Dirt Bike Trails
Near San Marcos, California

Nate Harrison Grade is a dirt backroad into Palomar Mountain State Park. This trail leads from typical Southern California scrubland scenery up to lush forests and mountain views. You'll encounter loose rocky areas and several deep ruts throughout the route. The trail is primarily non-technical, wit...
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This trail winds its way through the Cleveland Forest from Pamo Road to the Guejito Truck Trail. The trail is not very well maintained. It is very rutted. The trail takes you up and over some good hills in Pamo Valley. Parts of the trail are very scenic and beautiful.
Learn more about Orosco Ridge Truck Trail 12S02

Santa Ysabel Truck Trail is a narrow, shelf-road trail running through a section of the Cleveland National Forest in Ramona. The trail follows along Santa Ysabel Creek and offers beautiful views over the mountains, and leads to several hiking and recreation areas. The terrain along the route is rutt...
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11S03 Lusardi Truck Trail is an 11.6-mile out-and-back trail rated 3 of 10 located within the Cleveland National Forest, Trabuco Ranger District. Lusardi Truck Trail ascends the Carney Canyon between the Black Butte (west) and Black Mountain (east) to the National Forest boundary at 5.8 miles. The t...
Learn more about 11S03 Lusardi Truck Trail

11S04 Black Mountain is a 10.8-mile out-and-back located in the Cleveland National Forest, Palomar Ranger District. This is a limited-use trail restricted to street-legal vehicles. The trail is rated 3 of 10 but has the potential to be worse during and right after seasonal weather and is subject to ...
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8S05 is a well-maintained service road, but you can expect large rocks, ruts, and very steep drop-offs throughout. The weather could have a significant impact on the road. Muddy conditions are likely; one should ensure their vehicle is properly equipped and use caution. This drive is great for a loc...
Learn more about 8S05 - North Palomar Mountain Road

This trail starts and ends in Banner and loops around Chariot Mountain and goes into the Oriflamme Canyon. The trail is open to all types of 4x4s and dirt bikes, although the entrance through Banner is only open to highway-legal vehicles as that entrance is only accessible by the highway. You will e...
Learn more about Oriflamme Canyon Loop

This is the descending trail from Red Mountain Trail to Reed Vally Road. The beginning of the trail has some washed-out sections and tight switchbacks and becomes smoother as you descend the mountain. Sweeping vistas, mountain meadows, woods, and mountain views are visible throughout the length of t...
Learn more about Juan Diego Flat

This technical trail is a blast from top to bottom, but it doesn't leave much room for error. You’ll be dodging overgrown brush in tight sections that make the flow feel intense. It’s a top-tier challenge that’s probably best ridden downhill unless you’re looking for a brutal climb. Super enjoyable ...
Learn more about Allesandro Trail - 2E44

Beautiful views of the valley below and mountains above. There are lots of switchbacks and about 600 feet of elevation gain in just a few miles of driving. The second half of the trail was closed after Hurricane Hillary, but it does connect to Juan Diego Flats to get you back out to civilization. Th...
Learn more about Red Mountain OHV Trail

This scenic route explores the western portion of the Otay Mountain Truck Trail, passing below Otay Mountain (3,501 feet) with sweeping views of the valleys and hills of Tijuana, Mexico. The drive follows mostly double-wide gravel roads with some single-lane sections around tight turns, many equippe...
Learn more about Otay Mountain Truck Trail West

Rouse Ridge via Cottonwood is a trail that scales Rouse Ridge/Thomas Mountain using Cottonwood (6S18) and Thomas Mountain Rd (6S13). This trail offers stunning views in all directions as you ascend and descend the mountain. While it is possible to complete this trail in either direction, the souther...
Learn more about Rouse Ridge via Cottonwood

This route goes up and over Otay Mountain with sweeping views over the San Ysidro Mountains, and a little bit of San Diego in the distance. The road is made up entirely of dirt and gravel and stays relatively even throughout. This is a great trail on hazy/foggy days as it is well above the marine la...
Learn more about Otay Mountain Truck Trail

The Hixon - Bautista Trail is an ATV/Dirt Bike Trail in San Bernardino National Forest. This trail includes a significant amount of elevation gain from Bautista Canyon to Red Mountain. The fantastic views stretch from Mount San Jacinto all the way to Santiago Peak, but be aware that this is not an e...
Learn more about Hixon - Bautista Trail (2E43)

Donohoe Loop-Mocogo Ranch Trail is an 8.2-mile point-to-point trail rated 4 of 10 located in San Diego County. The Donohoe Loop is located entirely within BLM-managed Open Space that can be utilized for OHV driving, camping, backpacking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. The loop can be accesse...
Learn more about Donohoe Loop-Mocogo Ranch Trail

This out-and-back OHV trail is open to all types, from 4X4s down to dirt bikes. A small parking lot is at the beginning of the trail, right off the freeway. A displayed adventure pass is required. The trail itself offers a little bit of everything from rocky sections to ruts, puddle (water) crossing...
Learn more about Bear Valley Road

This is a well-maintained road that needs high clearance just for potholes and washouts. It has some beautiful views of the Otay mountains with a lot of little offshoots to explore, given you have the right vehicle and gear. You will see border patrol vehicles on this trail since you are so close to...
Learn more about Otay Mountain Truck Trail (Upper Trail)

This trail connects the Rouse Ridge via Cottonwood trail to the Thomas Mountain Campground via the western end of Thomas Mountain Road. During dry months, the trail is an easily passable dirt road, requiring only moderate clearance to pass over occasional ruts and drainage control berms running acro...
Learn more about Thomas Mountain West Approach

Rouse Hill is a ridgeline trail with tremendous west and east views. This trail is predominately hard-packed dirt with a loose top layer. It can be a bit sandy in some sections but that will typically only be an issue for 2-wheel vehicles. The trail is only single vehicle wide in some places and som...
Learn more about Rouse Hill

This is a well-maintained road that needs high clearance just for potholes and washouts. It has some beautiful views of the Otay mountains with a lot of little offshoots to explore, given you have the right vehicle and gear. You will see border patrol vehicles on this trail since you are so close to...
Learn more about Otay Mountain Truck Trail (Lower Trail)

This trail winds its way through the Cleveland Forest from Pamo Road to the Guejito Truck Trail. The trail is not very well maintained. It is very rutted. The trail takes you up and over some good hills in Pamo Valley. Parts of the trail are very scenic and beautiful.
Learn more about Orosco Ridge Truck Trail 12S02

This trail starts and ends in Banner and loops around Chariot Mountain and goes into the Oriflamme Canyon. The trail is open to all types of 4x4s and dirt bikes, although the entrance through Banner is only open to highway-legal vehicles as that entrance is only accessible by the highway. You will e...
Learn more about Oriflamme Canyon Loop

This is the descending trail from Red Mountain Trail to Reed Vally Road. The beginning of the trail has some washed-out sections and tight switchbacks and becomes smoother as you descend the mountain. Sweeping vistas, mountain meadows, woods, and mountain views are visible throughout the length of t...
Learn more about Juan Diego Flat

Beautiful views of the valley below and mountains above. There are lots of switchbacks and about 600 feet of elevation gain in just a few miles of driving. The second half of the trail was closed after Hurricane Hillary, but it does connect to Juan Diego Flats to get you back out to civilization. Th...
Learn more about Red Mountain OHV Trail

This trail winds its way through the Cleveland Forest from Pamo Road to the Guejito Truck Trail. The trail is not very well maintained. It is very rutted. The trail takes you up and over some good hills in Pamo Valley. Parts of the trail are very scenic and beautiful.
Learn more about Orosco Ridge Truck Trail 12S02

This trail starts and ends in Banner and loops around Chariot Mountain and goes into the Oriflamme Canyon. The trail is open to all types of 4x4s and dirt bikes, although the entrance through Banner is only open to highway-legal vehicles as that entrance is only accessible by the highway. You will e...
Learn more about Oriflamme Canyon Loop

This is the descending trail from Red Mountain Trail to Reed Vally Road. The beginning of the trail has some washed-out sections and tight switchbacks and becomes smoother as you descend the mountain. Sweeping vistas, mountain meadows, woods, and mountain views are visible throughout the length of t...
Learn more about Juan Diego Flat

Beautiful views of the valley below and mountains above. There are lots of switchbacks and about 600 feet of elevation gain in just a few miles of driving. The second half of the trail was closed after Hurricane Hillary, but it does connect to Juan Diego Flats to get you back out to civilization. Th...
Learn more about Red Mountain OHV Trail