Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Rutherford, California

Explore All Beginner Trails Near Rutherford, California

Cement Creek

This trail has great views throughout with a spectacular view of Lake Berryessa at its highest elevation point. Expect to drive dirt, gravel and mud along the out and back trail. There are also many…
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Total Miles
11.3
Tech Rating
Best Time
Fa

Devilhead Road

This is an easy fire road in dry weather and a fun mud run in wet weather. The road doubles as the southern entrance to Knoxville, OHV, and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. It then…
Learn more about Devilhead Road
Total Miles
3.9
Tech Rating
Best Time
Fa

Dunnigan Hill

The main connector between the north and south entrances of the Knoxville OHV area. Very active with power sports vehicles, as many marked and unmarked trails crisscross this trail. An easy trail with good views…
Learn more about Dunnigan Hill
Total Miles
7.4
Tech Rating
Best Time
Fa

Bear Valley Road Trail

Easy dirt trail with connections to the Berryessa Snow Mountain Monument area Trails with wildflower sights in Spring and the main road to The Wilbur Hot Springs. Beautiful scenery of the Bear Valley in Lake…
Learn more about Bear Valley Road Trail
Total Miles
13.3
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi

Walker Ridge Road to Indian Valley Reservoir Road

Walker Ridge Road is one of the main entrances to the Indian Valley Reservoir (CDFW) and the Walker Ridge Recreation Area (BLM). The road is gravel and accessible by most high-clearance vehicles. There are plenty…
Learn more about Walker Ridge Road to Indian Valley Reservoir Road
Total Miles
9.3
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Cold Spring

This trail will take you to a wetland area where multiple springs emerge from the mountainside. There is a dispersed camping area at the end where it turns into some hiking trails that give an…
Learn more about Cold Spring
Total Miles
0.8
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bartlett Springs Road

Bartlett Springs Road begins southeast of Mendocino National Forest and boasts excellent views. This route passes through BLM land, and there are plenty of offshoots from the trail. There are also opportunities for camping, hiking,…
Learn more about Bartlett Springs Road
Total Miles
9.6
Tech Rating
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp / Wi

Mendo-Lake Road

An easy scenic route over mountain ridges through South Cow Mountain OHV that connects lakeport to Ukiah. This is the main dirt road through cow mountain that has multiple harder trails off either side and…
Learn more about Mendo-Lake Road
Total Miles
12.4
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Eel's Cliff

This route will take you from Upper Lake all the way to Eel River/Lake Pillsbury. It begins with great views of the valley, plenty of camping and resting spots in between, and ends with your…
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Total Miles
26.3
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Letts Lake

This trail is a little less than 4 miles and leads to Letts Lake and campground. As the only lake in the lower half of Mendocino NF, it is worth visiting. There are four campsites…
Learn more about Letts Lake
Total Miles
3.3
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Richardson Glade - FS 17N26

Single wide trail with one end being an out-and-back. The south end has dispersed campsites on the edge of the ridge, which are awesome but also very exposed. The trail has many washes and ditches,…
Learn more about Richardson Glade - FS 17N26
Total Miles
4.7
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Wilblain - FS 16N18

Narrow trail connecting Mendocino Scenic Corridor and Richardson Glade. More of a tighter two-track section with lots of off-camber and washes to navigate through. You will encounter tough vegetation in some sections and get some…
Learn more about Wilblain - FS 16N18
Total Miles
0.7
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

East Letts - FS 17N02k

This trail used to be longer, but erosion turned it into half just a dirt bike trail. This trial ends at a bit of a turn around that you could unload your bikes and hit…
Learn more about East Letts - FS 17N02k
Total Miles
0.9
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Letts Valley - FS 17N02

This is more of a straightforward gravel fire road. It has most of the surrounding trails attached to it and is also the dirt way to Letts Lake and campgrounds. Some sections of the road…
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Total Miles
2.7
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Stony Slope - FS 17N89

Out-and-back trail, big dispersed camp area at the end of the trail for multiple vehicles. There are a few spots to pass, and a dirt bike trail is towards the beginning. has a few ledges…
Learn more about Stony Slope - FS 17N89
Total Miles
1.1
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Fouts-Bear Creek Road M10

This trail begins at the end of the Fouts-Bear Creek paved road that comes from the Fouts Springs Camp Grounds and takes you to the Long Ridge and Bear Creek split. There is a campground…
Learn more about Fouts-Bear Creek Road M10
Total Miles
14.8
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Mill Valley Spur C - FS 17N02C

Single wide trail but smooth. This trail connects the main Letts Valley trail to Mill Valley Campground. If you miss it, you'll have to go way around and take a difficulty 4/10 trail to get…
Learn more about Mill Valley Spur C - FS 17N02C
Total Miles
0.2
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Sanborn - FS 17N63

Mostly a wide fire road connecting the road to Potato Hill Trail. There are some small washes, and it narrows at a few sections to one vehicle wide. Good views from the top of the…
Learn more about Sanborn - FS 17N63
Total Miles
0.9
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Letts Ridge Trailhead Entrance

This is the beginning of the Letts Ridge trail. Past this is only for dirtbikes and other smaller OHV machines. This trail will also take you to the Champagne trail wh8ch also connects to Potato…
Learn more about Letts Ridge Trailhead Entrance
Total Miles
0.4
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Champagne - FS 17N79

This trail immediately starts climbing. Has many rolling water drainages and rocky sections. Start to get good views of the canyon as well. Crossing a road and continuing on the other side, it's easy to…
Learn more about Champagne - FS 17N79
Total Miles
0.7
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Pilot Grove - FS 16N01

The trail connects Elk Mountain Road to Deer Valley Campground. 1 to 2 vehicles wide as you go along. The trail is more like a fire service road, well-maintained with minimal washouts. Mostly stay in…
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Total Miles
3.5
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Boundary Road - FS 17N06

This trail takes you up to the Summit Springs trailhead. Gets steep in some sections, mixed with smaller washes. There is a section of the trail beginning to wash out, so use caution. Near the…
Learn more about Boundary Road - FS 17N06
Total Miles
1.5
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Potato Hill - FS 17N33

This is an out-and-back two-track style trail that goes along Bear Creek primitive campground and climbs up towards Potato Hill on some shelf roads. Unfortunately, the trail goes to a small corner of private property…
Learn more about Potato Hill - FS 17N33
Total Miles
5.2
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bear Creek Road M10

This is the main route taking you from Elk Mountain Road to the Bear Creek Crossing that meets Long Ridge - FS 17N16 and Fouts-Bear Creek Rd. It does route through private properties, but it…
Learn more about Bear Creek Road M10
Total Miles
7.1
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Grouse Springs-Bear Creek Connector

This trail connects M10 to the main M3 route. Single wide with steep sections, off camber, and a water crossing. Multiple washes are about 12" deep and run long lengths of trail and change from…
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Total Miles
3.6
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Mc Creary Glade - FS 17N99

This trail is mainly a fire road, but it will get pretty narrow in sections. Multiple areas of being a shelf road and steep grades. Goes up and down two ridges, offering awesome views, and…
Learn more about Mc Creary Glade - FS 17N99
Total Miles
5.3
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Horse Mountain South Connector - FS 17N27B

This trail connects Horse Mountain to A road. Tight trail with some overgrown vegetation that will cause some pinstripes. There are small washes, but if they're full of water, watch out, they could be deeper…
Learn more about Horse Mountain South Connector - FS 17N27B
Total Miles
0.8
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Horse Mountain - FS 17N27

This trail goes around the north ridge of Horse Mountain and is mainly one vehicle wide. Multiple small washes, but easy to navigate around or over. There are multiple Dispersed camp areas along the trail;…
Learn more about Horse Mountain - FS 17N27
Total Miles
1.8
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Willow Rock - FS 17N39

This is an out-and-back trail that is shared use and leads to multiple off-highway vehicle trails. There are some dispersed campsites along the way and at the end, but there is a huge dedicated dispersed…
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Total Miles
1.5
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bluejay - FS 17N38

This is an out-and-back trail that leads to off-highway specific trails. It is also shared use, so be cautious of others. There are dispersed camp sites along the way, and it ends in a bigger…
Learn more about Bluejay - FS 17N38
Total Miles
2.9
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

ATV Trails Near Rutherford, California

Dunnigan Hill

The main connector between the north and south entrances of the Knoxville OHV area. Very active with power sports vehicles, as many marked and unmarked trails crisscross this trail. An easy trail with good views…
Learn more about Dunnigan Hill
Total Miles
7.4
Tech Rating
Best Time
Fa

Bear Valley Road Trail

Easy dirt trail with connections to the Berryessa Snow Mountain Monument area Trails with wildflower sights in Spring and the main road to The Wilbur Hot Springs. Beautiful scenery of the Bear Valley in Lake…
Learn more about Bear Valley Road Trail
Total Miles
13.3
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi

Walker Ridge Road to Indian Valley Reservoir Road

Walker Ridge Road is one of the main entrances to the Indian Valley Reservoir (CDFW) and the Walker Ridge Recreation Area (BLM). The road is gravel and accessible by most high-clearance vehicles. There are plenty…
Learn more about Walker Ridge Road to Indian Valley Reservoir Road
Total Miles
9.3
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Cold Spring

This trail will take you to a wetland area where multiple springs emerge from the mountainside. There is a dispersed camping area at the end where it turns into some hiking trails that give an…
Learn more about Cold Spring
Total Miles
0.8
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bartlett Springs Road

Bartlett Springs Road begins southeast of Mendocino National Forest and boasts excellent views. This route passes through BLM land, and there are plenty of offshoots from the trail. There are also opportunities for camping, hiking,…
Learn more about Bartlett Springs Road
Total Miles
9.6
Tech Rating
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp / Wi

Mendo-Lake Road

An easy scenic route over mountain ridges through South Cow Mountain OHV that connects lakeport to Ukiah. This is the main dirt road through cow mountain that has multiple harder trails off either side and…
Learn more about Mendo-Lake Road
Total Miles
12.4
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

UTV/Side-by-Side Near Rutherford, California

Dunnigan Hill

The main connector between the north and south entrances of the Knoxville OHV area. Very active with power sports vehicles, as many marked and unmarked trails crisscross this trail. An easy trail with good views…
Learn more about Dunnigan Hill
Total Miles
7.4
Tech Rating
Best Time
Fa

Bear Valley Road Trail

Easy dirt trail with connections to the Berryessa Snow Mountain Monument area Trails with wildflower sights in Spring and the main road to The Wilbur Hot Springs. Beautiful scenery of the Bear Valley in Lake…
Learn more about Bear Valley Road Trail
Total Miles
13.3
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi

Walker Ridge Road to Indian Valley Reservoir Road

Walker Ridge Road is one of the main entrances to the Indian Valley Reservoir (CDFW) and the Walker Ridge Recreation Area (BLM). The road is gravel and accessible by most high-clearance vehicles. There are plenty…
Learn more about Walker Ridge Road to Indian Valley Reservoir Road
Total Miles
9.3
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Cold Spring

This trail will take you to a wetland area where multiple springs emerge from the mountainside. There is a dispersed camping area at the end where it turns into some hiking trails that give an…
Learn more about Cold Spring
Total Miles
0.8
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bartlett Springs Road

Bartlett Springs Road begins southeast of Mendocino National Forest and boasts excellent views. This route passes through BLM land, and there are plenty of offshoots from the trail. There are also opportunities for camping, hiking,…
Learn more about Bartlett Springs Road
Total Miles
9.6
Tech Rating
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp / Wi

Mendo-Lake Road

An easy scenic route over mountain ridges through South Cow Mountain OHV that connects lakeport to Ukiah. This is the main dirt road through cow mountain that has multiple harder trails off either side and…
Learn more about Mendo-Lake Road
Total Miles
12.4
Tech Rating
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa