Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Palo Cedro, 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

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

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

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

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

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

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 gravel road begins from the Midas Saddle Road - FS 30N16 and connects through to the Browns Creek Road - FS 30N01. The road surface is mostly in good condition, with some areas of erosion damage up to a foot deep and a couple of sections of more natural surface. The road is a littl...
Learn more about Chanchelulla Gulch Road - FS 30N15

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

This single-lane gravel road begins from the Browns Creek Road - FS 30N01 and connects through to the Potato Creek Road - FS 30N04. The road surface is mostly in good condition, with the exception of one spot with erosion ruts and damage a little over a foot deep. The road is wide enough to meet a...
Learn more about Hall City Creek Road - FS 29N07

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

This 2-mile out-and-back trail starts and ends at Pit Goose Valley Trail, climbing over 313 feet within the Lassen National Forest through a pine forest environment. The trail surface consists of packed, dusty dirt that starts wide and narrows as the route progresses. The trail immediately starts cl...
Learn more about Pit Long Valley Spur - FS 36N08

This trail starts on Clark Creek Road and cuts through the Lassen National Forest as well as some private land, so staying on the trail is essential to respect these boundaries. Wood cutting is not allowed along this route. The trail climbs almost 1,300 feet and drops over 600 feet, creating signifi...
Learn more about Pit Goose Valley - FS 36N14

This 9-mile out-and-back trail starts on Clark Creek Road and travels through the Lassen National Forest, surrounded by a forest of ponderosa trees and manzanita bushes. The trail surface consists of hard-packed dirt that can get very dusty throughout the drive. Heading south, views of Lookout Mount...
Learn more about Pit Long Valley - FS 35N15

This gravel road begins from the Potato Creek Road - FS 30N04 and connects through to the Browns Creek Road - FS 30N01, but when evaluated, it was blocked by downed trees about 8 miles in. From the condition of the road beyond the trees, they have been there for years. The road is initially good gr...
Learn more about Midas Saddle Road - FS 30N16

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

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

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

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

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

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