Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Benton, California

Fish Slough Road is a 19-mile long (End to End), 3-vehicle-wide road, and depending on the time of the year, it could be evenly graded or can have washboards of varying degrees. There are amazing…
Learn more about Fish Slough Road (3V01)

This Forest Service road rises 500 feet into the lush forest. Parts of the trail are dirt with a few short, small, rocky sections. The main hazards are ruts on the sides of the trail…
Learn more about Inyo National FS3S15

This short trail looked like a great adventure to explore the Black Canyon. But it ended just over a mile due to private property. It appears a rancher bought a small section of the canyon's…
Learn more about Black Canyon Rd

This trail climbs 2,500 feet in just over ten miles. It starts at Black Canyon Road, just off the 120 highway. It is a fairly graded trail, but be cautious of ruts from rain/snow runoff,…
Learn more about Sawmill Meadows Road

The road is typically graded depending on the time of the year. It's mostly crushed dirt with a few small broken rocks along the trail. The east-to-west trail can be run in either direction. The…
Learn more about Childago Canyon Road

This 3.63-mile point-to-point trail climbs 811 feet and drops 707 feet, starting and ending on FS3S157E near Chidago Canyon Road. The mostly sand surface is 1.5 vehicles wide, following a power line as it slowly…
Learn more about Gold Crown Mine - FS3S50

Chidago Loop is about a 5-mile loop on Chidago Canyon Road. Although it is short, it is quite picturesque; the Sierras peaking over the top of the smaller mountains inside the Chidago Loop puts a…
Learn more about Chidago Loop Road

This short spur trail leaves the Sawmill Meadow and cuts through the forest 429 feet up the Glass Mountain Ridge. It is a sparse trail and can be hard to follow. It winds through old…
Learn more about Sawmill Meadows Side Trail

The lower trail is an easy grader with plenty of washboard and scattered rocks. It begins cutting through the neighborhood and while climbing offers amazing views of the valley below. Once you pass all the…
Learn more about Chiatovitch Creek to Middle Creek

This trail is just over nine miles and climbs over 2000 feet into the Glass Mountains. It tops out at 8682 feet. The trail offers stunning views through the picturesque rock formations of McGee Canyon.…
Learn more about McGee Canyon Road

Pole Road (4S04) is a mild dirt road mixed with shallow sand. It is 8 miles one way, 16 miles out and back. It has a few offshoots for camping and even has a route…
Learn more about Pole Road (4S04)

This five-mile trail connects the McGee Canyon Trail to the Sawmill Road Trail. Starting at McGee Canyon (7217 feet) the trail climbs 1340 feet to Sawmill Road Trail (8559 feet). The sandy trail has a…
Learn more about Sawmill Crossover 1S16

This trail is a sandy trail that climbs up 1000 feet from Benton Crossing Road up to the Watterson Troughs. From the apex, you can go down Deer Springs Road down to another section of…
Learn more about Watterson Troughs

This route winds through the Inyo National Forest, offering great views of the White Mountains Range, including Mount Bancroft, Mount Dubois, and Mount Hogue. The views are especially nice when the peaks are snow-covered, creating…
Learn more about FS 4S130

Casa Diablo Road is a twenty-one-mile dirt road that connects Benton Crossing Road to the Bishop Area. It starts at 7414 feet and drops down over 3000 feet to 4170 feet. The first part, off…
Learn more about Casa Diablo Road

This 5-mile route travels through high-desert meadows filled with Sagebrush before reaching Wilfred Creek in the final mile. Most of the drive crosses open terrain with sweeping views of the Eastern Sierra mountains and Lake…
Learn more about Wilfred Canyon - FS 3S01A

Adobe Ranch Road (FS 1N17) is a wide and easy route that serves as the main eastern access to Crooked Meadow East. The trail follows the gentle contours of Adobe Canyon, offering open views across…
Learn more about Adobe Ranch Road - FS 1N17

This is a trail through a beautiful pine forest with some unique rock formations to view. It is mostly sandy with a few small rocky sections. One dip could be a water crossing during early…
Learn more about 1S16A/39e103

This is a nice easy-graded single-track that gives access to the Inyo National Forest trail network. There are some dispersed camping spots along the way with established fire rings. It will get you around to…
Learn more about The Easy Way Around Rock Creek

Sheep Camp Road is the main west-to-east trail in this area. The trail starts off at Owen Gorge Road and travels over eight miles through open pine forest, high desert, and in and around pretty…
Learn more about Sheep Camp Road - FS4S03

The trail is a less-traveled path than most in the area. Starting from Benton Crossing Road, the trail climbs up a pretty canyon which is lined with rock formations, pine trees, and lots of bushes.There…
Learn more about Round Mountain Turnoff - FS 3S54

This ten-mile trail follows the foothills of the Glass Mountains. It offers scenic views of the Glass Mountain area, the Eastern Sierras, the Owens River, and the Owens River Valley. The terrain varies from sand…
Learn more about FS 2S164

This 3.76-mile point-to-point route connects Benton Crossing Road to Wilford Canyon, crossing open meadow terrain between the Eastern Sierra mountains and the Glass Mountains. Starting 0.6 miles east of Brown's Fishing Camp, the trail cuts…
Learn more about Wilfred Canyon Cutoff - FS 4S148

Climbs up from McGee Canyon Road. It begins with a gradual ascent, offering stunning views along the way. The trail then descends into a picturesque forest of pines and aspens. Towards the end, the trail…
Learn more about 1S90A

This 2.38-mile point-to-point route takes you to Wilford Canyon and Wilford Creek through less-traveled terrain. The sand and pumice surface runs one vehicle wide, lined on both sides with short sagebrush. Since this trail sees…
Learn more about FS 3S150

Crooked Meadow East offers a scenic and varied drive through a mix of pine and aspen forest with views that open toward the valley below. Beginning from Adobe Ranch Road (FS 1N17), the trail climbs…
Learn more about Crooked Meadow Road East

This easy trail takes you all the way to the mining complex to the east and the historic mining complex. There are many structures still standing and plenty of kiosks and information about the area.…
Learn more about Red Rock Quicksilver Mine

This full trail actually starts off just off Highway 395 in the locale of Sunny Slopes. It is paved until after it crosses the Long Valley Dam at Lake Crowley. This mapped trail starts just…
Learn more about Owens Gorge Road

Casa Diablo Mine Cutoff, also called FS 04S04, drops 600 feet over six miles. This mostly sandy trail does have various rocky sections and ruts to handle. Use caution as they come out of nowhere.…
Learn more about Casa Diablo Mine Cut Off - FS 04S04

A very scenic track through pine forest and high desert with breathtaking views of the Eastern Sierras to the West and the White Mountains to the East. The trail runs between sandy areas and rocky…
Learn more about FS 4S132