Old Dale Road

Total Miles
25.8

Elevation

756.64 ft

Duration

3 Hours

Technical Rating

Moderate

Best Time

Spring, Fall

Trail Overview

Old Dale Road is an iconic trail in the mountains of Joshua Tree National Park. Start from either the north or the south trailhead and enjoy a trek through the history and beauty of the desert. Visit abandoned mines throughout the trail or set up camp away from the crowds. This trail is appropriate for any high-clearance 4x4.

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Difficulty

70% Of the trail is in deep sand that requires 4WD and the 30% is small to moderate-sized rocks that can pose damage to low clearance vehicles.

Technical Rating

Status Reports

did it in a stock 4x4 silverodo. Doesn’t have great clearance so scraped a few times and some spots where really sketchy. If i went back i’d definitely want a spotter but i didn’t really trust who i was with so i spotted myself. Would definitely suggest having higher clearance for some spots but other than that the trail was fun.

Met up with a buddy in his JL jeep. Both lifted 2.5” on 35” easy trail. First 4-5 miles rough and sandy in some spots. Near the mine house, the road is a lot more rocky and rough. The last 10 mile or so is quick moving washboards and sandy.

Fun trail not really difficult. Some rutted washed out areas where you had to go a little slower but that’s it. Little amount of rocks over the pass through the mountain rest was mainly just dirt. Overall a fun ride. We did the trail in about 2 hours give or take. No one else out that we saw.

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