Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Mesa Verde, California

Bradshaw's Trail is roughly a 70-mile-long trail stretching from Blythe, CA, to the eastern side of the Salton Sea. The trail runs east to west although it can be traveled from either end, and goes…
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This trail is an old railroad route abandoned in 2011. It follows a smooth sandy path with sections of firm sandstone, making it manageable for most vehicles. Although the route parallels the former railbed, driving…
Learn more about Blythe Junction Railroad

During the blooming season, this road offers beautiful views of multiple different flowers. This road runs through Bureau Land Management, a mixed surface of gravel, rock, and sand, with some sections more rutted, rocky, and…
Learn more about Flower Hill

Generally, it is a scenic drive along the Colorado River from Ehrenberg, AZ, to Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. Technically, it is not a challenging trail, and much is graded dirt, but beware of precipitation as…
Learn more about Levee Road

This two-mile trail climbs over 200 feet, starting just off Levee Road in a large, wide sandy area. The trail quickly drops into a very fine sandy wash that alternates between a very wide wash…
Learn more about EC1187

This 1.5-mile trail (3 miles out and back) climbs over 200 feet, starting on Levee Road. The surface is sandy and features lots of trees and brush to maneuver around, with some sections pretty tight…
Learn more about EC1184

This trail starts at Levee Road and connects to EC1177, beginning in a large sandy wash. A quarter mile in, it exits the wash on a steep incline and winds its way through a very…
Learn more about EC164

This is just over a 5-mile trail (10 miles out and back) that climbs 377 feet, starting on Levee Road and dropping quickly into a tight wash that's completely lined with brush. The surface is…
Learn more about Trigo Wash EC1209

This 1.6-mile out-and-back trail climbs 100 feet through a deep sandy wash with mostly soft sand throughout. There are alternate branches you can take to reach the same spot, giving you options for navigation through…
Learn more about EC1179

This 1.64-mile out-and-back trail climbs 155 feet and is located on BLM land, ending at the Yuma Proving Grounds, which is part of the Department of Defense, where no entry is allowed. The surface is…
Learn more about EC1177

This 1.5-mile out-and-back trail climbs 130 feet, starting on EC1179 in a soft and sandy wash surrounded by trees and brush. The route quickly climbs out and runs along the lower level edges between the…
Learn more about EC1181

This out-and-back trail crosses a flat, barren wasteland, connecting EC1187 and EC1195. The surface is hard-packed sand with embedded rocks and gravel providing solid traction across the desolate terrain. You'll enjoy views of surrounding mountain…
Learn more about EC1191

This trail starts on Levee Road and ends on EC1146, featuring mostly hard-packed dirt with small rocks. The trail is about one vehicle wide and relatively flat as it crosses the terrain. The route is…
Learn more about EC1171

This trail follows a high-voltage transmission line and can be easily completed in any 4x4 vehicle. The trail winds along the power lines and has some washes to look out for. This trail is very…
Learn more about Pole Line Trail

This is a just under 3-mile trail that climbs 220 feet, starting at Levee Road and ending at Pole Line Road. The surface is hard-packed dirt with small pebble-sized rocks providing solid traction. The trail…
Learn more about EC1224

This out-and-back trail starts on EC1191 at the top of a plateau and quickly starts dropping into the canyon along a shelf road. The terrain quickly transitions from rocks to sand as you descend. The…
Learn more about EC1195

Arlington Mine Road is a very easy trail, with mostly hardpack sand and gravel with some washes to watch out for if you're going too fast. The first six miles are frequently maintained due to…
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This trail is just under 3 miles and climbs just under 200 feet, starting near the Ehrenberg Sandbowl OHV area off Levee Road and ending at Pole Line Road. The surface is a sandy wide…
Learn more about EC1235

This 1.5-mile trail is part of the Ehrenberg Sand Bowl OHV area and climbs over 150 feet as it winds through the terrain. The surface is very sandy with lots of whoops throughout. The trail…
Learn more about EC1332

This 1.5 vehicle-wide trail features mostly sand and gravel surface with some rocks throughout. It serves as a main access trail for many other trails in the area, making it an important connector route. The…
Learn more about EC1146

This 2-mile trail (4 miles out-and-back) starts off EC1146. The surface is sandy with lots of little rocks and is lined with various desert trees and brush. The wash gets more and more narrow as…
Learn more about EC1168

This relatively flat 3-mile trail (6 miles out-and-back) starts and returns to EC1146. The surface is hard-packed sand that weaves through creosote bushes before eventually dropping into a small wash with fine sand. The route…
Learn more about EC1165

This out-and-back trail is a small wash cutting through various trees and brush, starting and ending at EC1146. The surface features sections of soft sand, packed sand, and rocks, creating varied terrain. You'll encounter step-ups…
Learn more about EC1164

This trail runs from Pole Line Trail to Levee Road and is the shortest trail connecting these two routes. The surface is sandy with nice soft sand throughout, though there are some deep sand areas…
Learn more about EC1222

This trail starts on EC1146 with a surface of hard pack dirt and sand with some rocks in the beginning before turning to mostly soft sand. The route offers great views of the surrounding mountains,…
Learn more about EC1152

This just under 2 mile trail climbs 120 feet and drops 120 feet as it navigates through terrain that's one vehicle wide. The surface is deep sand that's very bumpy due to heavy washboards throughout.…
Learn more about EC1233

This 2.6-mile trail climbs 150 feet through a deep sand and rocky wash filled with lots of debris from recent storms. The trail eases up after half a mile from the main road on the…
Learn more about EC1243 West

This 1.5-mile trail climbs and drops 150 feet, featuring one very steep and sandy hill climb that gets your attention right away. The surface is very deep sand throughout with a bunch of hill climbs…
Learn more about EC1220

This trail is located within the Ehrenberg Sandbowl OHV area and features a sandy surface with lots of washboards throughout. You'll enjoy beautiful views of the canyons below and desert flowers at seasonal times add…
Learn more about EC1328

This just over 3 mile trail (6 miles out and back) climbs over 250 feet and runs along a sand wash with mud walls. The surface is sandy wash with some small rocks and nice…
Learn more about EC1219