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.]
