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Wheels

California Back Roads

dirt roads

California 4x4 Camping

Graded dirt roads, forest service routes, scenic drives on backroads that lead to hiking trailheads, hidden Sequoia groves, unknown waterfalls, amazing views, decent fishing holes, and free, secluded campsites.

Graded dirt roads, forest service routes, scenic drives on backroads that lead to hiking trailheads, hidden Sequoia groves, unknown waterfalls, amazing views, decent fishing holes, and free, secluded campsites.

California Routes

Why just wonder where that road leads to? Take the long way home to find out.

UTE 4×4: short for utility, 4WD
With the last decade of capable utility vehicles coming to market – all-wheel-drive sport wagons to luxurious, off-road camper vans – it makes the initial years of sport-utility-vehicle-mania, look like nothing. Zillion dollar industry to stay the least.

desert roads

The best scenic drives in California are often so crowded with tourists and traffic, that one can barely concentrate on relaxing. Especially on holiday weekends or summer months, crowds are common in California. You end up cursing the giant RV w/ senior driver in front, instead of taking in the real beauty.

These scenic areas listed on this page likely have small, narrow, unknown back road and remote highways. Many routes without a name, just a number. Some not paved. Many back roads are immpassable in winter months and are gated closed, so call the local rangers ahead of time if you expect snow or a good winter storm.

Indeed, the best roads in California are dirt! Yep, that’s cuz there’s no traffic jams, no long signal lights & tons of natural beauty. No speeding tho. It is time to quiet the mind & take it all in. Every meadow, every deer sighting, the clouds, the breeze. Thousand of miles of California backroads are awaiting your vehicle. High clearance vehicles, 4x4s & all. Many passenger cars can enjoy these roads as well. There are roads, routes and trails for every level of driver.

Get to know the real California landscape. Finally take that SUV off road & see what it can do. Or at least get dirt on the Subaru. Always remember to Tread Lightly, so we can continue to have access to OUR public lands.

DanaMite’s extensive list of California Back Roads,
by Forest Service Road #

 

 

forest roads

Locked and ready to, 4-wheel-drives, AWD electric, lifted and always ready for a road trip. Overland campers, truck top tents, and smaller quads (side by sides). Find Californians out exploring all year long, any day of the week, in any type of weather, with any type of rig.

California Back Roads Camping

Total Escape can show you how to find the dirt roads that parrallel majestic views, popular highways, canyons, Sierra Nevada scenery & desert vistas. You can stop in the middle of the road to take your photo, if you wish. We recommend not stopping on a curve or blind corner. It’s so quiet up here in the forest, with the occasional waterfall or creek trickling. You will not hear the tourist traffic out in these parts. Just the birds, wind in the trees – and your own pulse. You’ll be lucky NOT to see another vehcile for hours. Maybe you can find that perfect, secluded camp site you have always imagined, but you’ll need a camp fire permit.

Which brings me to your vehicle. Total Escape has a huge following rural campers, hard-core RVers and the off-road 4×4 dudes/dudettes. Total Escape is about nature, as much as the car that gets us out there. Way out there. Past the masses, beyond the village shops, past the factory outlet mall & behind the RV parks. Many of these back roads in California are somewhat maintained. Graded dirt, granite gravel, well eroded, even overgrown 2 track trails. Some possibly motorcycle or 4×4 only trails. Routes virtually unknown to the common man.

Best to have a high clearance vehicle (SUV, truck, jeep) to explore such dirt roads, but 4×4 is not required for most. (AWD vehicles do okay, if road conditions are not too soggy, snowy, rocky, muddy or steep). 4 wheel drive may be needed on certain snowy, icy or red dirt back roads; Best to always carry snow chains when traveling in mountain elevations higher than 5000′ – even in the summer months. Sierra Nevada snow sits til July. And just as a reminder for the newbies, anything in NorCal is a gonna be wetter & snowier than SoCal.

dirt roads

back roads maps

 

  • Don’t gotta 4×4?
    most roads are easily passable with 2WD, but you need to be able to judge your own vehicles capabilities
  • Frightened about getting lost?
    in proper light at home, learn to read a map (well), like a good book; Get GPS; Feel ultra confident w/ reading skies, path of the sun and stars
  • What’s there to do out there?
    picnic, camp, fish creeks, hiking, mountain biking, off roading, frisbee, lay in a meadow, look at ladybugs, hear blue birds, see small frogs, star gaze, photography. Bring a hammock, relax or find a waterfall.

Forested, mountain back roads in higher altitudes can be muddy and/or snowy more than half the year. Be careful when approaching snow on a dirt road. Check the snow & mud depth. Use snow chains or 4 wheel drive if unsure. Snow cables do not have the traction needed for back road driving.

Think first; or…. you may walk 3 miles to get a nearby Subaru (full of rock climbers) to pull you out, or worse, you may hike longer up hill, just to get a cell signal (in the dark, freezing cold). Tow trucks, or local yokels, usually charge big bucks ($$$) to help YOU out of a bad predicament/stupid situation, on a remote back road in the boonies; that is, if you can find them or vice versa.

Free Camping North Lassen
Free Camping @ North Lassen

Total Escape is compiling a huge list of all local California tow truck drivers and 4WD clubs that are willing to go pull you outta a ‘dirt road situation’. 4X4 Towing in California: If you know of a great local tow shop like that, tell them to submit their info.