Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Lake California, California

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Willow Lake Road 29N14

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…
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Total Miles
4.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Dill Scenic Trail

The Dill Scenic Trail is an out and back at Shasta National Forest in California. There are great views of Mount Shasta as well as the surrounding mountains. This trail is not difficult by any…
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Total Miles
5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Letts Lake

This trail is a little less than 4 miles and leads to Letts Lake and campground. As the only lake in the lower half of Mendocino NF, it is worth visiting. There are four campsites…
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Total Miles
3.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Eel's Cliff

This route will take you from Upper Lake all the way to Eel River/Lake Pillsbury. It begins with great views of the valley, plenty of camping and resting spots in-between, and ends with your choice…
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Total Miles
46.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bear Valley Road Trail

Easy dirt trail with connections to the Berryessa Snow Mountain Monument area Trails with wildflower sights in Spring and the main road to The Wilbur Hot Springs. Beautiful scenery of the Bear Valley in Lake…
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Total Miles
13.9
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi

Bartlett Springs Road

Bartlett Springs Road begins southeast of Mendocino National Forest and boasts excellent views. This route passes through BLM land, and there are plenty of offshoots from the trail. There are also opportunities for camping, hiking,…
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Total Miles
9.6
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp / Wi

Cold Spring

This trail will take you to a wetland area where multiple springs emerge from the mountainside. There is a dispersed camping area at the end where it turns into some hiking trails that give an…
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Total Miles
0.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Walker Ridge Road to Indian Valley Reservoir Road

Walker Ridge Road is one of the main entrances to the Indian Valley Reservoir (CDFW), and the Walker Ridge Recreation Area (BLM). The road is gravel and accessible by most high clearance vehicles. There are…
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Total Miles
9.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Happy Valley Ridgeline

Mix of fire roads and old logging roads. The area has been scorched by fire recently. There are a lot of downed trees that cross the trail, be prepared with a chain saw or chain/rope.…
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Total Miles
33.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Taylor Lake/Lucky S Mine/Kettle Rock Lookout Loop

The trail has smooth flowing sections, loose, rocky climbs, and hardpacked rocky roads with seasonal low water crossings. The road up to the lookout is steep with loose rock. Leading up to and past Taylor…
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Total Miles
18.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Sherwood Road

This is a 43-mile long trek through dirt logging roads with some spectacular views of the northern California redwoods. It is a great way to start a trip up the Mendocino coastline and on your…
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Total Miles
39.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Dunnigan Hill

The main connector between the north and south entrances of the Knoxville OHV area. Very active with power sports vehicles, as many marked and unmarked trails crisscross this trail. An easy trail with good views…
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Total Miles
14.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa

Mendo-Lake Road

An easy scenic route over mountain ridges through South Cow Mountain OHV that connects lakeport to Ukiah. This is the main dirt road through cow mountain that has multiple harder trails off either side and…
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Total Miles
12.4
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Deer Lake, Gold Valley

Total Miles
37.9
Tech Rating
2 Moderate
Best Time
Su

Bonta Creek - NF23N33

Graded Forest Service road above the CA-70 highway in Graeagle, California that accesses Bonta Ridge, Penman Saddle, and other points to the North in the Plumas National Forest. There is a great brewery - the…
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Total Miles
7.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bonta Ridge - NF23N05Y

Bonta Ridge is an occasionally maintained gravel Forest Service road that climbs from Bonta Creek Road above the CA-70 highway up to Penman Saddle and points beyond in this section of the Plumas National Forest.…
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Total Miles
4.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Boman Lake

The first part of the trail is paved. About 2/3rds of the way in, it becomes rocky and dirty. High clearance is recommended. There is one tricky hairpin about 1 mile from camp. Other than…
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Total Miles
16.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su