Dirt Bike Trails Near Cherokee, California

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High Lakes

Camp, fish and relax in remote seclusion after a day of challenging rock crawling. Despite damage from recent fires, this is a great place to spend a weekend exploring a gorgeous high plateau with numerous…
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Total Miles
16.8
Tech Rating
6 Difficult
Best Time
Su

Cleghorn Bar

This is a fun drive with varying terrain. Green-sticker vehicles allowed and staging is available toward the beginning of the ride. Look for the sign that starts the 4WD riding. This routes takes you through…
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Total Miles
11.1
Tech Rating
4 Moderate
Best Time
Su

Poker Flat

A challenging drive that passes through two historic gold mining towns: Poker Flat and Howland Flat. The trail can be used as a shortcut between Downieville and La Porte. Trip to Saddleback Mountain Lookout Tower…
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Total Miles
26.9
Tech Rating
4 Moderate
Best Time
Su

Willow Lake Road 29N14

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…
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Total Miles
4.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Happy Valley Ridgeline

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.…
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Total Miles
32.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Deer Lake, Gold Valley

Trail begins with an easy climb to a high scenic ridge above beautiful Deer Lake. The route then descends into rugged Gold Valley and heads north past mines and lakes. To modify the trip, you…
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Total Miles
37.9
Tech Rating
2 Moderate
Best Time
Su

Snake Lake

Short but beautiful hard-core trail. Great views looking down on Gold Lake and Snake Lake. Route open to green-sticker vehicles on posted routes only. Overnight camping in designated sites only. Watch for hikers and mountain…
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Total Miles
6.3
Tech Rating
7 Difficult
Best Time
Su

Tamarack Lakes 12E33

This trail starts across from Packer Lake. There is a staging area at the bottom if you need to trailer your rig. The trail heads up to Tamarack Lakes. The two lakes are almost the…
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Total Miles
1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bowman Lake

The first part of the trail is paved. About 2/3rds of the way in, it becomes rocky and dirty. High clearance is recommended. There is one tricky hairpin about 1 mile from camp. Other than…
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Total Miles
16.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su

Bonta Ridge - NF23N05Y

Bonta Ridge is an occasionally maintained gravel Forest Service road that climbs from Bonta Creek Road above the CA-70 highway up to Penman Saddle and points beyond in this section of the Plumas National Forest.…
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Total Miles
4.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Taylor Lake/Lucky S Mine/Kettle Rock Lookout Loop

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…
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Total Miles
18.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Jack's Backbone

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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Total Miles
10.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Sp / Fa

Bottle Hill

Bottle Hill is a good trail to learn how your vehicle feels on dirt, rock, and mud; or to check the off-road capability of your vehicle after making modifications or repairs. It is also a…
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Total Miles
10.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Volcanoville

Volcanoville is a good beginner trail that can be completed by most stock 4x4 SUVs, as well as many AWD vehicles with AT tires and at least 8 inches of clearance. The trail does get…
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Total Miles
2.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su

Mitchell Mine

Mitchell Mine is a nice, easy in-and-out summer trail for a leisurely stroll through the forest. It's also a good trail for beginners to get used to how their vehicle feels while off-road. The surface…
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Total Miles
2.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Signal Peak

Signal Peak is neither "easy" nor "beginner", despite being deemed so by many locals in comparison to the Fordyce trail - which also begins from the Pierce Meadow Staging Area. It is recommended to have…
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Total Miles
3.8
Tech Rating
6 Moderate
Best Time
Su / Fa

Bear Valley Road Trail

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…
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Total Miles
13.9
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Wi

Sugarpine - NF22N55

Dirt Forest Service road accessing a network of roads climbing Beckwourth Mountain just outside of Portola, California. This looks to be the primary route accessing the summit from town. The road is wider and looks…
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Total Miles
3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bartlett Springs Road

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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Total Miles
9.6
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp / Wi

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

Portola "P" - NF14M03

This trail accesses the Portola "P" above town. It starts out as a mellow two-track among the trees but quickly turns upward into a steep, loose, rocky scramble. Low range is required and this trail…
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Total Miles
1.3
Tech Rating
4 Moderate
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Sugarpine Spur A - NF22N55A

Dirt Forest Service road accessing a network of roads climbing Beckwourth Mountain just outside of Portola, California. This spur accesses the communications tower equipment on private property at the summit of Beckwourth Peak. There is…
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Total Miles
2.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Cold Spring

This trail will take you to a wetland area where multiple springs emerge from the mountainside. There is a dispersed camping area at the end where it turns into some hiking trails that give an…
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Total Miles
0.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Trail 1 Georgetown OHV

This starts on Trail 1 off of Darlington Ridge Road and continues to Trail 6 over the bridge and through Slate Mountain. From Slate Mountain, you're presented with more trail options. Lots of single tracks…
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Total Miles
14.8
Tech Rating
6 Moderate
Best Time
Fa / Sp

Walker Ridge Road to Indian Valley Reservoir Road

Walker Ridge Road is one of the main entrances to the Indian Valley Reservoir (CDFW), and the Walker Ridge Recreation Area (BLM). The road is gravel and accessible by most high clearance vehicles. There are…
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Total Miles
9.2
Tech Rating
1 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 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

Dunnigan Hill

The main connector between the north and south entrances of the Knoxville OHV area. Very active with power sports vehicles, as many marked and unmarked trails crisscross this trail. An easy trail with good views…
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Total Miles
14.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa

Janesville Singletrack

There is a good size parking area at the head of the trail for staging and the trail follows alongside the paved road, so extraction is possible at any moment if needed. The trail marker…
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Total Miles
2.2
Tech Rating
4 Moderate
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Letts Lake

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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Total Miles
3.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi