Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Lake Elsinore, California

Tucked amidst the hustle and bustle of Southern California's heavily-populated coast is a slice of heaven called the Cleveland National Forest. This mountainous region is undeveloped, save for a few great trails connecting world-class views…
Learn more about North Main Divide Road

5S01 Indian Truck Trail is a 7-mile point-to-point trail rated 3 of 10 located within the Cleveland National Forest, Trabuco Ranger District. Indian Truck Trail ascends 2,500 feet over the 7-mile drive from the Temescal…
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The Main Divide is composed of 3 sections, all of which are easy going trails that can be done with any high clearance 4x4 or a low clearance AWD vehicle with care. This trail offers…
Learn more about 3S04 Main Divide to Santiago Peak

Maple Springs road offers a fun, relatively easy route with scenic views of the Cleveland National Forest. Vehicles should have some ground clearance. At the end of the trail is an elevated patch of asphalt…
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Scenic trail from the 15 Freeway to Santiago Peak. The dirt road is hard-packed and easy to navigate, but does have a few sections with sharp rocks and a few ruts. The road has multiple…
Learn more about FS 4S03

Starting in Highland, 1n16 is a fairly easy dirt road with some parts rutted out, but any 4x4 can make it through the trail easily. Many parts of the trail are single-vehicle wide, but there…
Learn more about Alder Creek Road - FSR 1n16

Beautiful trail overlooking the neighboring town of Banning and the surrounding mountains. The deserted mountainscape is chock-full of secluded camp spots with some wind cover and appears to be used for shooting occasionally. The trail…
Learn more about Idyllwild Mountain Road

Rouse Hill Road is for street-legal vehicles only; no green stickers or OHV vehicles. Full-size vehicles are at home here, as the trail is a single track with plenty of room. The beginning of this…
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Rouse Hill is a ridgeline trail with tremendous west and east views. This trail is predominately hard-packed dirt with a loose top layer. It can be a bit sandy in some sections but that will…
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This is a level 2-rated full-width road back to Highway 243. This is the fastest and safest way back up to Highway 243. The route through Bee Canyon is currently closed. 2 areas had a…
Learn more about East Indian Canyon 4S10

Nate Harrison Grade is a dirt backroad into Palomar Mountain State Park. This trail leads from typical Southern California scrubland scenery up to lush forests and mountain views. You'll encounter loose rocky areas and several…
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2N40 Cloudland is a short but beautiful trail with great views of San Bernardino and the mountains beyond. It is doable in 2WD during dry conditions, but 4WD may be required when wet. Closures can…
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This trail goes from Gray Pine Pl. up to 3N31. Starting the trail off of Gray Pine Place you will find yourself in a subdivision, the access is between two houses and is marked as…
Learn more about Edison Road Section 3 - 1N32

San Jacinto Ridge is a two-way trail running East to West between the Banning-Idyllwild Panoramic Highway (SR 243) and Bee Canyon Road (FS 5S07) in the San Bernardino National Forest. Comprised of mostly hard-pack dirt,…
Learn more about San Jacinto Ridge Trail (FS 5S09)

The Thomas Hunting Grounds Trail (1N12), often also referred to as the Morton Peak Trail, is an easy dirt road that takes you from the chaparral and shrubs of Mill Creek to the oaks and…
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A long overland trail with plenty of recreational activities such as site-specific shooting areas, yellow post campsites and creek crossings. This is a well-maintained dirt road with some minor ruts, rocks and shallow creek crossings.…
Learn more about 1N09 City Creek Trail

This trail is a rough dirt road with mostly hardpack dirt, gravel, and small-sized rocks. There is some overgrowth, so plan to collect some pinstripes! The overgrowth gets worse as the trail progresses and is…
Learn more about Big Tree Cucamonga - 1N34

This trail goes from the East side of Lytle Creek Road up to 3N31. There is a bit of a wash area at the start, and it slowly works its way up in elevation. Starting…
Learn more about Meyers Canyon - 1N33

The easiest way to start this trail is off the 15 Freeway and Glen Helen Parkway Road to Lower Lytle Creek Divide - 3N31. There are a couple of residences on the right-hand side of…
Learn more about Lower Lytle Creek Divide - 3N31

2N79A takes you from 2N79 to an outlook point looking South, overlooking the city. There are some offshoots and alternative social trails along this route that should not be followed in order to maintain the…
Learn more about Renstock Ridge Spur A - 2N79A

5S06 Idyllwild Control is a 6-mile point-to-point trail rated 3 of 10 located within the San Bernardino National Forest, San Jacinto Ranger District. 5S06 climbs from Highway 74 nearly 3,000 feet, ending at the intersection…
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8S05 is a well-maintained service road, but you can expect large rocks, ruts, and very steep drop-offs throughout. The weather could have a significant impact on the road. Muddy conditions are likely; one should ensure…
Learn more about 8S05 - North Palomar Mountain Road

Beautiful views of the valley below and mountains above. There are lots of switchbacks and about 600 feet of elevation gain in just a few miles of driving. The second half of the trail was…
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2N79 goes from Lytle Creek Rdoad to 3N31. This trail is mostly hardpack dirt and should offer no difficulty to even novice offroaders. There are quite a few unsanctioned offshoots on this trail that should…
Learn more about Renstock Ridge - 2N79

This is a 1.4-mile, well-maintained, easy gravel spur road that connects Lytle Creek Road and Lower Lytle Creek Divide - 3N31. This spur road is a convenient way to access Lower Lytle Creek Divide -…
Learn more about Old Cc Spur - 2N57

This trail is mainly dirt with shallow creek crossings. After rainfall or snow, rocks and downed trees may be potential obstacles as are deep ruts. This trail can be very easy during dry seasons as…
Learn more about 4000 Foot Road

Sawpit Connector is a connecting trail from Burnt Mill to Sawpit Canyon. It is a dirt trail. There is potential for deep ruts throughout the trail. This connector is short but scenic. Views of Silverwood…
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Burnt Mill is mainly dirt with potential for rocks and downed trees. This trail is very easy for the most part but expects pinstripes. The first half of the trail is wide and flat. The…
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Rainbow Trail (FS 2N59) begins inside the Silverwood Lake State Park area, where pavement gives way to dirt as you transition from the park roads onto the Forest Service route. The west-to-east run starts out…
Learn more about Rainbow Trail - FS 2N59