Trails that are 1.5 Hours or Less from Your Home

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Over the years, Cindy and I have been lucky enough to explore and wheel a myriad of trails extending from the Mexican boarder up to the Canadian border, clear out to the great lakes and a little bit of everything else in between. In spite of all our efforts, we'd be the first to say that there's tons of trails and off road parks that we've yet to run and plenty more still that I'm sure we've never even heard of. Of course, when planning for future trips, we always try to look for areas with a concentration of trails as, I'm sure it is for everyone, time is always limited and we'd like to get in as much as we can while we're there. With all that said, I was hoping a few of you could help paint a picture of what the wheeling is like out in your neck of the woods. In other words, it'd be great if you could share what trails or off road parks are about an hour or so from your home. I'd like for this to be somewhat scientific in that all the information posted should follow the same metric as that way, it can be used as a database for anyone who's interested. With that said, here are the rules I'd like for you to follow:

1. Tell us what city and state you live in.
2. Use Google Maps or the like to calculate a route from your home to trail heads that are located 1.5 hours or less from your home.
3. Post up the total distance to each trail head in terms of routed miles as well as the time it takes to get there.
4. Please list places like Moab, Johnson Valley or an off road park as just one destination.
5. Please post just ONE (1) pic of your Jeep on each of the trails you list and tell us a bit about them.
6. DO NOT post up actual maps, directions or GPS coordinates to any of the trails listed.
7. DO NOT post up trails or wheeling areas that are on private land or are illegal to be on.
8. If the trail listed is a LEGAL destination that locals like to keep quiet about, please abbreviate the name.


While we don't have as many trails as some of you out there, the below is a list of a few that we do have and is an example of what I'd like to see from you.

From our home in Carson City, Cindy and I have over 30 trails that we can get to within 1.5 hours or less. 8 of those trails are within an hour or less, 7 can be reached within a half hour or less and 2 are about 5 minutes away. The closest dirt we have is 2 minutes away but you'd have to drive an additional 3 minutes to get onto rocks that require into low range. The following list only highlights trails that I could think of in a hurry and have actual names. Most I will call out but a few I will abbreviate to help keep them local. Most of these trails require the use of 4WD but a few are just scenic forest roads. Where multiple trails start from the same trail head or general area, I have counted them as just 1 destination. Anyway, here are a few of the trails near to us.

Prison Hill
1 miles - 2 min
Large off road play area with big rocks ranging from mild to wild just down the street from our home.
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Kings Canyon
6 miles - 17 min
One of many cut offs along the historic California Trail. Eventually became part of the Lincoln Highway and was the east route up to Lake Tahoe. Easy trail with pretty views.
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Ash Canyon
6 miles - 18 min
Trail leading up from Carson City up into a part of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Easy trail with great views of the city below.
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Genoa Peak
11 miles - 15 min
Easy trail that takes you up to one of the taller peaks in the Lake Tahoe area with great views of the lake.
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Eldorado Canyon / H&W Canyon / Como
14 miles - 21 min
Several trails extend from this trail head. A few are easy and filled with history and a couple are a challenge.
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Bronco Canyon
20 miles - 33 min
Fun trail up in the Virginia City area that has some great history and can be a challenge. There is an upper portion that is buggy terrain and there are tons of other trails surrounding the area.
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S. Canyon
20 miles - 30 min
A short but challenging trail with an optional difficult stretch at the end.
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Barney Riley
22 miles - 31 min
Easy trail that takes you along the Carson River and out to a hot spring that requires you to ford the river to get to.
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Twin Peaks
31 miles - 50 min
A small off road play area on the west end of South Lake Tahoe. There are a couple of man made challenging lines you can take.
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Hunter Lake
33 miles - 43 min
Easy but fun trail that takes you up above the Truckee Meadows and offers great views of Reno below.
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Blue Lakes / Lost Lakes
39 miles - 48 min
Easy shelf road that takes you up the Forestdale Divide and out to beautiful lakes.
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Delores
42 miles - 49 min
A short trail just north of Reno that has a challenging rock section toward the beginning and a dry fall toward the end.
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Tonka
45 miles - 55 min
Fun trail north of Reno with some challenging rock sections.
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Billy Bob / Twister
46 miles - 59 min
Two short but challenging trails with big rock obstacles north of Reno.
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Rubicon / Ellis Peak
47 miles - 1 hr 17 min
What can I say, it's the Rubicon Trail! There is also a lesser known trail that's in the area and it takes you up to Ellis Peak.
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Henness Pass / Peavine
47 miles - 56 min
Easy historic stage route across the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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Barrett Lake
49 miles - 1 hr 11 min
A challenging trail just west of Lake Tahoe. This trail was closed up until recently and it's good to see it open again.
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Bear Valley
55 miles - 1 hr 16 min
This is an off road play area north of Truckee. There's only a couple of obstacles for a Jeep to be challenged on but can be fun up in the snow.
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Slickrock
55 miles - 1 hr 9 min
An old service route that was established during the construction of the Utica Reservoir. It used to be a moderate trail but a tough obstacle toward the end has been made a lot tougher in recent years.
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Steve's Loop
62 miles - 1 hr 10 min
A very scenic trail near Pyramid Lake that climbs a small creek and has some challenging boulders in it.
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Fordyce / Signal Peak
64 miles - 1 hr 20 min
Signal Peak can be a challenging trail but Fordyce is the real deal. It is without question, one of the toughest trails in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and not just because of it's 5 winch hills. It's water crossings can be prohibitively deep.
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Pine Grove
70 miles - 1 hr 35 min
Easy scenic trail that takes you up to a nice ghost town.
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Schoolbus Canyon
80 miles - 1 hr 28 min
Easy trail that takes you out to historic mines and a pair of old school buses out in the middle over nowhere. It has some challenging ruts and a couple of rock challenges.
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Other trails that we have nearby but couldn't find pics of in a pinch include V. Canyon which is just 1 mile/5min away, Brunswick Canyon and L. Canyon which are 7 miles/13 min, Bud Canyon at 39 miles/47 min and the Moon Rocks at 59 miles/1 hr 18 min. I did not include any trails that have recently closed and this list does not include the countless trails stretching across the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west and south or out to the open desert to the north and the east. But, in a nutshell, those are some of the trails we have within an hour and a half of us or less.

With that said, I'd love to hear what you have around you? :yup:
 

Ddays

Hooked
Darlington, Pa.
100 yards - 30 seconds

No real name. We call it the Point. Bunch of old logging roads and a few new trails. Access through my back yard.


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Recurve

New member
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Trail is called Lindsey.
South Mountain area of PA
About 15minutes north of the mountain I live on.
Can pretty much take logging roads the whole way there from where I live.
Basically a old power line trail kept open for hunting cabins. Some technical parts, couple stream crossings.


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USMC Wrangler

New member
Great thread idea Eddie! :thumb: Here's what I have so far...

Palominas, AZ to Huachuca Mountains, Fort Huachuca
25 miles, 45 minutes
Must have proper ID or guest pass to access the Army fort
Spiderweb of improved and unimproved dirt roads as well as several side "two tracks"

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Palominas, AZ to Lower Mansfield Canyon, Patagonia, AZ
62 miles, 1 hour 15 minutes
An old mining trail that offers some great rock crawling IMO

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Recurve

New member
I'm very fortunate where I live being around the mountains and having nearby trails...
but Eddies pics makes Nevada look like a central hub of trail paradise. Such a good variety [emoji30]


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Lil Nasty

Member
I don't have anything but Rice and Crawfish fields around me. The farmers laser level everything so the tallest hill within 1.5 hours is the pile of trash at the landfill, but hey it gets steep and they put some larger rocks on the path. When it rains you actually have to use 4wd.


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benatc1

Hooked
With that said, I'd love to hear what you have around you? :yup:

awesome thread! fortunately these trails are all close to me too. gave me some good ideas and new places to check out! not sure how much I can add to this list but I will say Gold Lakes 4x4 area, North West of Reno, NV

75ish miles from my house so about an hour and a half away.
have only been there once but it's a cool area with a Web of trails.
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ob_tj

New member
Well as of now all I have under 2 hours is slick Rock. The Rubicon and Fordyce are 2 hours away from me.
 

RubiMyers

New member
Colorado Springs - luckily a great middle spot to numerous trails here in Colorado, too many to list now that I think about it.
 

cozdude

Guy with a Red 2-Door
I only have one that's close by that is legal (that I know of) and is alright.

Rausch Creek Off-road Park in Tremont, PA- 1.5 hours away exactly
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Napalm

New member
Barnwell Mountain OHV area.

60 miles- 1 HR and 15 mins.

Large red dirt multi acre off road area with 20-30(est) or so trails that range from mild to wild!
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I only have one that's close by that is legal (that I know of) and is alright.

Rausch Creek Off-road Park in Tremont, PA- 1.5 hours away exactly

Dude, you're missing a couple good ones out there - Coal Township in PA, and the Pine Barrens in NJ. Both just about 1.5-2 hrs from you.
 

cozdude

Guy with a Red 2-Door
Dude, you're missing a couple good ones out there - Coal Township in PA, and the Pine Barrens in NJ. Both just about 1.5-2 hrs from you.

Well I have been to pine Barron's once and I was bored stiff. Can't stand the sand holes. Now a days people are putting spikes in the water there to mess with people vehicles. Even more of a reason to not go ever again.
 
Sadly, we don't have much in SE Texas other than a few man-made mudhole parks where people go to underage drink and women get topless that have no business doing so. If there is a thread for 3-4 hr trips, we have a bunch of really good ones. Central Texas has a good handful of really nice rock gardens - Marble Falls / Hidden Falls, Katemcy Rocks, Wolf Caves, Canyons Offroad, Inks Ranch in Llano...

Always fun to head to the beach though - San Luis Pass, Galveston Beach, TX - 70 miles - 80 minutes

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Well I have been to pine Barron's once and I was bored stiff. Can't stand the sand holes. Now a days people are putting spikes in the water there to mess with people vehicles. Even more of a reason to not go ever again.

Seriously? That's fucked up...what the hell is wrong with people.
 
I am in Queen Creek, AZ...about 40 minutes southeast of Phoenix. Hopefully someone else from this area chimes in...I've only lived here for 2 years, so I haven't explored all of the great trails out here...
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Hackberry Creek / Powerline 1 hour away..58 miles away

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Box Canyon / Elvis 45 minutes...29 miles away

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Four Peaks 1 hour 15 min....50 miles away

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Queen Valley 50 minutes...30 miles away

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Log Corral Trail 1 hour 15 minutes...50 miles away
 
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bigcale

Caught the Bug
Wow, you have "too many to list". Not what I remember :naw:

Can't confirm for around the Springs but for the Denver area here is a quick list depending on traffic it might take a little over 2 hours:

Bald Mountain (Larimer County)
Ballard Road (Larimer County)
Bright Trail (Boulder County)
Bull Mountain Road (Larimer County)
Bunce School Road (Boulder County)
C.O.R.E. (Arapahoe County)
Caribou Creek (Boulder County)
Carnage Canyon (Boulder County)
Castle Gulch (Boulder County)
Cherokee Park Road (Larimer County)
Coney Flats (Boulder County)
Crystal Mountain (Larimer County)
Dakan Road (Douglas County)
Deadman Road (Larimer County)
Dry St. Vrain (Boulder County)
Eldorado Mountain (Boulder County)
Fall River Road (Larimer County)
Fern Creek (Douglas County)
Fireman Hill (Boulder County)
Gamble Gulch (Gilpin County)
Gillespie Gulch (Boulder County)
Goose Creek Road (Jefferson County)
Gordon Gulch (Boulder County)
Green Ridge (Larimer County)
Greer Road North (Larimer County)
Greer Road South (Larimer County)
Gross Reservoir (Boulder County)
Hell Canyon Road (Larimer County)
Hohnholz Lakes (Larimer County)
Hurley (Larimer County)
Ironclads (Boulder County)
Jenny Creek (Gilpin County)
Johnny Park Road (Boulder County)
Kelly Flats (Larimer County)
Left Hand Canyon (Boulder County)
Long Hollow Road (Douglas County)
Mammoth Gulch (Gilpin County)
Manhattan Road (Larimer County)
Middle St. Vrain (Boulder County)
Miller Rock (Boulder County)
Miners Gulch (Gilpin County)
Missouri Gulch (Douglas County)
Monument Gulch (Larimer County)
Moody Hill (Larimer County)
Old Flowers Road (Larimer County)
Park Creek (Boulder County)
Peewink Mountain (Boulder County)
Pennock Pass (Larimer County)
Pennsylvania Gulch (Boulder County)
Pickle Gulch (Gilpin County)
Pierson Park Road (Larimer County)
Pingree Park (Larimer County)
Pole Hill (Larimer County)
Rock Creek (Boulder County)
Rollins Pass East (Gilpin County)
Sevenmile Creek (Larimer County)
Sheridan Hill (Gilpin County)
Storm Drain (Larimer County)
Storm Mountain (Larimer County)
Sugarloaf Mountain (Boulder County)
Switzerland Trail (Boulder County)
T-33A Plane Crash (Boulder County)
West Magnolia (Gilpin County)
West White Pine Mountain (Larimer County)
Yankee Hill (Gilpin County)
 
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