Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Smiths Ferry, Idaho

Forest Service Road 446 is located in the Boise National Forest Cascade, ID. It is a mixed-use, out-and-back road, approximately 12.6 miles long with nearly 4,100 feet of elevation gain. With a starting elevation at nearly 4,100 feet above sea level, the well-maintained dirt road will wind its way t...
Learn more about Forest Service Road 446

Road 374BD is a spur off of Road 374. The road is mainly dirt with sand. Some areas have rocks under 6 inches. There are ruts throughout this route. The road is one lane. Although it is wide enough for full-sized vehicles, there were large sections of fallen trees that could inhibit larger vehicles ...
Learn more about Spur 374BD

This in-and-out trail is around 8 miles round trip. Don't let the length discourage you from exploring this trail. The road is packed sand and dirt with rocky stretches. There are narrow spots, so watch for other vehicles, especially around the blind corners. When completing this ride in mid-June, t...
Learn more about Forest Service Road 555BC - Scott Mtn. Lookout

This road takes off from Road 374. It's a short ride to Hawley Mountain Lookout. The road is rocky, rutted, and has some steeper sections to navigate. Even though it's short, it's a fun ride with the reward of seeing a 1935 fire lookout and 360-degree views of the area.
Learn more about Road 3740 - Hawley Mountain Lookout

This road is easily navigable by all vehicle sizes. Just be aware that it's a single-lane road and you may encounter other vehicles traveling from the opposite direction. The road is mostly sand with a few sections that are rocky. Staying on Road 374 will bring you to a fork in the road. Turning lef...
Learn more about Road 374 - Southern Portion

The starting point at this end of FS 555 (Scott Mtn-Deadwood) is on Hwy 17 (Banks-Lowman Hwy). There is a nice-sized parking area on Hwy 17 for unloading and loading rigs. It's a short drive of about 30 yards from the parking area to FS 555. Be aware of traffic on the highway as you cross. FS 555 im...
Learn more about Forest Service Road 555 (FS 555) Scott Mtn-Deadwood

This 8.7-mile point-to-point trail starts at the top of Grimes Pass and heads back down to Pioneerville. This fun short trail is passable by High-clearance 4X4 vehicles but has a lot of overgrowths that may cause pin-stripping. This trail has several sharp switchbacks as you leave the ridge line for...
Learn more about Missouri Mine Trail

West Mountain is a 9-mile point-to-point trail that has multiple cut-off trails giving access to the West Mountain Jeep trail. The mountain views along this trail are spectacular. The trail is a maintained Forest Service road with light washboarding and shallow mud holes. The southern end of the tra...
Learn more about West Mountain

It's a nice, easy ride if you are looking to take your dog on their first SxS ride. The trail starts at the Deer Creek Campground, where wildlife shows itself to us every night. The trail flows through the mountains, where there are a lot of burn areas, eventually making it down to Deadwood Reservoi...
Learn more about Bulldog Loop

Red Mountain (FS 515) is 4.5 miles from the point it forks off the Bear Valley to Lowman Road, to where it ends at the Red Mountain Transfer Camp. This is a scenic drive with many parts following along Clear Creek. The road is a dirt and sand mixture with small rocks under 3 to 4 inches in places. I...
Learn more about Red Mountain - FS 515

This 13.9-mile point-to-point trail connects the Bogus Basin area to the Harris Creek area. Stop at 3.5 miles from Bogus Basin and hike out to Coyote Rock, or stop at 7.4 miles from Bogus Basin and check out Sugarloaf Rock. There are several other hiking trails to explore along this route. There is ...
Learn more about Harris Creek Trail

This 14.9-mile point-to-point trail takes you up to the top of Grimes Pass at 4835 FT. Starting from the south end it is a gentle climb of around 750 FT to the top of the Pass. Starting from the north end it is a steep climb of 1500 FT to the top of the Pass. Many other trails connect to this road f...
Learn more about Grimes Pass Road

Starting at over 7,000' and dropping to an altitude of 3,800', this 23-mile dirt road connects the Bear Valley to Lowman from the north. Overall, this route is easy to travel with washboard roads and many twists and turns. It passes through a phenomenally beautiful country where you are likely to se...
Learn more about Bear Valley to Lowman

Middle Fork Weiser is a 25.8-mile point-to-point road that crosses the West Mountains and parallels the Middle Fork of the Weiser River. This road gives access to several good hiking trails (Sheep Creek and Warm Spring Creek) and the Cabin Creek Campground. This is a maintained forest service road w...
Learn more about Middle Fork Weiser

The Skyline Spur is an out-and-back trail in Boise National Forest in Idaho. This trail offers incredible views of the surrounding mountains, especially as the elevation climbs. Campsites could be found with creativity. There are no technical obstacles, although speed bumps are throughout the trail....
Learn more about Skyline Spur

The Whoop Um Up is an out and back trail in Boise National Forest in Idaho. This trail offers incredible views of the surrounding mountains, especially as the elevation climbs. There's many campsites to the south, while the higher campsites to the north are exceptional. There's no technical obstacle...
Learn more about Whoop Um Up Trail

Kirkham Ridge Trail (FS 144) begins at Highway 21, approximately 4.9 miles East of Lowman, Idaho. There is a large area to unload and load ATVs, motorcycles, and horses just past the turn to Kirkham Hot Springs Day Use Area. The trailhead is across from the staging area. This trail is open to ATVs, ...
Learn more about Kirkham Ridge Trail - FS 144

This loop begins at the Gold Fork Park and Ski area. The loop takes you through some remote and seldom traveled areas with many camp areas along the route. It also takes you by the "Hennessy Yurt" which is a remote yurt you can rent in winter or summer at www.reserveamerica.com. In summer you can pa...
Learn more about Gold Fork Loop 393 (China Fork West Fork)

The Skyline Trail is an out and back trail in Boise National Forest in Idaho. It could give access to the rest of the Skyline Trail when the gate to the east is unlocked, however the gate gave no mention of when that may be. This trail offers incredible views of the surrounding mountains, especially...
Learn more about Skyline Trail

This short trail ascends to a campsite with a fire ring up in the Ponderosa Pines. This trail can also connect to the Whoop-Um-Up Loop trail. We found this trail to have less traffic and no other campers. The trail is an easy single-lane track that any high-clearance AWD or 4x4 can take on.
Learn more about Spur 25LM/25LL to Mountain Campsite

Forest Service Road 446 is located in the Boise National Forest Cascade, ID. It is a mixed-use, out-and-back road, approximately 12.6 miles long with nearly 4,100 feet of elevation gain. With a starting elevation at nearly 4,100 feet above sea level, the well-maintained dirt road will wind its way t...
Learn more about Forest Service Road 446

Road 374BD is a spur off of Road 374. The road is mainly dirt with sand. Some areas have rocks under 6 inches. There are ruts throughout this route. The road is one lane. Although it is wide enough for full-sized vehicles, there were large sections of fallen trees that could inhibit larger vehicles ...
Learn more about Spur 374BD

This in-and-out trail is around 8 miles round trip. Don't let the length discourage you from exploring this trail. The road is packed sand and dirt with rocky stretches. There are narrow spots, so watch for other vehicles, especially around the blind corners. When completing this ride in mid-June, t...
Learn more about Forest Service Road 555BC - Scott Mtn. Lookout

This road takes off from Road 374. It's a short ride to Hawley Mountain Lookout. The road is rocky, rutted, and has some steeper sections to navigate. Even though it's short, it's a fun ride with the reward of seeing a 1935 fire lookout and 360-degree views of the area.
Learn more about Road 3740 - Hawley Mountain Lookout

Forest Service Road 446 is located in the Boise National Forest Cascade, ID. It is a mixed-use, out-and-back road, approximately 12.6 miles long with nearly 4,100 feet of elevation gain. With a starting elevation at nearly 4,100 feet above sea level, the well-maintained dirt road will wind its way t...
Learn more about Forest Service Road 446

Road 374BD is a spur off of Road 374. The road is mainly dirt with sand. Some areas have rocks under 6 inches. There are ruts throughout this route. The road is one lane. Although it is wide enough for full-sized vehicles, there were large sections of fallen trees that could inhibit larger vehicles ...
Learn more about Spur 374BD

This in-and-out trail is around 8 miles round trip. Don't let the length discourage you from exploring this trail. The road is packed sand and dirt with rocky stretches. There are narrow spots, so watch for other vehicles, especially around the blind corners. When completing this ride in mid-June, t...
Learn more about Forest Service Road 555BC - Scott Mtn. Lookout

This road takes off from Road 374. It's a short ride to Hawley Mountain Lookout. The road is rocky, rutted, and has some steeper sections to navigate. Even though it's short, it's a fun ride with the reward of seeing a 1935 fire lookout and 360-degree views of the area.
Learn more about Road 3740 - Hawley Mountain Lookout