Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Lower Lake, California

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 plenty…
Learn more about Walker Ridge Road to Indian Valley Reservoir Road

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…
Learn more about Dunnigan Hill

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…
Learn more about Cold Spring

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…
Learn more about Bear Valley Road Trail

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,…
Learn more about Bartlett Springs Road

This is an easy fire road in dry weather and a fun mud run in wet weather. The road doubles as the southern entrance to Knoxville, OHV, and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. It then…
Learn more about Devilhead Road

This trail has great views throughout with a spectacular view of Lake Berryessa at its highest elevation point. Expect to drive dirt, gravel and mud along the out and back trail. There are also many…
Learn more about Cement Creek

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…
Learn more about Letts Lake

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…
Learn more about Eel's Cliff

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…
Learn more about Mendo-Lake Road

Pillsberry to Black Butte Trail is a calm, scenic gravel road with some campsites along the river. It's an easy driving, wide road, not normally passable in the wintertime because of snow. There is one…
Learn more about Pillsbury-Indian Dick Road

Hull Mountain is a dominant peak and rises over 5,000 feet above Lake Pillsbury in the southwest part of the Mendocino National Forest. This is a beautiful area for camping and other recreational activities. Relatively…
Learn more about Hull Mountain Trail

Erickson Ridge Loop is a relatively easy loop trail in Mendocino National Forest. From M1 (Elk Mountain Road) going north, the trail starts on your left, with a narrower dirt trail on the left and…
Learn more about Erickson Ridge Loop

Flowy dirt road that climbs through grassy oak woodlands before entering the redwood forests of the California Coast. Quiet road with minimal obstacles. Currently, there is a bridge on the route that is closed to…
Learn more about Low Gap Road

Graded dirt road connecting Highway 1 to Highway 128. Pavement is on both ends. A great dirt road with a flowy climb up from the coast to follow the ridge inland. Beautiful views and usually…
Learn more about Fish Rock Road

This is a 43-mile-long trek through dirt logging roads with spectacular views of the northern California redwoods. It is a great way to start a trip up the Mendocino coastline and on your way to…
Learn more about Sherwood Road

Mendocino County Road 500 connects the east end of Caspar Orchard Road (at a location known locally as 'Scales') to California Route 20, and is located entirely within the Jackson Demonstration State Forest. At one…
Learn more about Mendocino County Road 500

This trail follows an easy ridge route with scenic views into the valley at several points. A wildfire in 2024 left areas with downed trees after storms, and a few small wash sections are present…
Learn more about Martin Creek

Single wide trail with multiple turnouts and areas to pass. There were a couple of areas to disperse camp. A couple of small washes, but easy to navigate, and some good views of the valley…
Learn more about Madrone

Easy flat gravel trail taking you around the back side of Little Bald Rock. A couple of areas to turn out and hike up. Ended at a closed gate. There was a big fire in…
Learn more about Cross Up

This is a steep one-lane dirt road that is not very heavily used and is reasonably well maintained by the county. On about sixty percent of the trail, two rigs can slowly and carefully pass…
Learn more about Usal Road (Southern Portion)

This is a short ATV trail in a remote and primitive section of the Plumas National Forest, accessed off of Four Trees Road. This area was damaged from a large fire in recent years. The…
Learn more about Magee Ridge

As you enter from this northern part of the trail, you'll be surrounded by trees covered in moss, beautiful views of the ocean peaking in through the trees, and well-grated gravel. There are parts of…
Learn more about Usal Road (Northern Portion)

Latrobe Road is a scenic dirt road that passes through the rolling foothills outside the Sacramento Valley and provides ample views of the surrounding area. The trail passes through agricultural land, cattle grazing areas, and…
Learn more about Latrobe Road

This trail is rated as a Level 1 difficulty. It offers a relatively easy experience, characterized by a flat, well-maintained road predominantly composed of gravel and dirt. However, it should be noted that during winter,…
Learn more about Sly Creek Trail

The main attraction of this route is a popular swimming hole below Colfax-Foresthill Suspension Bridge. Our round-about way of getting there follows a paved road through historic Iowa Hill, then continues on a narrow, winding…
Learn more about Shirttail Canyon

This trail is a wide, single-wide path that has been freshly cleared. There are a few dispersed camp areas along the trail. Along the way, you'll encounter a few washes and drainage ditches. Additionally, the…
Learn more about Indian Hill South

This wide, single-wide trail is freshly cleared and offers a scenic journey through tall, beautiful trees. There is a small, tight area where you may touch overgrown brush. Along the trail, there are several dispersed…
Learn more about Ditch Road

The trail is a wide single-wide path that meanders alongside a creek for a portion of its length. Along the creek's edge, there are several dispersed camping sites. There's even an area beyond the end…
Learn more about Indian Creek

The trail is wider, and most of the way, it can accommodate two vehicles. The west end is still single-wide and narrow, but they are clearing the trail. There are some washouts that are about…
Learn more about Upper Indian Creek