Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Ukiah, California

Flowy dirt road that climbs through grassy oak woodlands before entering the redwood forests of the California Coast. Quiet road with minimal obstacles. Currently, there is a bridge on the route that is closed to cars (see photos). Nothing larger than a BMW Adventure bike is going to be able to pass...
Learn more about Low Gap 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 has multiple campgrounds that are easily accessible by 2WDd vehicles. There are excellent view...
Learn more about Mendo-Lake Road

This trail takes you right up the mountain to the peak of Horse Mountain. The first (top) is ideal for dispersed camping and awesome views into the canyon and Clear Lake below. There is another high spot and other places to disperse camp at the end of the trail. Single wide out and back with small w...
Learn more about Horse Mountain Peak - FS 17N85

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; some have good views off the ridge. Has some fire damage, so may encounter downed trees after ...
Learn more about Horse Mountain - FS 17N27

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 than you think. There are some good views of the canyon on the south end.
Learn more about Horse Mountain South Connector - FS 17N27B

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 there are multiple areas to disperse camp. Out and back as of now. The end has a fallen tree and a path that is...
Learn more about Mc Creary Glade - FS 17N99

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 the trees, which is nice and shaded. Deer Valley Campground is a Primative site with two pit toilets...
Learn more about Pilot Grove - FS 16N01

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 is the main road to them. Just be sure not to venture off the trail while you're going through the private pr...
Learn more about Bear Creek Road M10

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 one. The trail is narrow, but it has room for a full-size truck and multiple spots to pull out or turn aroun...
Learn more about Bluejay - FS 17N38

This is an out-and-back shared-use trail that takes you to multiple trail heads for off-highway vehicles. There are a couple of dispersed camp sites along the trail. This is a single-wide trail with a few areas to pass or turn out. There are a couple of small washes as well.
Learn more about Little Round - FS 17N37

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 primitive campsite area about halfway through. This is a single-wide, mostly flat trail that get...
Learn more about Willow Rock - FS 17N39

This is a tight single wide out and back trail that ends at OHV trail heads. The end of the trail is sooner than expected as is turns into single track and is too narrow for a truck but just before it is wide to turn around and has some primitive camp spots along the route. Trail is mostly flat and ...
Learn more about East York - FS 17N73

Single wide out and back trail that drops down into a canyon. Some sections are overgrown. Trail ends before it how it shows on the map. There is a spur to the right in the end and you can primitive camp in that turn out. There are a couple washes and ruts but can be navigated in 2wd.
Learn more about Enterprise - FS 17N72

This is a 43-mile-long trek through dirt logging roads with spectacular views of the northern California redwoods. It is a great way to start a trip up the Mendocino coastline and on your way to Usal Road (an overlanding favorite in northern California). The route starts on the Willits main street a...
Learn more about Sherwood Road

This trail is more of a fire road. Mostly one vehicle wide, but with plenty of chances to pass. More of a fun route than staying on the main Elk Mountain road and possibly following slow trucks with trailers. There are plenty of primitive camping areas, but travelers should pay attention to land own...
Learn more about Packsaddle - FS 18N25

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 a dirt to rock base on the trail a few times. Be careful avoiding some washes, as the side of the trail ca...
Learn more about Grouse Springs-Bear Creek Connector

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 called Bear Creek on the west end of the trail, and multiple dispersed camping areas along the route. A lot of th...
Learn more about Fouts-Bear Creek Road M10

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 and is gated, so it no longer continues to the top, but the climb is fun, mixed wit...
Learn more about Potato Hill - FS 17N33

Erickson Ridge Loop is a relatively easy loop trail in Mendocino National Forest. From M1 (Elk Mountain Road) going north, the trail starts on your left, with a narrower dirt trail on the left and a wider trail (FR 20N04) on the right. The suggested route is to start on the narrower dirt trail on th...
Learn more about Erickson Ridge Loop

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, and will get narrow enough to cause pin stripes. The trail also goes through a burned area.
Learn more about Richardson Glade - FS 17N26

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 has multiple campgrounds that are easily accessible by 2WDd vehicles. There are excellent view...
Learn more about Mendo-Lake Road

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 one. The trail is narrow, but it has room for a full-size truck and multiple spots to pull out or turn aroun...
Learn more about Bluejay - FS 17N38

This is an out-and-back shared-use trail that takes you to multiple trail heads for off-highway vehicles. There are a couple of dispersed camp sites along the trail. This is a single-wide trail with a few areas to pass or turn out. There are a couple of small washes as well.
Learn more about Little Round - FS 17N37

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 primitive campsite area about halfway through. This is a single-wide, mostly flat trail that get...
Learn more about Willow Rock - FS 17N39

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 has multiple campgrounds that are easily accessible by 2WDd vehicles. There are excellent view...
Learn more about Mendo-Lake Road

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 one. The trail is narrow, but it has room for a full-size truck and multiple spots to pull out or turn aroun...
Learn more about Bluejay - FS 17N38

This is an out-and-back shared-use trail that takes you to multiple trail heads for off-highway vehicles. There are a couple of dispersed camp sites along the trail. This is a single-wide trail with a few areas to pass or turn out. There are a couple of small washes as well.
Learn more about Little Round - FS 17N37

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 primitive campsite area about halfway through. This is a single-wide, mostly flat trail that get...
Learn more about Willow Rock - FS 17N39