Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Mammoth Lakes, California

Beginning off Old Mammoth Road across from the Mammoth Creek Park and Ice Rink, this gravel and rock trail quickly immerses you in the natural beauty of the Eastern Sierra backcountry. Winding through dense stands…
Learn more about Mammoth Creek Road - FS 3S09

This is a mile-long Mammoth View cliff trail. It offers views of Mammoth Mountain as well as the picturesque town of Mammoth Lakes. It is mostly sandy with some rocky sections. There are a few…
Learn more about Mammoth View 3S34

This sand trail is a fairly easy trail. It is a spur trail from various other trails. It has a couple of spots with off-camber sections. The trail is narrower in a few spots and…
Learn more about 3S35J Water Tower Loop

This short spur trail takes you to the top of Mammoth Knolls (8776 ft). It offers almost 360-degree views of various peaks and the town of Mammoth Lakes. It is relatively sandy with a few…
Learn more about Mammoth Knolls Summit and Viewpoint

This short out-and-back trail brings you into a pine tree-covered area and a small dispersed campsite. It does offer some coverage from wind. There can be snow covering this road in the early spring after…
Learn more about Mammoth Knolls 3S4C

This trail is a relatively easy trail. It is mostly sandy with a few rocky sections to navigate. There are a few fallen trees that you can go around. The area is full of pine…
Learn more about Manzanita Slope Loop

This sand and pumice trail, marked by orange diamonds with and without the letter "C," winds through a beautiful pine forest with stunning peaks of the Eastern Sierra and occasional glimpses of Mammoth Mountain. The…
Learn more about Dry Creek Flats Upper - FS3S89

This wide, well-used trail serves as a convenient and scenic connector between Highway 203 (Main Street) and Highway 395, starting just past Shady Rest Park on the unpaved section of the Sawmill Cutoff. Marked by…
Learn more about Sawmill Cutoff FS 3S08

This hard-packed dirt and gravel road begins just outside Sherwin Creek Campground. The first part is surrounded by towering pine trees, offering a scenic drive through the forested lower elevations of the Eastern Sierra. The…
Learn more about Sherwin Creek Road - FS 4S08

Starting just north of Mammoth Mountain Resort's Main Lodge on Highway 203, this trail is a rugged adventure through sandy pumice and dusty terrain. The path winds beneath towering pines and crosses under the iconic…
Learn more about FS3S113

Red Fir Road is a rugged and scenic off-road route offering an adventurous ascent through dense pine forest and dramatic ridgelines. The trail begins on the north side of Sawmill Cutoff, where you'll spot an…
Learn more about Red Fir Road - FS3S24

Sawmill Gap Cutoff offers a well-traveled path into the scenic heart of the Eastern Sierra backcountry. This very sandy trail, approximately 1.5 vehicles wide, winds its way through tall pine forests with dramatic views of…
Learn more about Sawmill Gap Cutoff FS3S33

Manzanita Spur FS3S35A is a gentle, scenic trail that winds through a wide, open section of forest just outside Mammoth. Surrounded by gradually rising hills on both sides, the trail offers expansive views of pine…
Learn more about Manzanita Spur FS3S35A

This scenic trail begins just off Highway 203, near its junction with US-395, making it an easy and accessible route for those arriving in Mammoth Lakes. The surface is a mix of sandy and gravel…
Learn more about Sawmill Road

This scenic and mellow trail begins just off Highway 203 and winds through a beautiful section of the Inyo National Forest. Running parallel to the Ormat geothermal pipeline and newly installed power lines, the route…
Learn more about Mammoth Knolls Loop FS 3S123

This short trail takes you to the top of the Dry Creek Knoll (8842 feet). The trail loops around the knoll. It offers some nice views above the Mammoth Scenic Loop. The track is snow-covered…
Learn more about Dry Creek Knoll

This is a very scenic trail that brings you through the Inyo National Forest. The trail will give you some beautiful views overlooking the Mammoth Basin. When starting from the South, it starts off in…
Learn more about Mammoth Basin Overlook Trail 3S37

Forest Service Road 3S121A is a narrow and challenging shelf road trail that winds tightly along the hillsides just wide enough for a single vehicle. The trail gains over 300 feet of elevation before quickly…
Learn more about Forest Service Road 3S121A

This short side spur off the Dry Creek Knoll Track winds up and through a lush forest. It takes you to an overlook above the Inyo National Forest. There is a nice spot for a…
Learn more about Dry Creek Knoll Side Spur - 3S110B

This trail is the main path to get to the Inyo Crater Trailhead. It is fairly well maintained. It starts just off the Mammoth Scenic Loop. The trail winds its way through a forest. This…
Learn more about Inyo Crater Road

This is a very sandy trail. Almost the entire one-mile track is full of whoops. This trail is fun for the side-by-side rider but probably not so fun to other vehicles unless you want to…
Learn more about 3S121 - Whoopsie Test Ride

This sandy trail takes you through the Inyo National Forest. It climbs just over 400 feet in just under two miles. There are many downed trees to navigate around. This trail is part of the…
Learn more about 3S120

This trail s a very short but adventurous connector trail quickly climbs up a steep, sandy slope with a notable rock obstacle near the beginning, making it a brief but memorable detour for those who…
Learn more about FS3S33A/FS3S33D

This tight, sandy track winds through a dense corridor of sagebrush and high desert flora, with brush overgrowth close enough to scratch paint--particularly on wider vehicles. The trail is well-worn from heavy side-by-side traffic, creating…
Learn more about FS 4S101

This short trail climbs up to an overlook just above the 395. There are a couple of dispersed campsites along the route. The trail ends due to a couple of fallen trees but you can…
Learn more about 3S37A

This short trail takes you to an overlook high above Mammoth Lake's Shady Rest Park. Beautiful views of the town of Mammoth Lakes as well as Mammoth Mountain can be seen from this viewpoint. It…
Learn more about Shady Rest Park Overlook

The trail starts at Inyo Craters Road and is part of the scenic Inyo National Forest. It's mostly sandy with some small rocks and features several corners, north of a large meadow, that have deep…
Learn more about Dry Creek Road - FS3S22

This trail is an alternative route to the Inyo Crater trailhead coming from the Dry Creek Spur Trail. It takes you through the pine forest. The surface is dirt but a very fine, dust consistency.…
Learn more about Inyo crater via Dry Creek Spur

This trail begins just near the tunnel that passes under Highway 395, quickly immersing travelers into a quiet pine forest. The route twists and weaves through dense tree cover, offering a fun and engaging driving…
Learn more about FS 3S118

FS 3S118A is a short, sandy trail that runs parallel to Highway 395. This barely one-vehicle-wide path winds through tight tree corridors, occasionally brushing up against branches and sage. It's a quieter alternative to FS…
Learn more about FS 3S118A