Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Mountain Mesa, California

Mount Mesa (FS 26S40A) departs from California Route 198 and rolls through a large open meadow running parallel to Kissack Bay on Lake Isabella before looping around the bay. The meadow and bay setting delivers strong water views with Sequoia National Forest mountains framing the scene in the backgr...
Learn more about Mount Mesa - FS 26S40A

Kissack Cove runs along the shoreline of Kissack Cove on Lake Isabella through open grassland, offering one of the more relaxed and scenic drives in the area. The lake views are consistent throughout, with the Sequoia National Forest mountains providing a strong backdrop. Fishing access is the prima...
Learn more about Kissack Cove

Rattlesnake (FS 26S34B) branches off Patterson Lane and runs along the south shore of Lake Isabella through an open grass meadow ringed by the foothills of the Sequoia National Forest. The lakeside access makes this a popular fishing spot, and visitors should expect to share the trail with anglers o...
Learn more about Rattlesnake - FS 26S34B

South Lake winds along the eastern edge of the South Lake village boundary, departing from Juniper Flat and tracing a course through open BLM land with the Sequoia National Forest mountains as a constant backdrop. The hard-packed sand surface is punctuated by rocks and several deep wash crossings th...
Learn more about South Lake

Little Dry Meadow is a compact but punchy out-and-back trail that climbs sharply from the southeast corner of South Lake toward the Sequoia National Forest boundary. Gaining 560 feet in under 1.5 miles, the trail wastes no time and rewards the effort with nice views of the surrounding forest mountai...
Learn more about Little Dry Meadow

Juniper Flat is a smooth, easy cruise through BLM land on a hard-packed sandy two-track lined with notably large juniper trees that give the trail its name. At a Rating 1, this is about as approachable as desert trails get and makes a great option for newer drivers or anyone looking for a relaxed sc...
Learn more about Juniper Flat

Patterson Lane (FS 26S34) departs from California Route 198 and enters the South Fork Wildlife Area within Sequoia National Forest, offering a gentle and scenic drive through protected forest land. The hard-packed sand surface and Rating 2 character make this one of the more accessible routes in the...
Learn more about Patterson Lane - FS 26S34

Engineers Point Overlook is a short but steep climb delivering some of the best elevated views in the Lake Isabella area. The trail ascends over 100 feet to a high viewpoint above the lake where the water and surrounding mountains spread out below. The drop off the back side of the viewpoint is equa...
Learn more about Engineer Point Overlook

Engineers Point runs along a shelf road tracing a peninsula on Lake Isabella, rolling up and down a series of steep hills with lake views throughout. The trail can be run as a straight out-and-back or extended into a loop by climbing the steep hill up to Engineers Point Overlook, combining two of th...
Learn more about Engineer Point

Old State Road South begins as a wide, graded dirt road and winds its way upward through a series of switchbacks toward the mountains, delivering some of the most dramatic views in the area. Lake Isabella spreads out below as the trail climbs, with the surrounding canyon and valley filling in the br...
Learn more about Old State Road South

To get to this trail, you will first need to come down Black Gulch Jeep Trail heading West from Hwy 155. You will continue driving until the pavement turns to dirt at the last public restroom, which is a great place to pull over to stretch and air down or up. Once back on the trail, you will eventua...
Learn more about Kern River Getaway - 27S30

FS 25S02 departs from the north side of Old State Road and runs along a shelf road delivering some of the most stunning views in the network. Lake Isabella, the town of Lake Isabella, and the surrounding mountains spread out in full panorama as the trail works its way along the ridge. Evidence of th...
Learn more about FS 25S02

Shirley Meadows FS 25S31 departs from Rancheria Road and pushes into a thick stand of tall pine trees within Sequoia National Forest. The dense forest canopy and shelf road character give this trail a different feel from the more open desert and lakeshore routes in the surrounding network. Note that...
Learn more about Shirley Meadows - FS 25S31

Lone Star (FS 26S24) winds through a grassy hill area surrounded by trees within Sequoia National Forest, connecting Brown's Mill to the Mayflower 4x4 Trail. The landscape has an open, pastoral quality with grassy clearings breaking up the tree cover along the way. Evidence of trail maintenance is v...
Learn more about Lone Star - FS 26S24

Evans Flat (FS 32E53A) runs north to south from Evans Flat Campground, tracing a ridgetop course through the thick Sequoia National Forest. The dense canopy closes in along much of the route, with low-hanging branches posing a challenge for taller vehicles. A wide shelf road section opens up the sce...
Learn more about Evans Flat - FS 32E53A

Frank FS 26S07 departs from Rancheria Road and runs along a narrow shelf road through grass and pine forest, much of which shows significant burn damage from the 2021 French Fire. Views of the valley and canyons below appear along the shelf sections. The trail currently ends earlier than its full ex...
Learn more about Frank - FS 26S07

Cookes Peak (FS 25S21) departs and returns to Rancheria Road North, running along a shelf road with consistent views down into Lake Isabella, the valley below, and the mountains across the way. The dirt and sand surface narrows to as little as one vehicle wide in places. Evidence of the 2021 French ...
Learn more about Cookes Peak - FS 25S21

North Evans (FS 32E30) serves as a key connector linking Sawmill Road, Evans Flat (FS 32E53A), Woodward Peak (FS 32E53), Borderline 4WD (FS 32E42), and Rancheria Road North into a cohesive network. The trail cuts through the Sequoia National Forest with a mostly open canopy, though low-hanging branc...
Learn more about North Evans - FS 32E30

Sawmill Road is the primary west-to-east corridor in this section of the Sequoia National Forest, departing from Rancheria Road North and climbing over 2,300 feet in just over 7.5 miles. The trail runs along a shelf road with a canyon dropping away to the south and a drainage ditch to the north, giv...
Learn more about Sawmill Road

Likely Saddle FS 26S20 serves as a connector between Rancheria Road and various other trails in the network, threading through thick pine forest within Sequoia National Forest. The hard-packed dirt surface is fairly smooth, and the trail is a practical and low-stress link between destinations. Evide...
Learn more about Likely Saddle - FS 26S20

Mount Mesa (FS 26S40A) departs from California Route 198 and rolls through a large open meadow running parallel to Kissack Bay on Lake Isabella before looping around the bay. The meadow and bay setting delivers strong water views with Sequoia National Forest mountains framing the scene in the backgr...
Learn more about Mount Mesa - FS 26S40A

Kissack Cove runs along the shoreline of Kissack Cove on Lake Isabella through open grassland, offering one of the more relaxed and scenic drives in the area. The lake views are consistent throughout, with the Sequoia National Forest mountains providing a strong backdrop. Fishing access is the prima...
Learn more about Kissack Cove

Rattlesnake (FS 26S34B) branches off Patterson Lane and runs along the south shore of Lake Isabella through an open grass meadow ringed by the foothills of the Sequoia National Forest. The lakeside access makes this a popular fishing spot, and visitors should expect to share the trail with anglers o...
Learn more about Rattlesnake - FS 26S34B

South Lake winds along the eastern edge of the South Lake village boundary, departing from Juniper Flat and tracing a course through open BLM land with the Sequoia National Forest mountains as a constant backdrop. The hard-packed sand surface is punctuated by rocks and several deep wash crossings th...
Learn more about South Lake

Mount Mesa (FS 26S40A) departs from California Route 198 and rolls through a large open meadow running parallel to Kissack Bay on Lake Isabella before looping around the bay. The meadow and bay setting delivers strong water views with Sequoia National Forest mountains framing the scene in the backgr...
Learn more about Mount Mesa - FS 26S40A

Kissack Cove runs along the shoreline of Kissack Cove on Lake Isabella through open grassland, offering one of the more relaxed and scenic drives in the area. The lake views are consistent throughout, with the Sequoia National Forest mountains providing a strong backdrop. Fishing access is the prima...
Learn more about Kissack Cove

Rattlesnake (FS 26S34B) branches off Patterson Lane and runs along the south shore of Lake Isabella through an open grass meadow ringed by the foothills of the Sequoia National Forest. The lakeside access makes this a popular fishing spot, and visitors should expect to share the trail with anglers o...
Learn more about Rattlesnake - FS 26S34B

South Lake winds along the eastern edge of the South Lake village boundary, departing from Juniper Flat and tracing a course through open BLM land with the Sequoia National Forest mountains as a constant backdrop. The hard-packed sand surface is punctuated by rocks and several deep wash crossings th...
Learn more about South Lake