Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Rancho Santa Fe, California

This trail winds its way through the Cleveland Forest from Pamo Road to the Guejito Truck Trail. The trail is not very well maintained. It is very rutted. The trail takes you up and over…
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Santa Ysabel Truck Trail is a narrow, shelf-road trail running through a section of the Cleveland National Forest in Ramona. The trail follows along Santa Ysabel Creek and offers beautiful views over the mountains, and…
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Nate Harrison Grade is a dirt backroad into Palomar Mountain State Park. This trail leads from typical Southern California scrubland scenery up to lush forests and mountain views. You'll encounter loose rocky areas and several…
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11S03 Lusardi Truck Trail is an 11.6-mile out-and-back trail rated 3 of 10 located within the Cleveland National Forest, Trabuco Ranger District. Lusardi Truck Trail ascends the Carney Canyon between the Black Butte (west) and…
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11S04 Black Mountain is a 10.8-mile out-and-back located in the Cleveland National Forest, Palomar Ranger District. This is a limited-use trail restricted to street-legal vehicles. The trail is rated 3 of 10 but has the…
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This trail cuts through a beautiful stretch of backcountry in eastern San Diego County and passes near hiking trailheads to three different waterfalls. The loop starts and finishes on graded dirt roads and has a…
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The Palomar Divide is an easy drive with beautiful views. It is a single lane with pull-offs throughout. The majority of the trail is dirt, however, it has some old paved sections in the lower…
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8S05 is a well-maintained service road, but you can expect large rocks, ruts, and very steep drop-offs throughout. The weather could have a significant impact on the road. Muddy conditions are likely; one should ensure…
Learn more about 8S05 - North Palomar Mountain Road

This route goes up and over Otay Mountain with sweeping views over the San Ysidro Mountains, and a little bit of San Diego in the distance. The road is made up entirely of dirt and…
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This is a well-maintained road that needs high clearance just for potholes and washouts. It has some beautiful views of the Otay mountains with a lot of little offshoots to explore, given you have the…
Learn more about Otay Mountain Truck Trail (Upper Trail)

This is a well-maintained road that needs high clearance just for potholes and washouts. It has some beautiful views of the Otay mountains with a lot of little offshoots to explore, given you have the…
Learn more about Otay Mountain Truck Trail (Lower Trail)

This is a pretty mellow 2-track road leading to the top of Tecate Peak. The lower part of the trail is a grave road. If there has been a lot of rain, expect ruts! There…
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This is the main east-west connector inside the Corral Canyon OHV area and can be run in either direction. There are some gentle obstacles as this is a poorly maintained forest service road, and can…
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Tucked amidst the hustle and bustle of Southern California's heavily-populated coast is a slice of heaven called the Cleveland National Forest. This mountainous region is undeveloped, save for a few great trails connecting world-class views…
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Gunslinger Trail #11 is a 1.8-mile point-to-point trail rated 3 of 10 located in the Corral Canyon OHV recreation area. Corral Canyon OHV is located roughly 30 miles east of San Diego and it offers…
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The trail is mainly hard-packed dirt and some sand once in the canyon. This trail passes through private property and has signs around the area, so just be respectful when driving through the first 4…
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Wrangler Trail is part of the Corral Canyon OHV Area in the Laguna Mountains of San Diego County. Corral Canyon is one of the only remaining OHV areas in San Diego, which attracts offroaders of…
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Beautiful views of the valley below and mountains above. There are lots of switchbacks and about 600 feet of elevation gain in just a few miles of driving. The second half of the trail was…
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This off-road route offers a scenic journey from Mexico Highway 2, meandering around the El Corizo Dam before connecting with Mexico Highway 3. Suitable for any high-clearance 2WD vehicle, the initial stretch from Highway 2…
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Rouse Ridge via Cottonwood is a trail that scales Rouse Ridge/Thomas Mountain using Cottonwood (6S18) and Thomas Mountain Rd (6S13). This trail offers stunning views in all directions as you ascend and descend the mountain.…
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5S01 Indian Truck Trail is a 7-mile point-to-point trail rated 3 of 10 located within the Cleveland National Forest, Trabuco Ranger District. Indian Truck Trail ascends 2,500 feet over the 7-mile drive from the Temescal…
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15S18 Sheephead Mountain Road is a 4.6-mile out-and-back trail rated 3 of 10 located within the Cleveland National Forest, Descanso Ranger District. The trail to the top is a full 6.8 miles, but due to…
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The Main Divide is composed of 3 sections, all of which are easy going trails that can be done with any high clearance 4x4 or a low clearance AWD vehicle with care. This trail offers…
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Rouse Hill is a ridgeline trail with tremendous west and east views. This trail is predominately hard-packed dirt with a loose top layer. It can be a bit sandy in some sections but that will…
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Rouse Hill Road is for street-legal vehicles only; no green stickers or OHV vehicles. Full-size vehicles are at home here, as the trail is a single track with plenty of room. The beginning of this…
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This trail connects the Rouse Ridge via Cottonwood trail to the Thomas Mountain Campground via the western end of Thomas Mountain Road. During dry months, the trail is an easily passable dirt road, requiring only…
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Maple Springs road offers a fun, relatively easy route with scenic views of the Cleveland National Forest. Vehicles should have some ground clearance. At the end of the trail is an elevated patch of asphalt…
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Blair Valley Loop is a 7.9-mile point-to-point trail rated 3 of 10 within the California Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Blair Valley area is a collection of two small valleys with several attractions to see. The…
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Uneven, rutted dirt trail with loose rocks and sand. Muddy conditions should be expected during the rainy season. The trail is primarily one vehicle wide with some portions wide enough for passing oncoming traffic. Steep…
Learn more about 6S13 - Thomas Mountain Road

16S08 Fred Canyon Road is a 6.1-mile point-to-point trail rated 3 of 10 located within the Cleveland National Forest, Descanso Ranger District. This trail is usually run in conjunction with Fred Canyon to create a…
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