Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Madeline, California

This trail begins just off Highway 395 south of the village of Likely, starting on BLM land before transitioning in and out of Modoc National Forest. The first stretch is a recently graded dirt road…
Learn more about Mount Lively South Fork Mountain Road

This is how you will get from Spaulding Tract out to county road A1, also known as Eagle Lake Road. The route is dusty and a bit rocky, but not hard. Trees will be down…
Learn more about A1

The trail is wide with nice gravel. The entire route has road signs, so you can't really get lost. Up by the actual lake, the gravel road gets steep, but some pavement has been put…
Learn more about Crater Lake

This area is part of Modoc National Forest. There are several obsidian collection areas that require a permit that can be obtained at the Alturas Forest Service building. Once you get into the range, the…
Learn more about Warner Mountains

This route takes you through mostly wide gravel roads. There is a lot of moon dust/thick powder near the town of Westwood. You will be traveling through one of the largest burn scars in California,…
Learn more about Buffalo Chips

If you want to experience the Nevada backcountry at its finest, County Road 34 (CR 34) north of Gerlach is an excellent choice. This easy dirt road winds through rolling hills and wide-open stretches of…
Learn more about County Road 34

Perched atop the Smoke Creek Mountains, Jackrabbit Run is an unforgettable journey across the mountain's summit and back down to the valley floor, reconnecting with the main Surprise Valley Road. This trail begins with a…
Learn more about Jackrabbit Run

Starting from the valley floor, Dry Valley Rim offers an easy and gradual 650-foot elevation climb, leading you to the top of the Smoke Creek Mountain Range and into the Dry Valley OHV area. This…
Learn more about Dry Valley Rim

This trail begins at Highway 44, travels through Lassen National Forest into Lassen Volcanic National Park, and concludes at Butte Lake. The trail is not technical, but can be eroded and present long stretches of…
Learn more about Butte Lake

Parker Canyon to Mission Wells Staging Area showcases a breathtaking high-desert ride. This route features soft dirt roads--without deep sand--guiding you through a scenic high mountain bowl, past grazing areas, and alongside the Slick Reservoir.…
Learn more about Parker Canyon

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…
Learn more about Taylor Lake/Lucky S Mine/Kettle Rock Lookout Loop

Very easy route given type of vehicle used. While most of it is good place for a beginner to start learning how to use a SXS, be careful on the speed as there are blind…
Learn more about Dooley Creek to Black Mountain Lookout

The route winds through rolling hills dotted with exposed rock formations and washes, creating a dynamic and challenging landscape. Along the way, adventurers will encounter technical segments featuring loose rock, natural ledges, and the occasional…
Learn more about Little High Rock to Steven's Camp Back Door

This is an out-of-the-way off-road area that is not well known to the general public, but it has marked trails spanning 28,598 acres, with newer facilities and plenty of privacy. Most of the trails are…
Learn more about Fort Sage

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.…
Learn more about Happy Valley Ridgeline

This is a short trail that connects Kings Crossing to the 4x4 road 10M52. It drops down from Kings Crossing with a few really wide and smooth switchbacks. It weaves through the pine trees with…
Learn more about QTC

Mount Hough is the longest trail in the trail system, at 11 miles long, and is popular with downhill mountain bikers as it is a fun and flowy descent, dropping almost 4,000 feet in elevation…
Learn more about Mount Hough

This is one of only a few ATV options in the Mount Hough Trail System. It starts near the Mount Hough Trailhead on the north end at a marked entrance, and descends down several wide…
Learn more about 10M29

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…
Learn more about Willow Lake Road 29N14

Little High Rock Canyon is a mix of washboard and two-track trail that travels diagonally across to High Rock Canyon and Soldier's Meadow. This trail is a better choice for those wanting a more exciting…
Learn more about Little High Rock Canyon

This is one of only a couple ATV options within the Mount Hough trail system. It is 1.9 miles long, and starts out on the west end by climbing straight up a hillside on a…
Learn more about Grizzly Ridge

The east end of this easy connector trail starts at the road intersection of 10M25 and 25N10Y, and it goes west to 403. There's a small additional piece of trail that connects to the Mount…
Learn more about Kings Crossing

This is a fun singletrack accessed from the west side of the trail system that goes through dry and grassy terrain. The trailhead is on the corner of a switchback on 25N14 road, and it…
Learn more about Lower Indian Falls Ridge

This is a 1-mile connecting piece of trail between the upper and lower segments of the Acorn Grotto Trail. This segment is easy, as it climbs up a hillside on a wide smooth path for…
Learn more about Acorn Connector

This is one of only a few ATV trails in the Mount Hough Trail System. It's primitive and overgrown, mostly following the path of an old forest road. It climbs up a hillside next to…
Learn more about Cashman Ridge

From Reno, take Pyramid Highway north for about 17 miles and turn left onto Winnemucca Ranch Road. Follow Winnemucca Ranch Road to a large parking/staging area to your left (Moon Rocks Recreation Area). This parking…
Learn more about Jumbo Ranch Run

Travel through Red Rock Canyon, running along the border of California and cutting back over to Antelope Valley using a popular off-road connector. Blaze across Antelope Valley and visit the Moon Rocks area, or continue…
Learn more about Wildhorse Track

This is a single-track dirt trail with consistent switchbacks, shelf sections, and a constant climb up from the valley below. Easily accessible from CA 395, high clearance vehicles with 4x4 are recommended on this route.…
Learn more about Crofts Follie Trail

This is a short connector trail in the Mount Hough trail system. The south end starts across from the Fireline trail, and after .6 miles it joins the Berry Creek Trail. It's overall very easy…
Learn more about Berry Creek Tie

This beautiful trail leads you into the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge, with a short side trip to Yellow Peak, where a fire lookout offers expansive views of the Nevada desert. The trail surface is primarily a…
Learn more about Sheldon Wildlife Refuge & Yellow Peak