Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Placerville, California

This is a nice little adventure close to town where you will switchback underneath the powerlines and make your way towards Iowa Hill. The trail is not too difficult--mostly just forest roads--but there are some…
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This route alternates between gravel and native dirt surfaces, generally single-vehicle wide with periodic pullouts for passing. Four-wheel drive (4WD) is recommended. Portions narrow into a shelf road that winds through tight forest and canyon…
Learn more about Rock Creek

This is a short loop trail off of the Rock Creek Loop that is unmarked at both entrances and is kind of hidden due to forestry work along the Rock Creek Loop. The west end…
Learn more about Trail 1-5 (11E51)

This is a short cutoff trail that bails you out from Trail 5, back to the road portion of Rock Creek Loop, and out to Rock Creek Road. The trail is 1.2 miles long, and…
Learn more about Trail 5-1 (11E32)

This is a 1.5-mile-long dirt bike trail that makes a loop with part of Trail 6. Most of it is a wide shelf-road-like trail, lined with tall oaks and pines and thickets. It's mostly flat…
Learn more about Trail 6-2 (11E52)

This trail is 1.1 miles of fun and easy winding single track through a dry and dusty forest of firs and pines. The trail has lots of big roots present, with tight twisty turns, and…
Learn more about Trail 5-2 (11E29)

The north end of this trail starts out very wide, like a shelf road, lined with tall sugar pines, then goes into the trees on a narrower path. It stays smooth and obstacle-free for the…
Learn more about Trail 4-3 (11E34)

This is a short connector trail between Trail 10 and Trail 4. It's a wide path between low manzanita tree branches, like a tree tunnel. The surface is lightly covered in small loose rocks and…
Learn more about Trail 4-1 (11E35)

This half of Trail 9 is a steady and gradual descent from the intersection with Trail 4-2. It's easy overall, with small loose rocks, gradual curves, waterbars, banked corners, troughs, ruts, and dips. It drops…
Learn more about Trail 9 (11E13)

This is a fun little road if you are in Georgetown, whether in a Jeep or on an OHV. There are a few creeks from spring runoff that make it a pretty road! It's more…
Learn more about No Way Out

Gasparni takes you through the pine trees and brush connecting the dirt section of Forebay to the pavement leading to Brush Creek Reservoir. Nearly all of the trail is wide enough for a full-width truck,…
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Forebay Road is a short but fun forest road that snakes through the trees and brush with plenty of opportunity for fun hill climbs off either side. Loosely following the high power lines, Forebay can…
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This trail starts out at the intersection with Rock Creek Loop (Trail 1) just south of the Bald Mountain Staging Area. It starts out as a wide shelf road that is smooth and flat, in…
Learn more about Trail 1-3 (11E30)

Bottle Hill is a good trail to learn how your vehicle feels on dirt, rock, and mud;or to check the off-road capability of your vehicle after making modifications or repairs. It is also a nice,…
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This is NOT the Rubicon Trail. This is US Forestry Service fire road route number 13N66, known as Rubicon Road located in the Volcanoville area of Georgetown, California. It is located inside the Mosquito Fire…
Learn more about Rubicon Road - 13N66

Volcanoville is a good beginner trail that can be completed by most stock 4x4 SUVs, as well as many AWD vehicles with AT tires and at least 8 inches of clearance. The trail does get…
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Latrobe Road is a scenic dirt road that passes through the rolling foothills outside the Sacramento Valley and provides ample views of the surrounding area. The trail passes through agricultural land, cattle grazing areas, and…
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This is a secondary entrance to the Shirttail Canyon trail. This trail meanders down the canyon, surrounded by mossy trees and waterfalls during certain times of the year. If coming from the Foresthill side, this…
Learn more about Yankee Jims

The main attraction of this route is a popular swimming hole below Colfax-Foresthill Suspension Bridge. Our round-about way of getting there follows a paved road through historic Iowa Hill, then continues on a narrow, winding…
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Finning Mill Road is a great off-road alternative to get to the Foresthill OHV area, instead of staying on paved roads to get there. It is a well-maintained gravel road that cuts through privately owned…
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Open to ALL Vehicles:5/1-11/01. Transversing into the burn-scarred forest thinned out but still provided ample shade along the pine trees. Keep an eye out for the deer. A short section of overgrowth is a reminder…
Learn more about Mosquito Ridge Lookout FS 96-010

Gold Note (FS 8N55) is an easy trail in the Eldorado National Forest, sitting at approximately 4,400 feet. It acts as a critical connector, linking various trails within the Gold Note trail system and providing…
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Gold Note 4WD (FS 8N91) is a moderately challenging Gold Note trail system segment. The trail is single-vehicle width and features areas of overgrown brush, adding to the difficulty. Riders will encounter deep ruts and…
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Tie 3-6 is a 0.9-mile-long dirt bike loop branching off of Loop 3. The trail matches the ease of Loop 3, offering smooth, flowy, and fast riding through a dry pine forest. It follows a…
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Loop 3 is a dirt bike trail stretching over 6 miles, starting at Loop 2 on the north end, crossing Sugar Pine Road, and tying into several other dirt bike routes, including Tie 3-5, Tie…
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Five Corners (FS 8N54) is an easy trail that connects multiple trail systems in the area. Located at an elevation of approximately 4,100 feet, it offers several dispersed camping spots along its route, making it…
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Upper Gold Note (FS 8N57) is a relatively easy trail connecting Gold Note and North-South Road. Located at approximately 4,100 feet, the trail offers a mix of loose dirt and occasional rocky sections, making it…
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Brimstone (FS 24) is a fairly well-maintained road that connects Finning Mill Road, and Elliot Ranch Road. It is an easy route with multiple dirt-bike trail crossings, and access to three separate staging areas (Brimstone,…
Learn more about Brimstone - S24

Tie 3-3 is a 2.5-mile-long easy dirt bike connector that links different segments of Loop 3 and provides an alternate way north/south when riding Loop 3. The trail consists of smooth dirt with frequent waterbars…
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Tie 3-4 is a 1.1-mile-long dirt bike-only trail that maintains a fairly wide path as it cuts through a dry pine forest. It connects Loop 4 to Tie 3-1. The terrain is dominated by dusty…
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