Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Ruhenstroth, Nevada

Named by the BLM, P-10 is a North/South trail passing along the East side of the Carson Valley. On the North it intersects Sunrise Pass (BLM R-09), and in the South intersecting with Pine Nut Road II (BLM P-11). P-10 is an easy trail, consisting of dirt, sand, and some rocky sections. There is a min...
Learn more about P-10 Trail

Traveling East from the Carson Valley, P-16 Trail will take you into the heart of the Pine Nut Mountains. It is a one-lane winding mountain trail that gains altitude as you go East. The trail is lined with Juniper trees and Pinion Pines, with some open areas, and offers grand views of the Sierra Fro...
Learn more about Pine Nuts P-16 Trail

The trail begins on a dirt road just off Highway 395 and quickly descends into a lush valley. In this valley, the path follows a creek, winding in and out of dense vegetation. At times, the vehicle feels like it's traveling through a tunnel formed by the overhanging trees and greenery. While the tra...
Learn more about Poison Creek

This trail starts off on a wide graded dirt road. Then turning Northeast you proceed up a narrow double track trail. This portion of the trail ascends up a flat topped ridge which is lined with Juniper trees. There are several small arroyos to cross along the way. The arroyos are usually dry, but ca...
Learn more about 1947 Bunker Trail

This graded dirt county road begins at the Johnson Lane OHV Park located east of Minden, NV. As the road gradually ascends, it traverses alluvial plains covered in sage and low canyons with juniper trees. Rising to 7,000 feet at Sunrise Pass, the road takes you to the heart of the Pine Nut Mountains...
Learn more about Sunrise Pass Road

This trail leads you to panoramic views of the Carson Valley and the Sierra Front. I prefer to start at the Johnson Lane Staging Area and travel North, but either direction is okay. The trail has a few challenges. You will encounter soft sand and loose rocks on some of the steep climbs, so have appr...
Learn more about Hot Springs Mountains Senic Trail

Located in the Johnson OHV park, this trail has views of Minden, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Pine Nut Mountains. A man-made dirt pile is meant to block the trail at 4.82 miles. At this point, along the ridge, there is a small area where you can turn around. The dirt trail is a double-track trai...
Learn more about Pine Nut Mountains Vista Trail

This road takes you to the Utopian Mine located in the Pine Nut Mountains in Carson City County, Nevada. The graded dirt road is wide and flat for the first four miles. As you cross into Carson City County, the road is named Bruinswick Canyon Road. Turning on to a double-track side trail for the las...
Learn more about Utopian Mine Trail

This 2.5-mile out-and-back trail begins from Leviathan Road and offers a quick but rugged climb. The route gains over 450 feet in under a mile before dropping about 130 feet to its end high above Poison Creek, where wide views open across the valley below. The track is one vehicle wide, made of dirt...
Learn more about Water Tank Spur - FS 31347

Big Buck Meadows Trail follows the power line service road for about 1.5 miles. This portion of the trail consists of a single vehicle-wide trail with a few easy hairpin switchbacks. Ascending about 800 feet to an elevation of 7,211 ft. the trail surface is mostly packed gravel. As the road quickly ...
Learn more about Big Buck Meadows Trail

Big Spring Spur Road is a scenic dirt route in the Toiyabe National Forest, accessed from Highway 89, about 7.5 miles west of the Highway 395/89 Junction. This rugged path takes you through open meadows, rolling ridgelines, and offers striking views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The road surfa...
Learn more about Big Spring Spur Road

The trail begins at the end of Leviathan Mine Road, where a seasonal gate controls access. From start to finish, the route drops over 1,500 feet and climbs about 450 feet in just over six miles before connecting to Poison Creek Trail. The road is about one and a half vehicles wide and made up of san...
Learn more about Leviathan Road East - FS 31052

This narrow 3-mile route starts near the end of Leviathan Road by the mine and climbs more than 700 feet. The trail is tight and overgrown in spots, with low-hanging branches and brush crowding the edges. It is made of hard-packed dirt and is barely wide enough for a single vehicle. From the start, ...
Learn more about High Peak Road - FS 31050

Accessed from Big Spring Road West, this lesser-known offshoot delivers a peaceful backcountry ride through sagebrush meadows and an Aspen forest that truly comes alive in the fall. The trail is one vehicle wide and winds gently through vibrant vegetation, gradually climbing over 300 feet from south...
Learn more about Leviathan Bypass - FS 31353

This trail becomes very rocky and bouncy with off-camber sections. There are many low trees to get under. But the end of the trail rewards you with scenic views of various valleys and surrounding hillsides and mountains in the distance. There is a radio reflector at the end, hence the name of the...
Learn more about Reflector Road

This trail is commonly mapped as the Kingsbury Stinger Trail in apps, but according to the sign posted at the trail, it is not. It is Forest Service Trail 18E46, and we will refer to it as Lower Kingsbury Stinger Alternate. This trail allows you to out-and-back Kingsbury Stinger, but from a differen...
Learn more about Lower Kingsbury Stinger Alternate - FS 18E46

This trail can connect you from Big Buck Meadows Trail to the Saddle of two over 8,000-foot peaks with spectacular views all around. The trail is VERY narrow with lots of Pinon trees and some boulders 2-3 feet at most. It can be very overgrown, so bringing a chainsaw and trimmers is recommended. Pin...
Learn more about Mineral Valley Trail

This 4-mile out-and-back trail climbs just over 100 feet and drops more than 300 feet in under 2 miles as it winds through dense forest and open meadows. The track is a single vehicle wide, often very tight, with overgrown trees and brush. Expect Sierra pinstripes in multiple sections. The trail beg...
Learn more about Leviathan Creek

This dirt road access is gated and seasonally open, with a semi-paved parking area just outside the edge of a nearby residential neighborhood. The surface starts with gravel and quickly turns to well-graded, hard-packed dirt. With only a slight incline at the start and minor dips throughout, with ve...
Learn more about High Meadows Road - FS 12N21

High Meadows is a more relaxed and flowing trail in the area. The biggest challenge on the trail is the loose sand that is common to the area, but most sections were not too deep, and made carrying speed fairly easy. This is a great trail for all skill levels and has some great banked corners for ha...
Learn more about High Meadows Trail

Named by the BLM, P-10 is a North/South trail passing along the East side of the Carson Valley. On the North it intersects Sunrise Pass (BLM R-09), and in the South intersecting with Pine Nut Road II (BLM P-11). P-10 is an easy trail, consisting of dirt, sand, and some rocky sections. There is a min...
Learn more about P-10 Trail

Traveling East from the Carson Valley, P-16 Trail will take you into the heart of the Pine Nut Mountains. It is a one-lane winding mountain trail that gains altitude as you go East. The trail is lined with Juniper trees and Pinion Pines, with some open areas, and offers grand views of the Sierra Fro...
Learn more about Pine Nuts P-16 Trail

The trail begins on a dirt road just off Highway 395 and quickly descends into a lush valley. In this valley, the path follows a creek, winding in and out of dense vegetation. At times, the vehicle feels like it's traveling through a tunnel formed by the overhanging trees and greenery. While the tra...
Learn more about Poison Creek

This trail starts off on a wide graded dirt road. Then turning Northeast you proceed up a narrow double track trail. This portion of the trail ascends up a flat topped ridge which is lined with Juniper trees. There are several small arroyos to cross along the way. The arroyos are usually dry, but ca...
Learn more about 1947 Bunker Trail

Named by the BLM, P-10 is a North/South trail passing along the East side of the Carson Valley. On the North it intersects Sunrise Pass (BLM R-09), and in the South intersecting with Pine Nut Road II (BLM P-11). P-10 is an easy trail, consisting of dirt, sand, and some rocky sections. There is a min...
Learn more about P-10 Trail

Traveling East from the Carson Valley, P-16 Trail will take you into the heart of the Pine Nut Mountains. It is a one-lane winding mountain trail that gains altitude as you go East. The trail is lined with Juniper trees and Pinion Pines, with some open areas, and offers grand views of the Sierra Fro...
Learn more about Pine Nuts P-16 Trail

The trail begins on a dirt road just off Highway 395 and quickly descends into a lush valley. In this valley, the path follows a creek, winding in and out of dense vegetation. At times, the vehicle feels like it's traveling through a tunnel formed by the overhanging trees and greenery. While the tra...
Learn more about Poison Creek

This trail starts off on a wide graded dirt road. Then turning Northeast you proceed up a narrow double track trail. This portion of the trail ascends up a flat topped ridge which is lined with Juniper trees. There are several small arroyos to cross along the way. The arroyos are usually dry, but ca...
Learn more about 1947 Bunker Trail