Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Lake Isabella, California

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 or extended into a loop by climbing the steep hill up to Engineers Point Overlook, combining two of th...
Learn more about Engineer Point

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 the water and surrounding mountains spread out below. The drop off the back side of the viewpoint is equa...
Learn more about Engineer Point Overlook

To get to this trail, you will first need to come down Black Gulch Jeep Trail heading West from Hwy 155. You will continue driving until the pavement turns to dirt at the last public restroom, which is a great place to pull over to stretch and air down or up. Once back on the trail, you will eventua...
Learn more about Kern River Getaway - 27S30

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 strong water views with Sequoia National Forest mountains framing the scene in the backgr...
Learn more about Mount Mesa - FS 26S40A

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 Isabella spreads out below as the trail climbs, with the surrounding canyon and valley filling in the br...
Learn more about Old State Road South

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 Sequoia National Forest mountains providing a strong backdrop. Fishing access is the prima...
Learn more about Kissack Cove

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 the surrounding mountains spread out in full panorama as the trail works its way along the ridge. Evidence of th...
Learn more about FS 25S02

Lone Star (FS 26S24) winds through a grassy hill area surrounded by trees within Sequoia National Forest, connecting Brown's Mill to the Mayflower 4x4 Trail. The landscape has an open, pastoral quality with grassy clearings breaking up the tree cover along the way. Evidence of trail maintenance is v...
Learn more about Lone Star - FS 26S24

Evans Flat (FS 32E53A) runs north to south from Evans Flat Campground, tracing a ridgetop course through the thick Sequoia National Forest. The dense canopy closes in along much of the route, with low-hanging branches posing a challenge for taller vehicles. A wide shelf road section opens up the sce...
Learn more about Evans Flat - FS 32E53A

North Evans (FS 32E30) serves as a key connector linking Sawmill Road, Evans Flat (FS 32E53A), Woodward Peak (FS 32E53), Borderline 4WD (FS 32E42), and Rancheria Road North into a cohesive network. The trail cuts through the Sequoia National Forest with a mostly open canopy, though low-hanging branc...
Learn more about North Evans - FS 32E30

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 shelf road with a canyon dropping away to the south and a drainage ditch to the north, giv...
Learn more about Sawmill Road

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 feel from the more open desert and lakeshore routes in the surrounding network. Note that...
Learn more about Shirley Meadows - FS 25S31

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 surface runs from Alta Sierra Ski Resort down to the entrance of Evans Flat C...
Learn more about Rancheria Road North - FS 25S15

Rancheria Road South (FS 25S15), beginning at Evans Flat Campground and running south through Sequoia National Forest. As one of the primary north-to-south arteries in the area, it is well-maintained and provides access to numerous trails throughout the network. The route is lined with large pine an...
Learn more about Rancheria Road South - FS 25S15

Likely Saddle FS 26S20 serves as a connector between Rancheria Road and various other trails in the network, threading through thick pine forest within Sequoia National Forest. The hard-packed dirt surface is fairly smooth, and the trail is a practical and low-stress link between destinations. Evide...
Learn more about Likely Saddle - FS 26S20

Frank FS 26S07 departs from Rancheria Road and runs along a narrow shelf road through grass and pine forest, much of which shows significant burn damage from the 2021 French Fire. Views of the valley and canyons below appear along the shelf sections. The trail currently ends earlier than its full ex...
Learn more about Frank - FS 26S07

Poso Creek East (FS 26S29) runs along a wide ridge line through Sequoia National Forest with open views of the valleys and mountains on both sides. The evidence of the 2021 French Fire is very apparent throughout the route. Whitetail deer are frequently spotted along this trail, and cattle graze the...
Learn more about Poso Creek East - FS 26S29

West Evans (FS 31E62) departs from Rancheria Road South and climbs steadily through dense pine forest within Sequoia National Forest. The trail is extremely narrow, barely one vehicle wide, with low-hanging branches that will make contact with taller vehicles throughout. Evidence of recent forest fi...
Learn more about West Evans - FS 31E62

Eagle (FS 27S13) branches off Brown's Mill and winds through dense pine trees and grasses within Sequoia National Forest. Shelf road sections break open the canopy at intervals, revealing views of the mountains and valley below before the forest closes back in. Hawks and ground birds, including quai...
Learn more about Eagle - FS 27S13

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 a popular fishing spot, and visitors should expect to share the trail with anglers o...
Learn more about Rattlesnake - FS 26S34B

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 or extended into a loop by climbing the steep hill up to Engineers Point Overlook, combining two of th...
Learn more about Engineer Point

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 the water and surrounding mountains spread out below. The drop off the back side of the viewpoint is equa...
Learn more about Engineer Point Overlook

To get to this trail, you will first need to come down Black Gulch Jeep Trail heading West from Hwy 155. You will continue driving until the pavement turns to dirt at the last public restroom, which is a great place to pull over to stretch and air down or up. Once back on the trail, you will eventua...
Learn more about Kern River Getaway - 27S30

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 strong water views with Sequoia National Forest mountains framing the scene in the backgr...
Learn more about Mount Mesa - FS 26S40A

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 or extended into a loop by climbing the steep hill up to Engineers Point Overlook, combining two of th...
Learn more about Engineer Point

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 the water and surrounding mountains spread out below. The drop off the back side of the viewpoint is equa...
Learn more about Engineer Point Overlook

To get to this trail, you will first need to come down Black Gulch Jeep Trail heading West from Hwy 155. You will continue driving until the pavement turns to dirt at the last public restroom, which is a great place to pull over to stretch and air down or up. Once back on the trail, you will eventua...
Learn more about Kern River Getaway - 27S30

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 strong water views with Sequoia National Forest mountains framing the scene in the backgr...
Learn more about Mount Mesa - FS 26S40A