NorCal places to offroad!

Can anyone suggest a simple/fun dirt road, path, dune etc for a 1st timer? Even if it’s merely most a fire road or area that’s simply “off the road” is fine with me and the kids. Just want to get the feet wet. I’m in the South Bay area (Santa Clara).

 

Hollister Hills SVRA.

 

Check out mendocino national forrest. That's the top of hull mountian. Planing another trip up there in August if you want to come. We're both stock trucks. That was my brothers first time out. A lot of fun and trails and fire roads. If you stay m1 to m6 you can hit trail 66 or over by the summer homes is trail 65. Trail 65 takes you up to trail 66 and m6. Tons of options up there

 

I assume there are beginner trails similar to green and blue dots vs double black diamonds lol. In YouTubing Hollister vids they look pretty technical with many vids of trucks getting stuck etc lol.

 

There are green and blue trails.

 

Check out the South Cow Mountain OHV area in the Ukiah area. It's as simple as following the main road from Ukiah to Lakeport or vice versa and takes maybe an hour or so. If you're in a taco then you don't need 4wd. There's also two campgrounds not too far off the main dirt road, and a nice spot to fish for rainbow trout off the Ukiah side. I'm local so ask me anything!

 

You and I will have to get out soon. I haven't been to cow yet but been to mendo a ton. I need to go get some target shots in before deer and elk season. How's the range at cow?

 

Never really had a chance to check out the range. I believe it is closed right now due to fire season

 

Well shit, I think the Pillsbury basin was still open. If not 2 rock for me

 

I'm planning on either visiting Cow Mountain or Knoxville OHV soon. I'm still on stock tires on my '22 TRD OF. How much should I air down? I've seen people suggest 25, 20, and 15 but I was thinking 18? Not planning on doing anything serious, just dirt roads mostly.

 

18-20 would be good

 

Hiya! I don't know if you've been out since then yet but we frequent Old Coast Road pretty often and take my buds that are new to the offroading community up there. Nice and easy fire road in Big Sur.

For the easy stuff there is always Prewitt Ridge but that's more of a camping area than anything but the views on the coast is always nice! Along with that Hollister Hills is great place to start as well, plenty of stuff to try out for beginners(my first trip with the taco last year was to Hollister). There's always Carnegie OHV but not too much stuff there just a couple of man made obstacles. Take a look at some of these pictures and see if anything intrigues you!

Old Coast Road



Prewitt Ridge - Big Sur


Hollister Hills

 

Anyone familiar with U-Wanna Camp in Lakeport? We were trying to get to Cow Mountain a few weeks ago and Google Maps led us through the twisties in the mountains for an hour and we ended up on some hill where G-maps told us to turn into South Cow Mountain, but there was a gate and a big sign that said "No Access to South Cow Mountain". We gave up trying to get there and ended up at U-Wanna Camp which had a huge open rocky area with some small uphill climbs. Didn't get too far in to explore since we got there late. Google maps also shows the camp area as a river 3 years back but it's completely dry now.

 

Never heard of it. I don't think south cow has access from the Lakeport side. You were far from the Mendocino national Forrest though. Upper lake for access there.

 

Do you have an address I can punch into GPS? Everytime I enter in South Cow Mountain, it takes me to Mendo-Lake Rd

 

Absolutely awesome photos! Makes me want to get out there.

 

I don't have GPS on it but go up northbound 101 almost tell Ukiah and take the talamage rd exit and go up that way. I don't think you can access south cow mountain. I've been to north cow twice. Cow Mountain access rd.

 

I don't know about Cow Mountain, but let me tell you: The Bottle Shop Deli on Talmage Rd is really damn good.

 

Anyone know of any fire roads in/around Sonoma County?

 

I wish that's where I'm at.