Beginner Off-Road Trails Near McDonald, Tennessee

Anyone who's heard the old country song can probably picture the beautiful state of Georgia. It's a land of green hillsides, charming southern towns dotted with white picket fences, and sunny fields tied together by…
Learn more about Georgia Traverse

This short road is an easy drive that is primarily dirt with some paved areas. The road is passable by most vehicles with minimal obstacles to encounter. The end of the road connects with the…
Learn more about Ladd Springs Road (221)

This is a fire service road that was somewhat rougher when we visited and there were areas that looked like they were washing out. It doesn't require a 4x4 to traverse. While on this trail,…
Learn more about Sina Branch Road - Big Frog

This is a fire service road that was somewhat rougher when we visited and there were areas that looked like they were washing out. It doesn't require a 4x4 to traverse. While on this trail,…
Learn more about Blue Ridge Trail - Big Frog

This is a perfect trail to glimpse broad mountain views in the GA forest or camp out to see the stars. Many trees have been downed from fires and clearing in the past few years,…
Learn more about Pleasant Gap FS 17A

The trail is a fairly well-maintained fire service road surfaced with gravel, which does not require a 4x4 vehicle to navigate. However, cell phone reception (Verizon) is not available while on the trail. There are…
Learn more about Baker Creek - Big Frog

This is a forest service road with some beautiful views of the Ocoee Number One Lake. This trail goes by Bakers Creek. On both sides of the road at Bakers Creek, there are some camping…
Learn more about Indian Creek - FSR 302

Cohutta Wilderness is a recreation area in the Chattahoochie-Occonee national forest. This trail is part gravel and part dirt. It has many challenging spurs to the main route. The main path is maintained by forest…
Learn more about Cohutta Wilderness

This is a smooth and fun ATV loop that makes a great start to any ride in the Houston Valley ORV Area. The trail surface is mostly packed dirt, with gravel and small rocks pushed…
Learn more about Old Spring Box Loop

A great, easy warm-up from the staging area, the North Loop follows a wide ATV trail winding tightly through the trees. Expect lots of sharp curves and a few short, steep pitches. The surface is…
Learn more about North Loop

This trail is a continuation of Rock Garden, mostly being a fast and flowing descent through dense forest, dropping almost 800 feet in elevation over 3 miles. The trail drops steeply at first with shallow…
Learn more about Blackwell Gap

This is a tight, winding loop through the forest that can be ridden in either direction with a similar level of ease. It's a narrow ATV trail that snakes through the trees, featuring sharp turns…
Learn more about Plantation Ridge Loop

Dry Creek is a well-used, 1-mile trail starting at a sign and fence at the edge of the staging area, restricted to 50" wide vehicles. It winds through a scenic forest of white oaks and…
Learn more about Dry Creek

Capehart Road is a wide, flat, and smooth ATV trail that appears to be more like an old road. There's a pinch point sized for 50" vehicles at the entrance from the staging area, and…
Learn more about Capehart

The Pinhoti Horse Alternative has a northern section and a southern section, making a loop with Blackwell Gap. The northern section stays very gradual and mostly flat the entire way. It starts out with a…
Learn more about Pinhoti Horse Alternative

This is a fun, more dynamic trail in the Houston Valley ORV Area. The trail is dug out and well used in sections, sitting a foot below the forest floor. The trail surface has a…
Learn more about Plantation Ridge

Trammel Loop is a scenic and beginner-friendly lollipop loop winding through a lush, green forest. The trail is smooth and well-maintained, but also dug out from the forest floor, resulting in foot-tall dirt walls on…
Learn more about Trammel Loop

Trail FS-630C, also known as Lacky Knob, offers beautiful views of wooded hollows that winds along deep ravines in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains ecoregion. The trail is a mix of dirt, embedded…
Learn more about Lacky Knob - FS-630C

Forrest Service Road 17B to Murrays Lake is a nice rolling gravel road with a few washouts. This road takes you out to Murrays Lake a nice lake to go put a kayak out on…
Learn more about Murray's Lake

Though labeled "most difficult" in the system, this trail is still quite manageable for most riders. It begins as a mellow, wide two-track with dips, rollers, and small gravel, much like the easier trails in…
Learn more about Rock Garden

This section of ATV trail follows a wide dirt path through a dense forest of tall white oaks. It looks like it was probably an old road that's been repurposed for ATV use. The path…
Learn more about FDR-713

Trail FS 630D, also known as Rocky Flats, offers a peaceful ride through vast Georgia Pine and hardwood forests. The majority of the trail is a mix of dirt and embedded stones. Expect some standing…
Learn more about Rocky Flats - FS 630D

This short but scenic connector is rated "more difficult," though it rides much easier than the label suggests. The trail is a narrow ATV path that gently traverses across a hillside, winding through the woods…
Learn more about Gordon Springs Connector

This wide, winding ATV trail twists through the forest with nonstop curves and flow. The surface is mostly shallow ruts filled with small, loose rocks, while most of the bigger rocks and leaves have been…
Learn more about Molly Houston

Gordon Springs is a smooth continuation of Molly Houston. This wide trail makes a gradual traverse across the mountainside. Long, sweeping corners and big rollers give it a fast, flowy feel. The trail surface is…
Learn more about Gordon Springs

Forest Road 51 is a road to Rice Horse Camp. This trail is a beautiful ride through the backcountry of the Big Frog Wilderness. This trail has two water crossings that can become deep after…
Learn more about East Cowpen

This trail is a service road across Chilhowee mountain that is approximately 10 miles and will take about an hour to travel without stops. The road is well maintained with some rocky surfaces with potential…
Learn more about Chilhowee Ridge (Oswald-77)

This trail is less maintained than the other trails in the area. There are some places with deep ruts and one place that is off-camber that we marked with 18 degrees of roll. I would…
Learn more about Big Frog - FS 62

Muskrat Creek Road is a 5-mile dirt road starting from Old CCC Camp Road, restricted to street-legal vehicles--no OHVs or ATVs. The road is narrow with low-hanging branches and may not be suitable for RVs…
Learn more about Muskrat Creek

Trail FS-630A, Mill Creek Overlook, is a relatively short spur off of FS-630 but holds a jewel at the trail's end. The trail head is located at the intersection of FS-630 and FS-630C (Lacky Knob).…
Learn more about Mill Creek Overlook - FS-630A