Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Furnace Creek, California
West Side Road - DVNP
Easy route around the west side of the dry lake bed in Death Valley. This route offers a different, and remote, perspective of the Devil's Golf Course and Badwater Basin. The route starts about 11… Learn more about West Side Road - DVNP
Total Miles
34.1
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi / Su
Rhyolite Ghost Town
This is a fairly easy trail with the exception of Secret Pass, which can be bypassed easily with other trails nearby. Secret Pass has short, steep grades that are rocky and tight in various sections.… Learn more about Rhyolite Ghost Town
Total Miles
48
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa
Dunes Poll Line Road
A pretty straight, pretty flat rip from the Amargosa Dunes over to the access trail to get to Blackmarble Mountain and other trails in the area. There are a few spots where it gets rutted… Learn more about Dunes Poll Line Road
Total Miles
7
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Wi
Pole Line Road
This trail is the main Pole line heading south out of town from Beatty and its more local dirt trails. This road takes you along the power lines and down toward two interesting abandoned mining… Learn more about Pole Line Road
Total Miles
6.6
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Sp
Black Marble Mountain Truck Route
The first half of the trail is relatively easy; most high clearance 4x4 will have no issues. There are a few dispersed camping spots and a few old mining areas to explore with a vast… Learn more about Black Marble Mountain Truck Route
Total Miles
1.6
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Sp
Old Railroad Grade Road
The Western section of the road is well-graded and more than two cars wide. Once one transitions onto the two-track near the airport the trail gets rocky with a few washout transitions. One specifically is… Learn more about Old Railroad Grade Road
Total Miles
3.9
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Sp
Butte Valley
Street-legal vehicles and a Death Valley National Park pass are required for this route. Begin on a wide road across open desert land and then pass through Warm Springs Canyon. You'll pass by talc mines… Learn more about Butte Valley
Total Miles
24.2
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Fa / Wi / Sp
Gold Bar Road
This trail starts out easy with a graded two-lane washboard dirt road by the private Big Red Art Barn. Look, but please don't touch. It also appears people camp in the parking lot by the… Learn more about Gold Bar Road
Total Miles
5
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Sp
Bullfrog Historic Mining Distric
A great day trip out of Beatty, NV. Explore a ton of mines and a ghost town. This loop is approximately 50 miles, and you'll pass some really unique geological formations. There is one section… Learn more about Bullfrog Historic Mining Distric
Total Miles
82.9
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi
Rainbow Mountain Road
A mostly east trail that begins or ends at the Rhyolite ghost town on the western end of the trail. The ghost town is somewhat preserved with many structures still standing and lots to explore,… Learn more about Rainbow Mountain Road
Total Miles
3.8
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Sp
Mud Springs Road
This easy two-track trail takes you along the edge of the valley and to the mud water springs. There are lots of Burros in the area and even a falcon. The Mud Springs are just… Learn more about Mud Springs Road
Total Miles
6.3
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Fa / Wi / Sp
Harry Wade Exit Route - DVNP
A historical route at the southern end of Death Valley National Park. The route is 32 miles in length through one of the most remote and arid parts of Death Valley - be prepared. The… Learn more about Harry Wade Exit Route - DVNP
Total Miles
30.1
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi
Pioneer Road
A mostly easy trail, except for the last 100 yards that complete the trail to the mine. There is plenty of room for oncoming traffic, and the trail is well graded. 2 bars LTE at… Learn more about Pioneer Road
Total Miles
3.8
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Sp
Phinney Canyon Road
This easy, graded trail takes you from Highway 95 into the vast trail networks in the valley. Continuing past the recorded turn will take you all the way to the Death Valley park boundary. The… Learn more about Phinney Canyon Road
Total Miles
3.5
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Sp
Darwin Canyon
This trail is easy to complete in almost any vehicle. Along the way you'll encounter the Darwin Falls trailhead, various side trails, and some interesting abandoned structures. There are some spots with loose sand and… Learn more about Darwin Canyon
Total Miles
11.7
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi
Saline Valley Road
Death Valley is famous for its barren valleys and soaring vistas, but few people wander into its more remote regions like Saline Valley. The road into this area is dirt, and often heavily corrugated and… Learn more about Saline Valley Road
Total Miles
74.5
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi
Sperry Wash
Total Miles
27.4
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Fa / Wi / Sp
Straight Shot to the White Fluffy Stuff
This is a mostly straight trail with some sandy sections and deep washouts. The trail ends at the military border in the lakebed. The lakebed may be impassable when wet. There seems to be some… Learn more about Straight Shot to the White Fluffy Stuff
Total Miles
7
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Sp
Saratoga Springs
This is short spur trail off of the Harry Wade Exit Route. Expect similar conditions to what has been experienced on HWER albeit with a bit more washboard and cross-graining. There are a few washes… Learn more about Saratoga Springs
Total Miles
3.8
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi
552 Mining Entry Road
552 Mining Entry Road drives through the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Bureau of Land Management Government Lands, it is a easy gravel road with sections of loose rock, and spots that have been washed out… Learn more about 552 Mining Entry Road
Total Miles
8.4
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
The Easy Route to Trona Pinnacles
The main (occasionally) graded route to get to Trona Pinnacles. This hard-packed washboard road takes you across the desert and across the shortest operating railroad in America. Be sure to stop and check for trains… Learn more about The Easy Route to Trona Pinnacles
Total Miles
4.4
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi
Noides Road
Noides Road drives through the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Bureau of Land Management Government Lands. It is a semi easy road with sections that take a 4x4 vechile and good line placement to navigate loose… Learn more about Noides Road
Total Miles
8.1
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Powerline Trail
This trail continues from Higley Trail in Pahrump farther up into the mountains. We saw several homeless campers with dilapidated RVs and trash everywhere nearby these camps (sad!). There are also lots of weekenders boondocking… Learn more about Powerline Trail
Total Miles
5.4
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa
Wheeler Pass
Starting in Cold Creek, the Wheeler Pass trail takes you up and over the Spring Mountains. The trail used to be the main way to travel from the Indian Springs area to Pahrump in the… Learn more about Wheeler Pass
Total Miles
24.8
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi
Sand Wash Road
At the intersection with Hemlock Road, take Sand Wash Road westbound towards Pahrump. This trail is comprised mostly of gravel and is relatively level the whole way. It follows Sand Wash through Blackbrush, Joshua Tree… Learn more about Sand Wash Road
Total Miles
4.6
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi
Higley Road/Trail - Powerline Road
This trail starts just outside of a housing development in Pahrump and ends in the foothills (or vice versa). The trail is partially a gravel road nearby the town and becomes a powerline trail shortly… Learn more about Higley Road/Trail - Powerline Road
Total Miles
4.6
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi
"Just Found It" Trail
Leisurely gravel and dirt trail that meanders in and out of a wash. Good views of Pahrump, Nevada, and the surrounding valley. Joshua Tree forest with nice stands of Yucca, Barrel, and Cholla Cactus. Spring… Learn more about "Just Found It" Trail
Total Miles
3.2
Tech Rating
2
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi
Hughes Cabin-Horse Springs Road
Wide and well-maintained gravel road crosses BLM land, steadily climbing from valley floor at approximately 2,900ft to an elevation of 4,500ft. A locked gate with a "no trespassing" sign marks the end of the line… Learn more about Hughes Cabin-Horse Springs Road
Total Miles
5.9
Tech Rating
1
Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi
Another Way Around
A quick pop around the side of pinnacles out to the network of trails beyond. The trail is somewhat sandy with a few small steep hills, washouts, and very sharp rocks. One should take care… Learn more about Another Way Around
Total Miles
2.2
Tech Rating
3
Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Sp
Trona Pinnacles Scenic Loop East (Easy)
An easy scenic loop around and through the Trona Pinnacles National Landmark that is accessible by passenger car with careful tire placement (easy trail, just be careful of your sidewalls on sharp rocks). This trail… Learn more about Trona Pinnacles Scenic Loop East (Easy)