Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Valley Home, California

Red Hills Recreation (BLM) area is a scenic day use only location. There are tons of hiking trails in the area, as well as the Serpentine Loop Trail which is a mild to moderate trail with tons of seasonal water crossings and picnic areas near the water. Accessible to most 4x4 and AWD vehicles, small...
Learn more about Red Hills Road/Serpentine loop

This is a super pretty drive as it descends into the canyons and back up to the mountaintops. On your way to the lookout, you will drive through the Italian Bar/Lost Dutchman Mining Camp, which is a cool place to either pay to camp or you can pay and go gold panning in the river. After leaving there...
Learn more about American Camp Lookout

Lug Nut Ledge is a short but fun trail with moderate obstacles, including rocky sections, rutted sections, and water crossings. The namesake Lug Nut Ledge features a mild rock step that requires good tire placement but is manageable for most high-clearance vehicles. Water crossings can reach up to a...
Learn more about Lug Nut Ledge

This trail is a connector between the American Camp Lookout and the Forebay trail. Connect all these 3 trails for a fun weekend or day trip full of adventure and fishing/exploring! There is a creek crossing as well as a bridge crossing with some swimming holes. Be prepared for some mud and ruts, es...
Learn more about Forebay to American Camp

Kiln Trail is one of the primary entrances to the park. The route begins as a mellow hardpack dirt road leading to the park boundary, where signs outline park regulations and warn visitors about mountain lions. Shortly after entering, riders encounter the first notable obstacle: a steep climb with l...
Learn more about Kiln Trail

SRI Loop begins with a steep, winding descent on hardpack dirt. The trail follows a narrow, mostly groomed path with rolling terrain, featuring several steep climbs and descents along the way. Expect light rutting in places, but few significant obstacles. After the loop, you can enter the Golden Eag...
Learn more about Sri Loop

Golden Eagle Trail is a mellow hardpack dirt route that serves as a connector to SRI Loop and several other trails within the network. The trail is generally smooth and easy to follow, with a mix of steep climbs and descents along the way. Riders traveling toward SRI Loop will need to cross a paved ...
Learn more about Golden Eagle

Juniper Trail is one of the park's primary connector routes, linking riders to the broader trail network. The trail features mostly smooth hardpack dirt with a mix of winding turns, climbs, and descents that make for an enjoyable ride. As the route progresses, riders gain access to several steeper h...
Learn more about Red Trail

The Los Osos Trail is one of the park's main connector routes, providing access to many of the surrounding trails and trail networks. The trail consists mostly of smooth, well-groomed hardpack dirt and offers an easy, enjoyable ride through the park. Expect a mix of winding turns, gradual climbs, an...
Learn more about Los Osos Trail

Badger Trail runs parallel to Ridge Trail, following the same hillside at a lower elevation. The route consists of firm hardpack dirt and a series of winding turns that contour along the slope. Technical obstacles are minimal, with few rocks or ruts to navigate. However, the steep hillside and narro...
Learn more about Badger

This a very easy trail and is mostly forest roads that zig-zag up the hill to the Forebay. This can be accessed from many ways whether it be from Columbia, Twain Harte, or Camp 9. The Camp 9 entrance is the fastest way in and is a pretty drive looking over the Stanislaus River. Fishing? Try the Fore...
Learn more about Stanislaus Forebay

Juniper Trail is one of the park's primary connector routes, linking riders to the broader trail network. The trail features mostly smooth hardpack dirt with a mix of winding turns, climbs, and descents that make for an enjoyable ride. As the route progresses, riders gain access to several steeper h...
Learn more about Juniper Trail

This trail is steep, overgrown, and narrow. Typically home to lots of poison oak and fallen trees but the reward at the end is totally worth it! Keltz Mine road takes you down to the South Fork Stanislaus River and ends at a camping area. There are fish and swimming holes and slippery rocks so bewar...
Learn more about Keltz Mine

As of May 26, 2023. This road is accessible by vehicles of higher clearance than sedans. This is due to the fire road are not as flat and maintained as Google Maps makes it out to be. When driving on the road, there will be moderately size ruts, and bumps running across the width of the road due to ...
Learn more about Candy Rock Road

This trail starts just off Highway 120, located 2.7 miles east of the Groveland District Ranger Office, and begins as a 1.5-vehicle-wide gravel trail with some sand sections. Lined with Ponderosa pine trees and bushes, the route provides a pleasant forest driving experience within the Stanislaus Nat...
Learn more about Boneyard Road - FS 1S07

As of May 26, 2023. This road is accessible by vehicles of higher clearance than sedans. This is because the fire roads are not as flat and maintained as Google Maps makes them out to be. When driving on the road, there will be moderately size ruts, and bumps running across the width of the road due...
Learn more about Candy Rock Road P.2

This trail climbs over 600 feet and drops almost 1,200 feet across just over 5 miles of diverse terrain that spans BLM land and Stanislaus National Forest, though it begins on private land requiring respectful passage. Starting at Smith Station Road and ending on Wild Rose Road, the route begins as ...
Learn more about Wagner Ridge Road - FS 2S08

This is a short dirt bike only trail that connects the ATV trail 16EV223 with the singletrack 16EV407, near the Deer Creek Staging Area. Taking this trail cuts off having to go back to Italian Bar Road and reenter the trail system. It’s a pretty gradual grade throughout the quarter mile, as it climb...
Learn more about 16EV243

This is a short spur off of 16EV223. It winds through the forest, and has a couple of downed logs on the trail. It probably doesn’t get ridden as much since it’s just a short spur very close to the Deer Creek Staging Area. The trail is closely lined with lots of small young pines. Some of the downed...
Learn more about 16EV251

This trail starts right near the Deer Creek staging area, behind a gate that gets closed for seasonal use. It starts off pretty easy, being a decently wide single track, weaving between tons of cut logs, with lots of loose rock. The grade is pretty gradual as it parallels a ravine and winds through ...
Learn more about 16EV407

This is a super pretty drive as it descends into the canyons and back up to the mountaintops. On your way to the lookout, you will drive through the Italian Bar/Lost Dutchman Mining Camp, which is a cool place to either pay to camp or you can pay and go gold panning in the river. After leaving there...
Learn more about American Camp Lookout

This trail is a connector between the American Camp Lookout and the Forebay trail. Connect all these 3 trails for a fun weekend or day trip full of adventure and fishing/exploring! There is a creek crossing as well as a bridge crossing with some swimming holes. Be prepared for some mud and ruts, es...
Learn more about Forebay to American Camp

Kiln Trail is one of the primary entrances to the park. The route begins as a mellow hardpack dirt road leading to the park boundary, where signs outline park regulations and warn visitors about mountain lions. Shortly after entering, riders encounter the first notable obstacle: a steep climb with l...
Learn more about Kiln Trail

SRI Loop begins with a steep, winding descent on hardpack dirt. The trail follows a narrow, mostly groomed path with rolling terrain, featuring several steep climbs and descents along the way. Expect light rutting in places, but few significant obstacles. After the loop, you can enter the Golden Eag...
Learn more about Sri Loop

This is a super pretty drive as it descends into the canyons and back up to the mountaintops. On your way to the lookout, you will drive through the Italian Bar/Lost Dutchman Mining Camp, which is a cool place to either pay to camp or you can pay and go gold panning in the river. After leaving there...
Learn more about American Camp Lookout

This trail is a connector between the American Camp Lookout and the Forebay trail. Connect all these 3 trails for a fun weekend or day trip full of adventure and fishing/exploring! There is a creek crossing as well as a bridge crossing with some swimming holes. Be prepared for some mud and ruts, es...
Learn more about Forebay to American Camp

Kiln Trail is one of the primary entrances to the park. The route begins as a mellow hardpack dirt road leading to the park boundary, where signs outline park regulations and warn visitors about mountain lions. Shortly after entering, riders encounter the first notable obstacle: a steep climb with l...
Learn more about Kiln Trail

The Los Osos Trail is one of the park's main connector routes, providing access to many of the surrounding trails and trail networks. The trail consists mostly of smooth, well-groomed hardpack dirt and offers an easy, enjoyable ride through the park. Expect a mix of winding turns, gradual climbs, an...
Learn more about Los Osos Trail