Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Santa Ynez, California

Surrounded by chaparral in the Los Padres National Forest. This trail can be closed due to weather. Please check the LPNF website. The best time to go is in the spring to see the flowers and green hills. There is a first come first serve campground at the base of the mountains.
Learn more about Bates Canyon

Located in the Los Padres National Forest. This road follows a ridge line to McPherson Peak that has a telecommunication tower ending up over 5,700 ft. From there, you can continue on foot to backpacking trails. This is mostly untouched land, surrounded by chaparral shrubs with oak trees. There are...
Learn more about McPherson Peak - FS 32S13

Fun loop around Rockfront OHV. This loop shows you everything Rockfront has to offer the Central Coast of California;steep climbs, jumpy fast double track, and lots of dust! This loop also brings you to Baja Campground. Enjoy the double track with anything from a moto to a full-sized 4x4.
Learn more about Ride around Rockfront

This is a relatively short, flat, singletrack trail restricted to dirt bike and ATV use. It runs alongside Trail 40 and connects this trail with Trail 41. There are a few rock obstacles midway as well as some stretches of shallow sand and small whoops. There are also a couple of areas where the surr...
Learn more about Trail 43

This is a short, point-to-point singletrack trail for dirt bikes only that connects Trail 40 with Trails 24 and 39. It is fairly flat and runs through a wash canyon over shallow sand and dirt with both small loose and embedded rocks. There are also occasional stretches of closely spaced but small wh...
Learn more about Trail 37

This is a fast and flowy 50" trail through open fields on the northern edge of the Ballinger riding area. It starts near the Day Use parking area and adjacent campground and will provide a good warm-up ride before heading out to more difficult trails. There are several short, steep, and rutted hill ...
Learn more about Trail 6

This is a short, fun singletrack trail for dirt bikes and ATVs only that connects Trail 24 with Trail 40. From Trail 24, it runs up a hillside through a tree section over a couple short climbs. It then transitions to a shelf trail along an open hillside area before finishing with a fast and flowy st...
Learn more about Trail 31

This is a point-to-point trail running from the southwest corner to the center of the Ballinger OHV area. The track is generally a little wider than a single vehicle, with frequent places to pull aside to let other vehicles pass. The trail surface is predominantly packed dirt with small embedded roc...
Learn more about Trail 40

This is a loop trail that climbs to the top of a ridge and then circles back. The start of the trail begins in a sandy wash and then quickly climbs up an adjacent rutted hillside using a series of narrow switchbacks. At the top, the trail flattens out and has occasional whoops, loose rocks, and rut...
Learn more about Trail 17

The majority of the road is smooth and graded. However, there are sections that can have sticky mud, washed out from seasonal creeks that have a potential for high clearance. Carrizo Plain can get very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. The best time to go in the spring to check out the ...
Learn more about Elkhorn Road

This is a great little area with two campsites off of it. The first one has bathrooms and fire pits/picnic tables and is very quiet, shady, and relaxed; the second, larger one at the top is much bigger, no toilets, but the view at the edge of it of Bakersfield is unmatched in the area. Super cool vi...
Learn more about Camp Marion - FS 9N34

Quatal Canyon Road is a moderate offroad route in California’s Los Padres National Forest that offers remote backcountry access and rugged, scenic terrain for high-clearance 4WDs, dual-sport motorcycles, and side-by-sides. It is a fun, mostly straight trail cutting between California Route 33 and Mi...
Learn more about Quatal Canyon

This is an easily navigable dirt road up the mountain that has a few small washouts, but nothing to stop the average explorer. There are a couple of small, undeveloped campsites along the way, and at the top, there are amazing views of Bakersfield as well as Pine Mountain Club. The big landing at th...
Learn more about San Emigdio - FS 9N34

A nice forested Jeep-style trail between Marian Campground overlook and FS 9N34. It winds through a ridge with one or two short climbs of 15-17 degrees and through a couple of tighter paths cut through felled trees. It may be a little tight for a full-size truck, but a mid-size truck had no issues. ...
Learn more about FS 22W12

This is a relatively short dirt road that loops off Mutau OHV Trail - FS 7N03, the main access road in the area. It passes through wooded areas to an open meadow space near the trailhead for Yellowjacket Singletrack - FS 20W24. Along the route, there are a couple of pullout areas that would be good ...
Learn more about Piano Box Loop - FS 7N03C

This is the main access road into the Los Padres National Forest on the southwest side of the Frazier Mountain area. It leads to several other OHV trails and hiking trailheads, but eventually dead ends at a locked gate. From the north end, it begins as a winding paved road for the first 1.5 miles be...
Learn more about Mutau OHV - FS 7N03

Probably the best views from any trail in the area, this road winds down the side of the mountain to a scrub bush flat with a few fire pits along the way. On the trip, you will cross a small creek that I think may be the only year-round running water in the area, but it is never more than a trickle....
Learn more about Seymour Creek - FS 8N05

Shelf road for the first half winding down into a pretty nice and quiet valley. There road is fairly easy but the shelf grade to the side of the first half is steep and may make novice drivers nervous. There is a large fallen tree towards the end that you could get around, however the road ends at a...
Learn more about Mill Canyon - FS 9N04

This is a wide dirt road that grants access to a few more trails of varying difficulty. There are also numerous dirt bike trails back in this area, as well as a dirt parking lot at the entrance. Gated access is season-dependent. There is a deeper washout across the road before the gate, which will r...
Learn more about Tecuya Ace - FS 9N22

A straightforward dirt road following the south side of the mountain, offering some great views of Cuddy Valley. This ends at a dirt circle at the mountain top with some small foot or bike trails afterwards, and is a nice palate cleanser after a few of the more narrow trips through the drainage road...
Learn more about West Tecuya - FS 9N19

Fun loop around Rockfront OHV. This loop shows you everything Rockfront has to offer the Central Coast of California;steep climbs, jumpy fast double track, and lots of dust! This loop also brings you to Baja Campground. Enjoy the double track with anything from a moto to a full-sized 4x4.
Learn more about Ride around Rockfront

This is a relatively short, flat, singletrack trail restricted to dirt bike and ATV use. It runs alongside Trail 40 and connects this trail with Trail 41. There are a few rock obstacles midway as well as some stretches of shallow sand and small whoops. There are also a couple of areas where the surr...
Learn more about Trail 43

This is a fast and flowy 50" trail through open fields on the northern edge of the Ballinger riding area. It starts near the Day Use parking area and adjacent campground and will provide a good warm-up ride before heading out to more difficult trails. There are several short, steep, and rutted hill ...
Learn more about Trail 6

This is a short, fun singletrack trail for dirt bikes and ATVs only that connects Trail 24 with Trail 40. From Trail 24, it runs up a hillside through a tree section over a couple short climbs. It then transitions to a shelf trail along an open hillside area before finishing with a fast and flowy st...
Learn more about Trail 31

Fun loop around Rockfront OHV. This loop shows you everything Rockfront has to offer the Central Coast of California;steep climbs, jumpy fast double track, and lots of dust! This loop also brings you to Baja Campground. Enjoy the double track with anything from a moto to a full-sized 4x4.
Learn more about Ride around Rockfront

This is a point-to-point trail running from the southwest corner to the center of the Ballinger OHV area. The track is generally a little wider than a single vehicle, with frequent places to pull aside to let other vehicles pass. The trail surface is predominantly packed dirt with small embedded roc...
Learn more about Trail 40

This is a loop trail that climbs to the top of a ridge and then circles back. The start of the trail begins in a sandy wash and then quickly climbs up an adjacent rutted hillside using a series of narrow switchbacks. At the top, the trail flattens out and has occasional whoops, loose rocks, and rut...
Learn more about Trail 17

This is a great little area with two campsites off of it. The first one has bathrooms and fire pits/picnic tables and is very quiet, shady, and relaxed; the second, larger one at the top is much bigger, no toilets, but the view at the edge of it of Bakersfield is unmatched in the area. Super cool vi...
Learn more about Camp Marion - FS 9N34