Old Dale Road

Total Miles
25.8

Elevation

756.64 ft

Duration

3 Hours

Technical Rating

4

Moderate

Best Time

Spring, Fall

Trail Overview

An iconic trail in the mountains of Joshua Tree National Park. Start from either the north or the south trailhead and enjoy a trek through the history and beauty of the desert. Visit abandoned mines throughout the trail, or set up camp away from the crowds. This trail can be done in any high-clearance 4x4.

Photos of Old Dale Road

Old Dale Road
Old Dale Road

Difficulty

70% Of the trail is in deep sand that requires 4WD and the 30% is small to moderate-sized rocks that can pose damage to low clearance vehicles.

Technical Rating

4

Status Reports

Alina D
Jun 29, 2024
4x4
Open
Normal
Fun trail not really difficult. Some rutted washed out areas where you had to go a little slower but that’s it. Little amount of rocks over the pass through the mountain rest was mainly just dirt. Overall a fun ride. We did the trail in about 2 hours give or take. No one else out that we saw.
Edgar Ortiz
Jun 13, 2024
4x4
Open
Normal
Washboard
Two rigs 2018 Ford Raptor and 2WD LSD Toyota sports. The trail is fairly easy the most common thing we saw was extremely soft sand and rocky but my buddy with the 2WD Tacoma never got stuck mind you he has BF GOODRICH off road tires. Towards the end of the trail it gets tight for full size trucks but nothing too crazy rocky for sure but easy. Recovery gear like kinetic rope D rings soft shackles tow rope would be great to have just in case.
Matt Saulog
May 11, 2024
4x4
Open
Normal
Rough/Deteriorated
Washboard
Took my 2018 f-150 on this trail on the route out of the park. She’s sitting on 33’ in tires with a leveling kit in the front. Hardest part is getting up and through the mountain. The before and after the mountains were wash board. Definitely recommend a spotter for navigating through the mountain. Lots of lose rocks and rough road but not a bad trail. High clearance is required to get through the mountain. Anything before or after is doable with AWD vehicle.
Kris R
Apr 30, 2024
4x4
Open
Dusty
Nobody out there but me. I've been on driveways that are more technical. Almost zero effort in a JL with 3" lift. Stay safe though and bring options to call for help. The desert environment and distances are what you need to worry about. Don't underestimate the danger of the place just because it's pretty 😉

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