Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Austin, Nevada

Pony Express Trail

The historic Pony Express Trail is one of the few domestic overland routes accessible to the public. This route follows as closely as possible to the original trail ridden over 160 years ago on horseback.Make…
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Total Miles
463.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

South Fork Birch Creek Road - NF43243

Climbing up out of Birch Creek Canyon to join Dry Canyon Road at almost 9,000', this road is a well-maintained gravel Forest Service road. It features a small number of level dispersed camping spots with…
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Total Miles
1.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Slippin N Scramblin

This unmaintained, two-mile mining road connects from the top of North Fork Big Creek to South Fork Birch Creek in the Toiyabe Mountains. It sees little use other than the occasional hunter or oddball explorer.…
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Total Miles
1.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

North Fork Big Creek Road - NF43012

The North Fork Big Creek Road climbs 2,700' up out of Big Creek Canyon onto a hilltop summit at 8,800'. It is a little-used, unmaintained gravel road that gets steep at times, and low range…
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Total Miles
2.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Big Creek Road - NF-012

From its junction with Kingston Canyon Road at 8,740' at Kinston Summit, Big Creek drops steeply into Big Creek Canyon and follows its namesake to the North down out of the Toiyabe mountains. Portions of…
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Total Miles
3.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Kingston Canyon Road

Kingston Canyon Road is a 10-mile gravel Forest Service road that climbs up into the Toiyabe Mountains from Kingston, Nevada. It accesses numerous campgrounds, Grove Lake, and is the northernmost access point for the Toiyabe…
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Total Miles
9.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Hot Spring Hill to Mount Lewis

This route takes you from just outside of Eureka Nevada at Hot Spring Hill to Mount Lewis. The route starts out taking you to Bartine Hot Springs, a funny little heart-shaped hot springs that in…
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Total Miles
105.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Boyer Ranch

This trail has a lot of washboards, rocked gravel/dirt roads. You can go a comfortable 40 MPH, if you air down, the ride can be smoother. This takes you below the old ranch homestead of…
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Total Miles
28.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Dixie Valley Tanks

There are 20+ military tanks left out in the desert of Dixie Valley. The road is flat and graveled. A car will have no problems. The tanks were placed on old homesteads by the Navy…
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Total Miles
10.8
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su

Buena Vista Valley

This is a fast route that will get you from the trailhead to the Stillwater Range. Both ends of this route have some interesting mercury mines that still have structures and the furnaces used to…
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Total Miles
16.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Su / Sp

The Road to the Simon Lead Mine

The road to the Simon Lead mine is traveled via a well-maintained dirt road until the last 4 miles. The road then contains washed-out areas and narrow passages. According to https://www.nvexpeditions.com, small amounts of silver-lead…
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Total Miles
22.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Dodge-Ford Mine

This is a quick spur off Coal Canyon Road to the Dodge-Ford iron mine. The road is a well-maintained gravel road that leads to an open pit mine. The pit is 200ft deep with water…
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Total Miles
2.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Su

Lunar Crater National Backcountry Byway

The Byway itself it around 20 miles total, and is a point-to-point, U-shaped dirt road with two entrance/exit points marked by signs off Nevada Highway 6. You'll experience a mostly flat, graded road with a…
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Total Miles
17.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Black Rock Lava Flow

Did you know that Hawaii is not the only place to explore lava fields? But would you have guessed that one is in the middle of Nevada? This area of Nevada is actually part of…
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Total Miles
3.1
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Lovelock Cave

This flat gravel road is well maintained. Lovelock Cave was in use as early as 2580 BC but was not intensively inhabited until around 1000 BC. People occupied Lovelock Cave for over 4,000 years. The…
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Total Miles
8.9
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Belmont Mine

This easy route will reward travelers with scenic views and a trip back in history. Head deep into the hills of White Pine county to the remains of the historic Belmont Mill. The trail is…
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Total Miles
6.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Kamma Mountains

This route takes you from the Black Rock Desert playa through the Kamma Mountain Range and the Rye Patch Reservoir. Along this route, you will find hot springs, rock-hounding spots, and old placer mines. The…
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Total Miles
68.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Ruby Crest Trailhead

This road leads from Harrison Pass up to the Ruby Crest Trailhead. It's a relatively easy and short road that can save you some time and distance if you plan to hike the Ruby Crest…
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Total Miles
2.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa