meadow…
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Salmon Creek FS 23S08 winds along a shelf road for 8 miles out and back through pine forest within Sequoia National Forest, dropping nearly 900 feet and gaining over 300 feet across 4 miles of…
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Sunday Peak Trail is a short out-and-back departing from Portuguese Meadow Road into a beautiful and remote corner of Sequoia National Forest near Sunday Peak. The trail runs along a shelf road through pine trees,…
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