Finding trails in N.Cal

[joshellis]

Having been here for 6 months now I'm starting to get settled in and ready to get some dirt under the tires. Plus it would be good to learn about environmental regulations etc here, so I dont accidentally put my foot (tire) in it without knowing. After googling and googling I found only one book with great reviews right across the web, not just big online bookstores. It has over 75 trails in Northern California! This author has a series including Arizona, Utah, Colorado & 3 other states I ordered my copy & and when it arrives I will post a review.

 

I thought I'd mention it.. these could be really useful resources for NPORA members across the country, w/ club trips, meetups etc

 

Amazon was the cheapest place I could find, only $17!:

 

Guide to 4x4 Backtrails

 

ps And no, thats not my affiliate link!!

Edited September 2, 2009 by joshellis

[bigred07]

thanks, these look pretty helpfull for me.

[GreyAliens]

Having been here for 6 months now I'm starting to get settled in and ready to get some dirt under the tires. Plus it would be good to learn about environmental regulations etc here, so I dont accidentally put my foot (tire) in it without knowing. After googling and googling I found only one book with great reviews right across the web, not just big online bookstores. It has over 75 trails in Northern California! This author has a series including Arizona, Utah, Colorado & 3 other states I ordered my copy & and when it arrives I will post a review.

 

I thought I'd mention it.. these could be really useful resources for NPORA members across the country, w/ club trips, meetups etc

 

Amazon was the cheapest place I could find, only $17!:

 

Guide to 4x4 Backtrails

 

ps And no, thats not my affiliate link!!

 

Good job brotha!

 

I am looking forward to the review and then I can get my own copy. I will most definitely get out there soon, I have to get used to driving a stick first! hah ha hah but I have been riding motorcycles since 17 so i think after day 1 jitters I will master shifting the Pathy. Then we can hit some trails!

[SC88Pathy]

Lot of the trails around here can be found online. The vast majority are on State Parks, so you can get free or cheap guides from most major state park offices.

 

Very few trails are on private property. But for $17 I'd say it was a good buy.

 

Just noticed its 5 years out of date. A lot has happened in the past five years, including the closure of a major 4x4 park (Clear Creek). I'd take all trails in this book with a grain of salt.

Edited September 2, 2009 by SC88Pathy

[GrimGreg]

We used to play in the National Forests just east of Eureka when I lived out there. All kinds of abandoned old timber and fire trails to get lost and stuck on, lol.

[joshellis]

Lot of the trails around here can be found online. The vast majority are on State Parks, so you can get free or cheap guides from most major state park offices.

 

Very few trails are on private property. But for $17 I'd say it was a good buy.

 

Just noticed its 5 years out of date. A lot has happened in the past five years, including the closure of a major 4x4 park (Clear Creek). I'd take all trails in this book with a grain of salt.

 

Hmm well I dont see 'Clear Creek' listed in the 75 trails in the index.

Of course they are on State property, what are the other alternatives? Wheeling in someone's backyard? The Twilight Zone??

 

That's the whole point of the book; to first advise you of regulations, licensing, fees, legalities etc.

 

Then, theres the trail descriptions, with GPS waypoints. And theres emergency/survival information, recovery methods, high detail maps, trail grading system, contact details of OHV/SVRA offices...

 

AREA 1

Mt. Shasta, Redding, Eureka, Santa Rosa

 

1. Mt. Shasta Loop (Easy)

2. Bowerman Ridge (Easy)*

3. Shasta Bally Peak (Easy)*

4. Lost Coast, Redwoods (Easy)*

5. Cow Mountain OHV Area (Difficult)

 

AREA 2

Red Bluff, Grass Valley, Downieville, Gold Lake

 

6. Peligreen Jeepway (Moderate)

7. High Lakes (Difficult)

8. Stag Point (Moderate)

9. Cleghorn Bar (Difficult)

10. Poker Flat (Moderate)*

11. Gold Valley (Moderate)

12. Snake Lake (Difficult)*

13. Deer Lake (Moderate)

14. Sierra Buttes (Easy)

15. Tyler-Foote Crossing (Easy)

 

AREA 3

Auburn, Lake Tahoe

 

16. Bear Valley Loop (Moderate)

17. Fordyce Creek (Difficult)

18. Signal Peak (Difficult)

19. Shirttail Canyon (Easy)

20. Mt. Watson (Easy)

21. Blackwood Cyn., Ellis Pk.(Moderate)

22. Hell Hole (Difficult)

23. Rubicon (Difficult)

24. Barrett Lake (Difficult)

 

AREA 4

South Lake Tahoe, Arnold, Bear Valley, Sonora

 

25. Strawberry Pass (Difficult)

26. Deer Valley (Difficult)

27. Corral Hollow (Moderate)

28. Slickrock Trail (Difficult)*

29. Niagara Rim (Difficult)

30. Eagle Peak (Moderate)

31. Dodge Ridge (Easy)

 

AREA 5

Bridgeport, Lee Vining, Mammoth Lakes, Bishop

 

32. Bodie Ghost Town (Easy)

33. Kavanaugh Ridge (Moderate)

34. Copper Mountain (Easy)

35. Horse Meadows (Easy)

36. Deadman Pass (Easy)*

37. Backway to Inyo Craters (Easy)

38. Laurel Lakes (Moderate)

39. Sand Canyon (Moderate)

40. Wheeler Ridge (Difficult)

41. Buttermilk Country (Easy)

42. Coyote Flat (Moderate)

43. Silver/Wyman Canyons (Easy)

 

 

AREA 6

Big Pine, Lone Pine

 

44. Mazourka Canyon (Moderate)

45. Armstrong Canyon (Moderate)

46. Movie Rd./Alabama Hills (Easy)*

47. Swansea-Cerro Gordo Rd. (Moderate)

48. Racetrack via Hunter Mtn. (Moderate)*

 

AREA 7

San Jose, Coalinga, San Luis Obispo

 

49. Hollister Hills SVRA (Difficult)

50. Old Coast Road (Easy)*

51. Prewitt Ridge (Easy)

52. South Coast Ridge (Easy)

53. Pichacho Peak (Difficult)

54. Oceano Dunes SVRA (Moderate)

55. Pine Mountain (Difficult)

56. Garcia Ridge (Moderate)

57. Twin Rocks (Moderate)

 

AREA 8

Fresno, Shaver Lake

 

58. White Bark Vista (Easy)

59. Mirror/Strawberry Lakes (Difficult)

60. Coyote Lake (Difficult)

61. Brewer Lake (Moderate)

62. Bald Mountain (Difficult)

63. Swamp Lake (Difficult)

64. Voyager Rock (Easy)

65. Dusy/Ershim Trail (Difficult)

66. Spanish Route (Difficult)

 

AREA 9

Bakersfield, Lake Isabella, Ridgecrest, Mojave

 

67. Monache Meadows (Easy)

68. Sherman Pass 4x4 Trail (Difficult)

69. Rancheria Road (Easy)

70. Freeway Ridge (Difficult)

71. Jawbone to Lake Isabella (Easy)

72. Jawbone OHV Area (Moderate)

73. Bonanza Gulch/EP15 (Moderate)

74. Opal Cyn./Last Chance Cyn. (Moderate)

75. Rand Mountain (Moderate)

[GrimGreg]

AREA 1

Mt. Shasta, Redding, Eureka, Santa Rosa

 

1. Mt. Shasta Loop (Easy)

2. Bowerman Ridge (Easy)*

3. Shasta Bally Peak (Easy)*

4. Lost Coast, Redwoods (Easy)*

5. Cow Mountain OHV Area (Difficult)

 

There are tons of places in the Eureka area that aren't listed, but it looks like it is more of a designated trail listing. Pretty much the whole coast line from Ferndale to Trinidad is open for ORV access, not all of it is legal but most areas are. Had a friend in high school flip his Toyota truck out on the Mad River dunes more than once (the jack-ass).

[Precise1]

You might also find this useful...

 

http://4wheeldrive.about.com/od/nocatrails...o_4Wheeling.htm

 

B

[joshellis]

Now we're talking...

[GrimGreg]

You might also find this useful...

 

http://4wheeldrive.about.com/od/nocatrails...o_4Wheeling.htm

 

B

 

That one has the dunes listed, Samoa.