Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Squaw Valley, California

Enter through the National Park fee booth and follow the signs to Grant Grove Village and the Cedar Grove area. The signs for the Boole Tree Trailhead will be along road 180 just past the…
Learn more about Boole Tree Trailhead

This is a short loop dirt road in Sequoia National Forest. Along the loop, you can find a few spots perfect for tent camping, with plenty of room for up to 2 to 3 tents…
Learn more about Converse - 13S07/13S50

FS 14S13 is part of the Sequoia National Forest. It is a sandy, dusty trail that takes you through a pine forest with rock formations. There are various sections that were recently burned by a…
Learn more about Woodcock Meadow - 14S13

Rock Creek Road (FS 9S090) is the essential spinal cord of the Bald Mountain OHV area, a 12.7-mile journey that changes its personality more often than a moody teenager. Connecting Highway 168 at the Tamarack…
Learn more about Rock Creek Road - FS 9S090

This is an extremely short, 0.7-mile spur trail that provides direct access to a spectacular summit and the Bald Mountain fire watchtower destination. The trail starts as a relatively clear two-track, but the difficulty ramps…
Learn more about Tower - FS 25E314

Bow Tie (FS 25E208) is a classic High Sierra connector that feels like a "greatest hits" album of the Bald Mountain region. Starting from Rock Creek Road, this trail winds south, linking up with Tower…
Learn more about Bow Tie - FS 25E208

Don't let the name fool you--Plain (FS 26E211) is anything but boring. This delightful connector trail serves as a scenic bridge between the popular Bald Mountain (FS 26E219) route and the more technical Basecamp (FS…
Learn more about Plain - FS 26E211

This is an easy, fast, and fun 8.1-mile forest service road offering high-speed transit through a beautiful, healthy section of the high country. The road is a wide, two-lane track primarily comprised of well-graded gravel,…
Learn more about Foster Ridge - FS 9s010

This 0.7-mile connector trail in the Bald Mountain trail network is a short, twisty, and fun two-track trail that is essential for linking the high-elevation roads in the area ( between Lazy M and Bow…
Learn more about 45 Cutoff - FS 25E309

This 1.9-mile trail spur is a scenic and easy access road, designed for fast transit to one of the high country's primary ridgeline overlooks. The road is a clear two-track with a smooth, firm base…
Learn more about Outlook - FS 9s010w

This is an easy, short 2.6-mile spur that leads to a scenic access at a spectacular campsite at a rock grouping above Azeala Creek with regional views out over Shaver Lake. The trail is a…
Learn more about Lower Tamarack - FS 9S014

This 7.9-mile road is a high-elevation artery providing fast, efficient access to the heart of the high-country trail network, including hiking trails accessing the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness. This road connects between CA 168 and FS…
Learn more about South Fork Tamarack - FS 9s069

This is an essential, short 1.1-mile spur providing high-clearance access to a unique ridge-top viewpoint. The trail climbs rapidly through a mixed-severity 2020 Creek Wildfire burn zone, which has exposed the dramatic granite formations and…
Learn more about Azalea Creek - FS 9S014B

This is a challenging, 2.2-mile drive defined by extreme surface conditions and environmental hazards. The route begins briefly in a healthy, shaded stand of trees before immediately entering a vast, exposed burn scar from the…
Learn more about Upper South Fork Tamarack Creek - FS 9s023

This 2.8-mile road is a key connector designed for efficient travel through the high country. The trail is a wide, smooth two-track that traverses a vast expanse of the 2020 Creek Wildfire burn scar (visible…
Learn more about Lodgepole - FS 9s027

This is an easy, wide 2.1-mile dirt forest service road designed for fast transit through the high country. The road runs through a massive, high-severity burn scar from the 2020 Creek Wildfire (visible in photos),…
Learn more about Lower Tamarack - FS 9s026

This 3.1-mile road is a dead-end spur. The trail is a clear one-lane track with a smooth, packed dirt and decomposed granite (DG) surface, allowing for quick speeds, confirmed by the efficient travel time. While…
Learn more about Frog Pond -FS 9s030

This 1.1-mile two-track is a forest service road that provides a quick transit connector between other roads in this ridge system. The trail runs entirely through a vast, exposed landscape that was severely burned during…
Learn more about Upper Tamarack Mountain - FS 9s028

This 1.6-mile forest service road is a high-elevation, single-lane administrative road designed for access to maintain an overhead power line passing through the area. The entire road traverses a highly exposed landscape within the 2020…
Learn more about Bawdy - FS 9s040

This 0.7-mile trail is a high-elevation, single-lane Forest Service road that connects the top of Lodgepole over to Bawdy around the peak of Tamarack Mountain. The entire trail traverses a highly exposed landscape within the…
Learn more about Mountain Top - FS 9S040A

This 1.9-mile road is a dead-end spur. The trail is a clear one-lane track with a smooth, packed dirt and decomposed granite (DG) surface, allowing for quick speeds, confirmed by the efficient travel time. While…
Learn more about Tamarack Creek - FS 9s066

This is a fast, wide, graded forest service road that serves as the essential gateway to the highly challenging Mirror, Strawberry, and Coyote Lakes trail network. This major 6.2-mile high-country road is designed for speed,…
Learn more about Red Mountain - FS 8S010

This 2.0-mile trail is a smooth and fast single-lane road designed for scenic travel along the ridge, offering expansive views through the open canopy. The roadbed is predominantly composed of well-graded decomposed granite (DG) and…
Learn more about Boneridge - FS 8s035

This is an easy, fast, and short connector trail designed to efficiently link the rougher Barbecue (8S056) route back to the main Red Mountain Road (8S010) network. The trail is a wide, well-defined two-track with…
Learn more about Red Leg - FS 26E333

This is an intensely scenic, short climb designed for the thrill of the ascent, but it ends abruptly, partially along a ridge with limited turnaround space. The trail is a steep, loose two-track composed of…
Learn more about Barbecue - FS 8S056

This 0.9-mile two-track is a smooth, easy trail in the high-country road network, serving as a direct continuation of the 8S035 (Boneridge) trail. It leads directly to a large, scenic group campsite located on an…
Learn more about Hewn - FS 25E319

Welcome to the gateway of the high country! Red Lakes Road (FS 8S042) is your primary ticket to an alpine wonderland, serving as the main artery for explorers heading toward the stunning trio of Strawberry,…
Learn more about Red Lakes Road - FS 8S042

This is a fun, scenic, and easy 2.4-mile forest service road that climbs onto a ridge offering spectacular, high-elevation vistas, including an overlook of Huntington Lake and the nearby China Peak Ski Resort. The road…
Learn more about Snow Drift - FS 8s098

This is the fast-track spur you need for quick access to high-country camping and is uniquely located right along the ridge above China Peak Mountain Resort. This 1.5-mile route is a well-defined single-lane track with…
Learn more about Redpole Spur - FS 8S042A

This is an easy, fast, and extremely short 0.5-mile high elevation connector trail between Redpole Spur and Red Lakes Road designed to link the high-country spurs efficiently. Although named a "loop," the trail functions primarily…
Learn more about Redpole Loop - FS 26E334