Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Mountain Gate, California

This is a wide-open easy trail from the Chappie staging area, past Mammoth Mountain, to a lunch spot. It's easy for all riding abilities, with a ton of overlooks along the way. During the spring, you will find a lot of waterfalls along the road. This route also goes through several burn scars, which...
Learn more about Mammoth Mountain Trail 1

Tucked into a classic, lush evergreen forest, Upper Shotgun Road is a quick and peaceful drive under a beautifully shaded woodland canopy. The route begins with a straightforward turn-off, leading you immediately onto a welcoming and clearly defined path. As you journey through the quiet woods, the ...
Learn more about Upper Shotgun Road

Swift Creek - FS 36N25 is a highly accessible, beautifully scenic Forest Service road that reaches the trailheads for the Granite Lake and Swift Creek trails in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. As you meander through the dense, towering pine forest, the trail occasionally opens up to offer sweeping, el...
Learn more about Swift Creek - FS 36N25

The overall environment of North Fork Swift Creek provides a beautifully winding, scenic escape that climbs steadily into the lush, shaded reaches of the Shasta National Forest just west of Trinity Lake. Serving as a fantastic woodland connector, this route bridges the Deadhorse Creek area in the no...
Learn more about North Fork Swift Creek - FS 37N55

Mule Creek - FS 35N23Y leads travelers through a serene timberland setting within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, transitioning from lush creek-side greenery to open evergreen stands. This well-traversed connector route is accessed directly off local forest arterials and serves as a vital thorou...
Learn more about Mule Creek - FS 35N23Y

The overall environment of Deadhorse Creek - FS 37N80Y begins as a pleasant, inviting woodland drive featuring sprawling, peekaboo views of Trinity Lake, but it progressively transforms into a rugged, heavily overgrown hillside track. Starting on a relatively clear and open path flanked by thick bla...
Learn more about Deadhorse Creek - FS 37N80Y

Branching off from the main road and clearly marked by brown Forest Service directional signs, this beautiful journey takes you through a dense pine forest along a road that is generally very wide, exceptionally flat, and clearly well-traversed. As you cruise along the hillside, the surface alternat...
Learn more about Lake Eleanor - FS 36N24

This short, unmarked out-and-back spur climbs into a densely wooded, lush evergreen forest that feels incredibly secluded. Starting from the main FS 37N55 road, the entrance can be a bit tricky to spot due to the complete lack of signage or trail markers. The journey begins with a relatively wide up...
Learn more about North Fork Swift Creek Spur A - FS 37N55A

Continuing the climb from Buckeye Creek, the overall environment of Up Little Boulder offers an incredible, expansive journey high into the Shasta National Forest that ultimately brings you to the edge of the majestic Trinity Alps Wilderness. This highly scenic, wide-open Forest Service route is a f...
Learn more about Up Little Boulder - FS 37N53

The overall environment of Buckeye Creek offers a wonderful, peacefully secluded journey that steadily climbs up into the towering, shaded pine stands of the Shasta National Forest. Starting directly off California Highway 3, this forest service loop initially passes by a few private residences that...
Learn more about Buckeye Creek - FS 37N52

While the trail is an easy dirt road the real story is the river. The Lower McCloud River flows approximately 12 miles from Lake McCloud into Lake Shasta. It can have an emerald green color, which can be due to suspended sand, volcanic ash, and other particulate matter. There are two campgrounds on ...
Learn more about McCloud River 38N53

Nestled within the breathtaking Shasta-Trinity National Forest, this route climbs through a beautifully dense, lush evergreen woodland that slowly thins out as you approach the alpine summit. The public primarily travels this wonderfully maintained forest road to access the active Bonanza King Looko...
Learn more about Bonanza King Lookout - FS 38N85

This is a fun drive up through the mountains that will require 4x4 high clearance. However, it does not require lockers. Bring a lunch and enjoy the backcountry, with some great views of valleys and mountains.
Learn more about Jack's Backbone

Climbing steadily above 5,000 feet in elevation, Rock Creek - FS 39N78 travels through a dense, towering evergreen canopy with thick manzanita understory within the Shasta National Forest. This little-used offshoot branches up from Red Hill, offering a short, adventurous bypass for travelers looking...
Learn more about Rock Creek - FS 39N78

Winding its way above 5,000 feet in elevation, Scott - FS 39N30Y takes travelers through a beautiful, dense, and quiet evergreen canopy managed by the Shasta National Forest. The public generally uses this remote route as a scenic backcountry exploration spur branching off from Red Hill, which rewar...
Learn more about Scott - FS 39N30Y

Ney Springs - FS 39N34 offers a beautiful, winding climb up from Castle Lake Road directly into the lush, towering evergreens of the Shasta National Forest, eventually reaching an elevation of over 4,300 feet. The overall environment is a dense, shaded alpine forest that occasionally opens up to rev...
Learn more about Ney Springs - FS 39N34

This 6+ mile out-and-back trail starts and ends on Pit Goose Valley, traveling through the Lassen National Forest amid lots of ponderosa pine trees, California black oak, manzanita, and other flora. The trail surface consists of hard-packed dirt that is dusty throughout the drive. The route runs alo...
Learn more about Pit River Rim - FS 36N20

This 3-mile out-and-back trail starts and ends on Pit Goose Valley, climbing over 730 feet in a short distance within the Lassen National Forest. The route travels through a landscape surrounded by lots of ponderosa pine trees, creating a classic forest driving experience throughout the climb. The t...
Learn more about Pit Southwest Mountain - FS 36N21

This single-lane dirt road begins and ends at the Soldier Creek Road - FS 33N47. It is a bit overgrown in places, and pin striping would be likely for a full-size vehicle. It has some erosion damage up to a foot deep, and exposed embedded rocks and loose rocks up to a foot high. The road goes throug...
Learn more about Soldier Creek Loop - FS 33N48

Winding its way through the dense, towering pine and fir canopies of the Shasta National Forest, North Fork - FS 41N53 offers a wonderfully scenic drive through a thriving, lush woodland environment. The public primarily uses this accessible route to enjoy peaceful backcountry exploration, reach spa...
Learn more about North Fork - FS 41N53

This is a wide-open easy trail from the Chappie staging area, past Mammoth Mountain, to a lunch spot. It's easy for all riding abilities, with a ton of overlooks along the way. During the spring, you will find a lot of waterfalls along the road. This route also goes through several burn scars, which...
Learn more about Mammoth Mountain Trail 1

Tucked into a classic, lush evergreen forest, Upper Shotgun Road is a quick and peaceful drive under a beautifully shaded woodland canopy. The route begins with a straightforward turn-off, leading you immediately onto a welcoming and clearly defined path. As you journey through the quiet woods, the ...
Learn more about Upper Shotgun Road

Swift Creek - FS 36N25 is a highly accessible, beautifully scenic Forest Service road that reaches the trailheads for the Granite Lake and Swift Creek trails in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. As you meander through the dense, towering pine forest, the trail occasionally opens up to offer sweeping, el...
Learn more about Swift Creek - FS 36N25

The overall environment of North Fork Swift Creek provides a beautifully winding, scenic escape that climbs steadily into the lush, shaded reaches of the Shasta National Forest just west of Trinity Lake. Serving as a fantastic woodland connector, this route bridges the Deadhorse Creek area in the no...
Learn more about North Fork Swift Creek - FS 37N55

This is a wide-open easy trail from the Chappie staging area, past Mammoth Mountain, to a lunch spot. It's easy for all riding abilities, with a ton of overlooks along the way. During the spring, you will find a lot of waterfalls along the road. This route also goes through several burn scars, which...
Learn more about Mammoth Mountain Trail 1

Tucked into a classic, lush evergreen forest, Upper Shotgun Road is a quick and peaceful drive under a beautifully shaded woodland canopy. The route begins with a straightforward turn-off, leading you immediately onto a welcoming and clearly defined path. As you journey through the quiet woods, the ...
Learn more about Upper Shotgun Road

Swift Creek - FS 36N25 is a highly accessible, beautifully scenic Forest Service road that reaches the trailheads for the Granite Lake and Swift Creek trails in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. As you meander through the dense, towering pine forest, the trail occasionally opens up to offer sweeping, el...
Learn more about Swift Creek - FS 36N25

The overall environment of North Fork Swift Creek provides a beautifully winding, scenic escape that climbs steadily into the lush, shaded reaches of the Shasta National Forest just west of Trinity Lake. Serving as a fantastic woodland connector, this route bridges the Deadhorse Creek area in the no...
Learn more about North Fork Swift Creek - FS 37N55