Trail Overview
Branching off the main M1 corridor, Little Baldy (FS 23N17) plunges dramatically down a mountain spine within Mendocino National Forest. The surrounding landscape features high-ridge timber and lush mountain greenery interspersed with open burn recovery zones left by the 2020 August Complex Fire. This rugged, single-lane dirt and rock spur drops downhill rapidly along a narrow, little-used track packed with technical challenges. Navigating the corridor requires picking clean lines through foot-deep erosion ruts, tight timber squeezes, off-camber turns, and a rutted creek crossing near the bottom. Outdoor travelers utilize this adventurous spur road to access the spacious, stream-side Howard Meadows Campground and the quiet shores of Howard Lake.
Difficulty
Earning a Technical Rating of 3, this unmaintained mountain descent features deep longitudinal ruts, steep off-camber slopes, and severe width bottlenecks. Downed trees around the 1.5-mile mark create extremely tight clearances that require careful tire placement or taking an off-camber bypass slope to the right. At 1.7 miles, a steep, rutted creek bed crossing tests approach angles and ground clearance. Substantial ground clearance and careful line choice are required to navigate the drop-offs and keep undercarriages clear of impact.
