Road Tripping Through NorCal...NEED HELP!?

Hey guys, I'm taking a road trip up to Arcata to visit some friends who go to HSU, and I'll be passing through much of NorCal on my way up.

My buddies have never seen my truck (I just got it recently), and I'd like to take them for a little light wheelin'. Anybody know of any trails in the area I'll be, or nearby at least? I've tried to do some research online (I'm a GeoSciences major, so it's kind of embarrassing) but I haven't had any luck finding a 4x4 trail anywhere within an hour or two of drive time.

I know there is ONE 4x4 shop in Arcata (damn hippies gonna hate), and I plan on asking them, but they're all 1st gens with LT on 35's so I'm not sure I can handle what they do.

If you know of a trail or spot near Arcata, or in Humboldt County, please let me know! Maybe I'll see some of you on the way up. I'll be taking the 101 up from SoCal all the way through Monterey, SF and Santa Rosa then on to Humboldt.

Here's what I drive in case you see me.

 

go to cow mountain. Im not sure how close it is to you but its coo

 

Hull Mountain (Mendocino National Forest) is also in that area

 

Thanks for the replies.

Cow Mountain and Hull Mountain are a bit too far south for me, but yeah I hear it's a pretty good spot and has some technical areas. The Hull Mountain trails are pretty sweet from what I hear.

 

There is not too much around Arcata. You could go to the Samoa Dunes (10 minutes away) There are some man made obstacles, rocks, tires, logs. There are also roads that run along the dunes that can be fun. Samoa is mostly just a close place to play around. Samoa is an OHV park, so i believe you need a flag. There is McGrew Trail, about 3 hours north. That's about a 6 hour trip from beginning of the trail to the end (plus travel). There are a bunch of forest service roads within an hour or two, but that's mostly just dirt roads, not much to play on.

You'll be in my back yard, so holler if you have any questions. I've lived here all my life, but I'm relatively new to exploring the area in a truck, so I might not have all the answers.

Good luck.

 

My vote is Hull Mountain.