McCain Valley Road

2 mile easy-ish to moderate trek to the Sacatone Overlook to see train trestles and a tunnel. You can also see the Salton Sea on a clear day too in the distance. The road gets really sandy in some places and there are large rocks embedded in some stretches too. You also get to deal with large ruts and gullies so you do have to pick your lines carefully if you don’t have a lifted vehicle. I made it easily in a Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness with 9.3” clearance, using X-mode for traction when I got wheels off the ground on the climb up to the viewpoint. Not a problem for my ride and tires but sedans and SUVs will likely scrape or worse. Air down for a better ride but it’s worth the effort just for the view. Most descriptions of this trail make it seem like it’s super easy and just a dirt road but I encountered all sorts of challenges when I did it in August 2025. Coming down was much easier, just had to pick a careful line, as X-mode really wasn’t needed except for hill-descent control.

McCain trail is a dirt road that any vehicle can have access to. Road is maintained. Access to some cool dirt bike atv trails some vault toilets and campgrounds that are pretty basic. If you want access to the Carrizo Overlook it is accessible by any 4x4 or all wheel drive vehicle. Now if you are trying to access Sacatone Overlook that is another story. 4x4 high clearance vehicle is a must and air down your tires to save yourself from a punctured tire! There is a lot of ruts, rocks, and several off camber sections due to rainfall. The short 2 mile route to Sacatone Overlook was fun. This is a 3.5 level.

Quiet day on the trail. Had the whole place to myself. It was high 90's when I arrived, but the thunderstorm that blew through dropped the temps about 30 degrees, and turned into a torrential storm for about 30 minutes (with marble sized hail). Many places of the trail were pretty washboarded and dusty, but the rain created some rather deep but brief water crossing, and mud. Cell service is spotty. Make sure to download your maps and playlists before getting on the trail. With all the wind turbines, it's an interesting, easy and scenic trail to drive. Plenty of places to picnic (with restrooms).