First Big Bear Trip... Advice?

Going up with a TRD Pro running 285/75r16s and a stock TRD Sport with 265's.

Looking for somewhat of a challenge and great scenery. Headed up Friday night and plan on staying until Sunday. Camping Friday and Saturday night.

Been looking at dirtopia for trails and watching on youtube... Thinking about white mountain and tip top mountain. Maybe clarks grade also.

Want to avoid any trails with heavy brush and anything that would require sliders. Any of the black trails meet that?

Any camping spot recommendations?

 

You gonna need a campground with facilities or just camping anywhere? Look up the yellow post sites. Tons of trails up there. Go down middle control road when you're on the way up. Nice easy scenic trail that leads to a campground call Seven Oaks. Amazing burgers right there. Then you just get on Glass Road and back onto the main road to big bear. Tons of trails up there. I did Radford Truck Trail from Seven Oaks Campground up to the backside of big bear.

 

Also @goblue82 knows some good trails.

 

Clarks grade sounds like what youre looking for. Also, Thomas Hunting Grounds. Skyline Drive is scenic as well.

 

Jacoby Canyon if you want a "challenge" that is stock capable.

 

Don't really care where I camp. Usually go deep in the desert and sleep in my bed.

 

Plenty of great yellow posts in big bear.

 

So pretty much I should hit all of the blue trails?

What's the easiest black if i want more of a challenge?

I've done some of the more challenging stuff in anza borrego

 

So a yellow post is a designated camping ground? Can you technically camp anywhere?

 

Yellow post is free established camp site with fire ring and sometimes a bench. No toilets. And no, you can't legally just camp anywhere.

 

White mountain is do-able but full skids and good tires is recommended. Very loose, very rocky. 4x4 mandatory.

 

Anything black diamond will come with a chance of pin striping, crushed rockers, or crushed stock skids on a stock suspension. Some can be done without armor but depends on your experience and picking the easiest line possible.

 

So if I'm bringing someone along in a stock sport with KO2s will I ruin his day or entire offroading life bringing him down white mountain if he's uneasy offloading?

 

So I should just get this black diamond idea out of mind....

Any of the blues have higher risk of pin striping?

 

It would be hard to say, if you run into something uncomfortable you can always turn around....or bring some pruning shears. There's probably a couple hundred miles of dirt roads up there to tool around exploring, even some if the non 4x4 tracks could be overgrown.

 

Skyline is currently closed. well as of last weekend anyway.

 

Trust me... I have an axe mounted in the bed and a hatchet under the seat nothing is touching my paint lol

 

It's actually quite a relief when you get your first scratches from off-roading. It means you now have a truck and don't have to baby it so much. Enjoy that thing man. You might graze some bushes for sure. It's almost inevitable

 

Don't tell me the things

 

Make your first stop the 'Discovery Center' and pick up the Adventure Pass. You'll need it if you stop anywhere in the National Forest. Also, get yourself a good map of the trails. You can spend all day driving around on 'fire roads' and never even need 4WD. If you don't need a fire ring, then there is plenty of 'primitive camping'. Try Holcomb Valley and 3N16. If you plan on even firing up a propane stove, you'll need a 'campfire permit'...

https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/sbnf/passes-permits

Most of the trails are on the north side of the lake. Some really scenic trails on the southside would be Clarks Grade and Skyline fit that bill.

Have fun!