Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Shasta Lake, California

This is a wide-open easy trail from the Chappie staging area, past Mammoth Mountain, to a lunch spot. It's easy for all riding abilities, with a ton of overlooks along the way. During the spring,…
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While the trail is an easy dirt road the real story is the river. The Lower McCloud River flows approximately 12 miles from Lake McCloud into Lake Shasta. It can have an emerald green color,…
Learn more about McCloud River 38N53

The Dill Scenic Trail is an out and back at Shasta National Forest in California. There are great views of Mount Shasta as well as the surrounding mountains. This trail is not difficult by any…
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This is a fun drive up through the mountains that will require 4x4 high clearance. However, it does not require lockers. Bring a lunch and enjoy the backcountry, with some great views of valleys and…
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Willow Lake Road takes you to Willow Lake Campground where there are opportunities for fishing, hiking, hot springs, geysers and wildlife viewing. The road in is doable in any high clearance vehicle. When approaching the…
Learn more about Willow Lake Road 29N14

This trail begins at Highway 44, travels through Lassen National Forest into Lassen Volcanic National Park, and concludes at Butte Lake. The trail is not technical, but can be eroded and present long stretches of…
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This route takes you through mostly wide gravel roads. There is a lot of moon dust/thick powder near the town of Westwood. You will be traveling through one of the largest burn scars in California,…
Learn more about Buffalo Chips

The trail is wide with nice gravel. The entire route has road signs, so you can't really get lost. Up by the actual lake, the gravel road gets steep, but some pavement has been put…
Learn more about Crater Lake

Erickson Ridge Loop is a relatively easy loop trail in Mendocino National Forest. From M1 (Elk Mountain Road) going north, the trail starts on your left, with a narrower dirt trail on the left and…
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This route will take you from Upper Lake all the way to Eel River/Lake Pillsbury. It begins with great views of the valley, plenty of camping and resting spots in between, and ends with your…
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This trail is a little less than 4 miles and leads to Letts Lake and campground. As the only lake in the lower half of Mendocino NF, it is worth visiting. There are four campsites…
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This is a great run from Wagner Creek through parts of Siskiyou Pass to Maple Dell Gap. From Maple Dell Gap you can continue on to Squaw Lake or head north and reconnect with Siskiyou…
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This is segment one of the SW Oregon Overland Adventure Loop. This segment is an easy gravel road between the Mount Ashland Ski Resort and the historic McKee Covered Bridge. It passes by two fire…
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Easy dirt trail with connections to the Berryessa Snow Mountain Monument area Trails with wildflower sights in Spring and the main road to The Wilbur Hot Springs. Beautiful scenery of the Bear Valley in Lake…
Learn more about Bear Valley Road Trail

Bartlett Springs Road begins southeast of Mendocino National Forest and boasts excellent views. This route passes through BLM land, and there are plenty of offshoots from the trail. There are also opportunities for camping, hiking,…
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This is a connection road between the back side of Talent, OR and the Rogue River/Siskiyou National Forests. The road leaves an area of homes and farms and climbs to about 4,200 feet before descending…
Learn more about Long Way to Little Applegate River

This is how you will get from Spaulding Tract out to county road A1, also known as Eagle Lake Road. The route is dusty and a bit rocky, but not hard. Trees will be down…
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Payette Trail #970 is accessible during late summer when the Applegate Lake water levels are lower. It is located at the southeast end of the lake off of Forest Road 1075, which takes you to…
Learn more about Payette Trail - FS 970

This is a 43-mile-long trek through dirt logging roads with spectacular views of the northern California redwoods. It is a great way to start a trip up the Mendocino coastline and on your way to…
Learn more about Sherwood Road

This trail is rated as a Level 1 difficulty. It offers a relatively easy experience, characterized by a flat, well-maintained road predominantly composed of gravel and dirt. However, it should be noted that during winter,…
Learn more about Sly Creek Trail

Mix of fire roads and old logging roads. The area has been scorched by fire recently. There are a lot of downed trees that cross the trail, be prepared with a chain saw or chain/rope.…
Learn more about Happy Valley Ridgeline

As you enter from this northern part of the trail, you'll be surrounded by trees covered in moss, beautiful views of the ocean peaking in through the trees, and well-grated gravel. There are parts of…
Learn more about Usal Road (Northern Portion)

This is a steep one-lane dirt road that is not very heavily used and is reasonably well maintained by the county. On about sixty percent of the trail, two rigs can slowly and carefully pass…
Learn more about Usal Road (Southern Portion)

The trail has smooth flowing sections, loose, rocky climbs, and hardpacked rocky roads with seasonal low water crossings. The road up to the lookout is steep with loose rock. Leading up to and past Taylor…
Learn more about Taylor Lake/Lucky S Mine/Kettle Rock Lookout Loop

Cal-Barrel is a dirt road to more trails in Redwood National Park. The road is gravel with some potholes and an incline nearly all the way to the end, where hiking trails begin. There are…
Learn more about Cal Barrel - Redwood National Park