Trail Overview

FS 538 Secret Mountain Rd is a lane-and-a-half gravel road. The trail begins as a well-groomed road that is a welcome change to FS 231's washboards! As you travel deeper into the forest, near Turkey Butte, the road begins to deteriorate due to erosion in the burn scar area. After you pass FS 538B Casner Mountain Rd, the road makes a steep descent with loose rocks for a few hundred feet. After that descent, you'll continue along a repaired road that eventually ends at the Red Rock - Secret Mountain Wilderness Trailhead (no motorized travel). After Turkey Butte, this road travels through a significant burn scar with the potential for snags and unstable trees. Use caution and prepare to do some tree removal after significant wind storms. Along the route, there are several spur trails that lead to interesting places (trailheads, camping, abandoned cabins, game tanks, overlooks, etc).

Photos of FS 538 Secret Mountain Road

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Difficulty

This road is a 1/10 until the Turkey Butte spur trail. Beyond that, the burn area is eroded with loose rocks and one descent. The trail was mapped in 2WD with full tire pressures.

Technical Rating

Bear Yava-Coco

May 23, 2026

Open

With the holiday, this was the Main Event as I took the group OFF the 231 which then gave us the most enjoyment of the day. Everything was wonderful and the conditions were perfect. Keep this hush hush because the abundance of EOW's is off the charts now. No reason to go there anymore. Just stupid over- populated. But that's my opinion.