Trail Overview
Set within a dense chaparral and pine forest recovering from the 2018 Ranch Fire in the Mendocino National Forest, Little Sullivan Ridge - FS 85346 delivers a secluded and heavily sheltered mountain drive. Accessed directly off of Forest Highway M5, this 1.8-mile single-track dirt spur functions as an intimate corridor that provides throughput to neighboring ridge routes deeper in the forest system. Outdoor enthusiasts primarily utilize this track to reach adjoining backcountry roads or to access a solitary primitive dispersed campsite situated at the far terminal junction. The driving surface consists of a narrow single-lane dirt track filled with continuous terrain bumps, rolling dips, and encroaching brush. Despite its name, the roadway feels more like an enclosed vegetation tunnel as pine branches and chaparral tightly border both sides of the path. Near 1.6 miles, the surrounding bushes close in significantly around several winding bends, creating a persistent pinstriping hazard. The route concludes at 1.8 miles at an intersection featuring a quiet turnaround area with views of the distant mountainside and valley.
Difficulty
This single-lane dirt spur presents a continuously bumpy surface peppered with small earthen dips and tight vegetation. While technical rock crawling and deep gullies are absent, navigating the track requires maintaining a slow, steady pace to handle the constant surface irregularities comfortably. The primary challenge along the route is significant brush encroachment—especially past the 1.6-mile mark—where overgrowth tightly squeezes the roadway and creates a paint-scratching hazard. Drivers should keep wheels centered on the dirt track, watch side clearance through tight brush passages, and utilize the open junction clearing at 1.8 miles to turn around safely.
