Tag Archives: froadin

Desert Safari 4×4

Tierra del Sol 4×4 Event

Forty-something years running, this San Diego county desert 4×4 event is one of the most popular off-roading weekends. Tierra Del Sol, a local 4 wheel drive club sponsors this wheelin fest in Southern California.

Held near the small community of Ocotillo Wells, near Truckhaven Hills – east of Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Annual event;  March
BORREGO SPRINGS CA

tdsdesertsafari.com

4x4

Driving on the Beach

beach sunset

Driving on the Beach in California

Gone are the days of ‘beach blanket bingo’ where film crews glamorized California – the beautiful people, the nice vehicles, the sport of surfing and the glorious beaches. There are very few places left on the California coast that you can actually drive a vehicle on the sand, right next to the ocean. The military bases, oil corporations and the utility companies have the front row seats to the Pacific genocide, and the rest of the population is restricted with extreme limited access.

Baja California has minimal regulations on coastal access with a car. No pavement, no signs, no cell phone signal, and no help for miles – something to consider if you get stuck south of the border in Mexico. Baja has numerous places to explore below Ensenada, but asking locals is always a favored approach. Pay attention to private property signs and always close the cattle gate (if you found it closed).

silverstrand

Southern California, no beaches allow vehicle traffic. San Diego offers a sliver of sand @ Silver Strand SB, which is a developed campground for motorhomes and car campers, located right on the beach south of Coronado, CA. Fiesta Island in Mission Bay, San Diego allows driving on sand and a favorite among active dogs, but not camping is allowed. In Los Angeles you can park a motorhome at a sandy, paved campground for a hefty overnight fee. Dockweiler Beach, right near the Chevron plant and LA sewage treatment facility. Sounds delightful, not.

Ventura & Santa Barbara Coastal Regions have many awesome State Beaches, but none allow vehicles on the sand.

AWD on the sand

Central Coast California:

  • Oceano SVRA – off road sand dunes and open camping on the beach. Day use or overnight camp fee required; near Pismo Beach, CA
  • Red, White and Blue Beach – nude beach w/ campground (now closed); north of Santa Cruz, CA

Northern California:
Lost Coast

  • Usal Beach Campground – redwood creeks and forests meets coast and cliffs. Camp fee for overnight use. Long dirt road access. No RVs!
  • Black Sands Beach (OHV 4×4 trail, now closed to all vehicles) near Shelter Cove, CA

chico couple

after-the-fun maintenance tip:

Salt water and sand is very corrosive to metal – which will rust your truck or car badly. Now that you’ve had fun on the beach, we remind you to clean the underneath of your vehicle ASAP. Spraying powerful hose in your wheel wells and all underneath the vehicle. You might need to lay on the ground and get wet to do this job properly. Some car wash places might be able to do this service for you, but it will cost ya.

Off-Road Maps PDF

Off Pavement California

PDF Off-Road Maps for California

Printable, downloadable
“Portable Document Forms” collected from various sources.

Anza Borrego Ocotillo Wells Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/ocotillowells.pdf

Burney Falls Back Roads
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/burneyfalls.pdf

Death Valley Overview Road Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/DEATHVALLEYmap.pdf

Eagle Lake Off Road Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/eaglelake.pdf

Hat Creek Off Road Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/hatcreek.pdf

Kern Plateau OHV Road Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/kernplateauOHV.pdf

Lake Almanor Off Road Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/almanor.pdf

Lake Mohave NRA Map (South)
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/LakeMohaveNRA_S.pdf

Lassen Forest Off Road Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/lassenpark.pdf

Pozo Off Road Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/pozo_map.pdf

Rock Front Ranch OHV Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/rockfrontOHVmap.pdf

Shasta Chappie Off Road Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/Chappie_Map_Side.pdf

Westwood Susanville Off Road Map
https://totalescape.com/tripez/PDFs/westwood.pdf