Total Escape Outside » 4×4 Camps OHV

9N09 – Los Padres NF

DanaMite — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:47:01 +0000

Quatal Canyon

Quatal Cyn: Forest Road #9N09 – Los Padres National Forest

Toad Spring Campground is located at high elevations (5700′) of Quatal Canyon, on a dirt road, half mile off the pavement of Cerro Noroeste Rd. The Chumash Wilderness, the Cuyama River Valley, Apache Saddle, Mount Abel plus the Bittercreek National Wildlife Refuge all surround this region. Los Padres National Forest meets the vineyards, orchards & farmlands, near Ventucopa. This is the badlands – 18 mile scenic dirt road, well signed at Hwy 33 & mostly graded. Quatal Cyn connects Ojai’s Highway 33 to the pinyon pine forest above near Pine Mountain Club (@ nearly a straight line?) Motorcycle dirt bikes & off-roaders dig this place. Street bikes will prefer paved Cerro Noroeste which runs the rim above to the north.

Quatal Canyon (possibly named after some great Chumash warrior) is a giant high desert wash, ripping down from Cerro Noroeste (aka Mt Abel). Serious erosion w/ San Andreas fault lines – make it a very interesting canyon to explore on foot, horseback, motorbike, or mountain bike. The lupine & wildflowers here are incredible in late Spring in this red dirt canyon. Both nearby mountain peaks of Mount Abel & Mount Pinos are the tallest in Kern County.

This rugged primitive canyon gets torn up during a good storm in late summer or big winter storm. Red dirt gets very slippery – especially on the edges of a cliff. Boulders in the road, flash floods – or no road, river! 2WD passenger cars can take this route, but high clearance is preferred. 4×4 needed during heavy rain or snow – which could be half the year (Nov-April). Flash flooding is possible all over Los Padres NF, so know the weather forecast in advance.

Seen small RVs, trucks pulling trailers & even a U-haul moving truck. MapQuest always amazes me where they route you. This is a graded dirt road, some of the time. MapQuest should post a ’see Total Escape for this route’. Come on folks, if you’re traveling cross-country, while moving your residence, buy a real map to explore the National Forests of California. You may end up sleeping way out here – broken down in the moving van, in the boonies & no cell coverage, cuz you had a one page, wrinkled map in faded ink, wet & smeared. And MapQuest told you it was paved. It’s not paved 90% of the way.

Primitive camping is also allowed in the canyon wash or on the side routes, on certain seasons. Use existing camp site when possible. Clean out the rock fire ring of litter & bottles, pull back all dry brush at camps & leave these places better than you found ‘em. There are hundreds of dispersed campsites out here. The open wash is especially nice on a full moon hike, just bring friends – cuz it’s big cat country. Camp fire restrictions are in tight control on this SoCal region. You will need a camp fire permit, a big shovel & lotsa water. Check with the Los Padres rangers to make sure. Recently Zaca Fire (2007) & the month long Day Fire (2006) both came very close to this precious sanctuary.

The high desert terrain is pinyon forest, with yucca & manzanita. The eroded cliffs of red rock, white & orange hues, glow best during the clearest sunsets. You will almost think your in Utah, until you get up on a ridge & see the smog in the Central Valley of California.

Mahu Tasen, a Native American camp and sweat lodge, has ceremonial grounds in a canyon off of Quatal. There is also a large rock quarry mining operation, as well as numerous wineries and ranches along this route. Several private residences too.

Ballinger Canyon OHV Park is closeby, 5 miles N on Hwy 33

Carrizo Plain National Monument is also close, N off Hwy 166

towns nearby -

PINE MOUNTAIN CA

MARICOPA CA

VENTUCOPA CA

helpful maps of the region -

SUV Trail

DanaMite — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:29:52 +0000

Since sport utility vehicles were invented for California yuppies, it makes perfect sense that this market also has the awesome terrain to use these rugged rigs. After the first shopping cart door ding or windshield crack, most folks are open to taking their utilitarian vehicles on dirt roads, but some will only dream about it.

Here at Total Escape, we are here to change all that. The fear of outdoors, the unknown, the capability, the driving skill. Your SUV is a good reason to be outdoors in the golden state, at bare minimum. No excuses. Enjoy the California you never knew – and sometimes that means getting off the pavement. Yes, more than 2 miles.

SUV trail - any path, dirt road or route that can be driven on; high clearance vehicle are often necessary, 4×4 needed on occasion. National Forests, canyons, deserts, mountains, country lane style drives, some classic routes skirt the wilderness boundaries. We have it all for ya here. Rock crawling Rubicon adventures, all the way down to the leisurely ‘Sunday drive’ thru a forest to a meadow for a picnic.

Jeep trails, forest roads, graded roads, gravel roads, back roads, dirt roads, 4×4 routes, OHV (off highway vehicle) trails.

MAPS will get you out there!

Dust, dirt, mud, snow. Beyond the county line, way back there, where you can discover ghost towns, old mines in the desert, hot springs, historic lodges, petroglyphs, river gorges, fire lookouts, waterfalls, and so much more.

Get motivated and travel in your SUV:

West Kern

DanaMite — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:55:48 +0000

CA Kern / western Kern county

Kern County is known for its oil, its agriculture, and outdoor recreation. The Kern River is the highlight of the region with lush, green and grey granite canyons, a big reservoir & the Sequoia trees just up the road. On the western side of Kern County are small towns like Frazier Park, the golfing cabin community of Pine Mountain Club, plus the oil meccas of Maricopa and Taft. Expansive Lockwood Valley enters into Ventura County. Cuyama River borders Santa Barbara & SLO counties.

Much of the western Kern area is rural ranch land, desert or forest. Los Padres National Forest, Chumash Wilderness, Bittercreek Wildlife Refuge, Wind Wolves Preserve, Buena Vista Reservoir, Ballinger Canyon, Hungry Valley and Fort Tejon State Park all call this region home, right on the mighty tangent of the San Andreas fault line. The San Emigdio range and the surrounding mountains of Mt Pinos and Mount Abel design a perpendicular range to the Central Cali coastline, connecting the huge Mojave desert to the ocean. Cerro Noroeste is a very scenic drive.

The 17 mile long Quatal Canyon, where the indian camp of Mahu Tasen hosts a Bear Dance every summer is also a wild place of bird watching, camping and hunting. The indian word for Mount Pinos is “Iwihinmu” – a sacred spot for Chumash Indians, as well as others; Chumash call it the ‘center of the world’. Locals respond regularly with music, hikes, star gazing, drum circles (seasonally) and local festivals (annually) .

PHOTOS: Drum Camp Pinos | Drumming Cerro Noroeste

Tecuya Ridge, Cuddy Valley 4×4 trails can keep you busy for a whole weekend of back road exploring.

boating, camping, dirt biking, fishing, hiking, horseback, hunting, mountain biking, off roading, skydiving, xc skiing

California Off Road Maps

DanaMite — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:58:33 +0000

Dirt roads, backroads, desert trails, OHV routes, single tracks, dunes, fire roads

When you wanna explore a new area, California has plenty of public land to offer. Off Road Maps can get you away from the crowds & the main staging areas. Maps can show you prime areas to ride & camp that you may not have ever imagined. Whether you seek secluded stream side camp sites, with some fishing or a dusty, long, desert trail that spans the entire Mojave desert, you can find these secret spots with maps.

All California OHV maps are priced under $10

4×4 Panamint Valley has numerous canyons & ridges to conquer

Here are some of the off-roading maps Total Escape carries:

JAWBONE CANYON OHV MAP
Randsburg, California City, Dove Springs, Red Rock, North Mojave Desert Trails
SAN BERNARDINO OHV MAP
Big Bear, Arrowhead, Johnson Valley, Stoddard Wells, Barstow, Mojave Desert Trails
HUNGRY VALLEY OHV MAP
Los Padres National Forest, Frazier Park Trails, Lockwood, Quatal, Ballinger Canyon
ANGELES FOREST OHV MAP
Los Angeles Area, Antelope Valley Desert Trails
SOCAL OHV MAP SET
Buy all & get ‘em cheaper. This is a collection of 4 of the California Trail Users maps.
ROCK CREEK OHV TRAILS
Georgetown, Gold Country California, Sierra Nevada, El Dorado National Forest
MOUNT PINOS OHV TRAILS
Los Padres National Forest, Frazier Park Trails, Ballinger Canyon

These are awesome California locations that have off-road trails surrounding them:

4×4 Camping California

DanaMite — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:04:14 +0000

Okay, you got your 4 wheel drive vehicle dirty, it’s several years old & maybe you even have a scratch or two. Now it’s time to finally start using that beast for real off road adventures. 4×4 camping in California is plentiful. California has trails for OHV use – which means off highway vehicle, that can accommodate your machine. These remote camps are always primitive camp sites, with picnic tables, fire rings & maybe a pit toilet (if you are lucky). You can find total seclusion on these back roads & trails, well away from the developed campgrounds & RVs.

San Bernardino National Forest – has a few trail camps for 4×4 enthusiasts. John Bull Trail (near Holcomb Valley) has an awesome spot with great views over the desert lights. Holcomb Creek Trail also has a few spots. Overall this area is quite crowded for wheelin’ (especially on the weekends), as the population is so dense nearby.

Los Padres National Forest – has the most 4×4 camping, readily accessible to Southern California. The southern portion of the forests has Tecuya Ridge #9N22, with several camps only minutes from I-5. Cerro Noroeste Road has the Blue Ridge & Quatal Canyon #9N09. Hwy 166 leads to Miranda Pines & much more. 2 OHV parks in the area: Hungry Valley & Ballinger both serve the OHV crowds. The northern section of Los Padres (near Big Sur) has plenty of dirt roads & primitive camps, but none are truly 4×4 routes, as most can be accessed with a passenger car.

Sequoia National Forest - has 4×4 camping right along the Kern River, near Keysville, at the junction where Hwy 178 meets Hwy 155. Also, further up the Kern, Forest Rd#22S82 leads to primitive Camp 4, where there are several spots near granite pools, that can only be accessed by 4 wheel drive.

Sierra National Forest – has plenty of 4×4 routes that lead to granite rock gardens & mighty fine, secluded camp sites. Red Lake & Coyote Lake are popular spots that require some technical skills & much patience to access. Both are frequented by fishermen & horses. Near Wishon Reservoir is the dead end trail of Spanish Lake. Onion Springs Meadow is awesome back behind Edison Lake. Near the granite wonderland Courtright Reservoir is the infamous Dusy Trail signed #28E34 (aka #7S32, the Dusy Ershim), second only to the Rubicon Trail for high Sierra granite.

Stanislaus National Forest – has camping in the Crandall & Niagara Creek OHV section of the forest, right off Hwy 108. Elevations range from 5000′-7000′. Higher up, Levitt Lake (access road near Levitt Falls) on the east end of the mountain, past the Sonora Pass sign.

El Dorado National Forest – has the area called Rock Creek OHV for off roading in the Gold Country. Plus the ever popular Rubicon Trail starts hear (near Georgetown) & leads 20 miles across the High Sierra Nevada granite slabs to Lake Tahoe.

And yes, no question about it – you WILL NEED National Forest maps to get to these great spots.

[This list will continue to grow as we unravel all the decades worth of notes & photos. Stay tuned.]