Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Nixon, Nevada

Winnemucca Lake School Buses

The route takes you along the east side of the dry lake bed and up into the Nightingale Range. Up in the hills are two, 1950s school buses that were used to transport workers to…
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Total Miles
13
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Nightingale Mine

These are old mining roads that weave their way through what was once the Nightingale Mine. Active in the 40s the mine was perusing Tungsten ore for the war effort. The are still a few…
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Total Miles
3.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Dry Lakes Loop

The trail starts at a cattle guard after you leave the staging area. The first few miles are soft sand with little to no obstruction. The area to the north side of the trail is…
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Total Miles
20.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Winnemucca Lake East Shore Caves

The route starts out on the north end of the dry lake bad. The road runs alongside a high-voltage power line so it is well-maintained. However, it is built on the sandy ancient shoreline that…
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Total Miles
12.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Su

Six Mile Beach Trail

This route takes you from the trailhead located off Hwy 50, East of Silver Springs, Nevada to Six Mile Beach and loops back to the bridge over the Carson River below the Lahontan Reservoir Dam.…
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Total Miles
14.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

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

Historical and Petroglyph trail

An historical trail with Petroglyphs at the end
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Total Miles
21.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Wild Horse Trail

This route takes you from the outskirts of Dayton, Nevada to Clifton Flats. The trail head starts at the unlocked wild horse protection gate. Make sure to properly close and latch the gate. The trail…
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Total Miles
11.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa / Sp / Wi

Clifton Flat Trail

Clifton Flat is a valley known for herds of wild horses and herds of Pronghorn Antelope. The trailhead starts at the unlocked barbed wire wild horse protection gate. Make sure to properly close and latch…
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Total Miles
11
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Peavine Prospector Run

Spectacular views of Reno abound from high above on this trail that traverses historic Peavine Mountain. In stark contrast to the urban hustle and bustle of Reno, Peavine showcases the desolate beauty of the harsh…
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Total Miles
11.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Old Como Road

This road begins at Dayton, Nevada, and gradually rises in elevation from 4367' to 7128' into the Pine Nut Mountains and is located on mostly BLM lands. The trail starts off over a flat alluvial…
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Total Miles
18.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Brunswick Canyon

Brunswick Canyon Road is fairly easy; 85% of the trail is single vehicle wide with tight switchbacks. Mostly packed gravel trail with areas of loose rocks and a couple of water crossings. The Northern end…
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Total Miles
11.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Crystal Peak Mine Loop

This loop trail offers wide panoramas of endless mountain forests and picturesque views of multiple reservoirs all along an easily traversed dirt road. An exciting surprise awaits at the midway point of the trail--the Crystal…
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Total Miles
26.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Sunrise Pass Road

This graded dirt county road begins at the Johnson Lane OHV Park located east of Minden, NV. As the road gradually ascends, it traverses alluvial plains covered in sage and low canyons with juniper trees.…
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Total Miles
23
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Utopian Mine Trail

This road takes you to the Utopian Mine located in the Pine Nut Mountains in Carson City County, Nevada. The graded dirt road is wide and flat for the first four miles. As you cross…
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Total Miles
5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Big Buck Meadows Trail

Big Buck Meadows Trail follows the power line service road for about 1.5 miles. This portion of the trail consists of a single vehicle-wide trail with a few easy hairpin switchbacks. Ascending about 800 feet…
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Total Miles
5.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

1947 Bunker Trail

This trail starts off on a wide graded dirt road. Then turning Northeast you proceed up a narrow double track trail. This portion of the trail ascends up a flat topped ridge which is lined…
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Total Miles
6.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

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

Pine Nut Mountains Vista Trail

Located in the Johnson OHV park, this trail has views of Minden, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Pine Nut Mountains. A man-made dirt pile is meant to block the trail at 4.82 miles. At this…
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Total Miles
2.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

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

Boca Hill

Boca Hill Trail is a 2.5 mile trail. The trail passes the peak of Boca Hill, a great place to stop and get some pictures from above I-80 with many peaks in the background. The…
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Total Miles
2.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Bear Valley Loop Trail

Bear Valley Loop Trail is a beginner trail located off Hwy 89 starting right at "Little Truckee Summit". The loop takes off and ends at the Bear Valley Campground. Head in on Cottonwood Road off…
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Total Miles
19.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Genoa Peak Road - 41306

You'll get some great views of Lake Tahoe from this trail. It's a wide, single-lane gravel trail that's moderately to heavily used during the summer. There are gates at both ends of the road which…
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Total Miles
10.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Logan House Loop 14n33

This trail has beautiful scenery that includes tree-filtered views of Lake Tahoe, Aspen groves, grassy meadows, a couple of small year-round streams, and the classic Sierra Nevada Mountain Forest. It is recommended for 4WD or…
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Total Miles
8.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Black Rock Playa

This route explores the Black Rock Playa, and then exits to the north and connects to the High Rock Canyon route to the west, or the Summit Lake Reservation route that continues north into Oregon.…
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Total Miles
55.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa

Bodie High Desert Highway

This route takes you from the high desert of Nevada to the chaparral of the Sierra Front Range. The Nevada side is dominated by wide, generally well-graded dirt roads, while the California side takes you…
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Total Miles
61.3
Tech Rating
2 Moderate
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Beckwourth Tie - NF23N03Y

Dirt Forest Service Road accesses a network of roads climbing Beckwourth Mountain just outside Portola, California. These roads are seldom maintained and are occasionally clogged with manzanita overgrowth. Pinstriping is likely. These roads start at…
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Total Miles
3.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Little High Rock Canyon

Little High Rock Canyon is a mix of washboard and two-track trail that travels diagonally across to High Rock Canyon and Soldier's Meadow. This trail is a better choice for those wanting a more exciting…
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Total Miles
32.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Beckwourth Tie Spur - NF23N03YB

Dirt Forest Service road accessing a network of roads climbing Beckwourth Mountain just outside of Portola, California. These roads are seldom maintained and are occasionally clogged with manzanita overgrowth. Pinstriping is likely. These roads start…
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Total Miles
2.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Beckwourth - NF23N03

Dirt Forest Service road accessing a network of roads climbing Beckwourth Mountain just outside of Portola, California. This is one of the primary routes into this section of the forest from town. These roads are…
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Total Miles
3.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa