I love Otay Mountain Truck Trail, you have great views, with everything from easy truck trails to more serious off-shoots. I like the fact it's regularly travelled by the Border Patrol so no matter what, someone can find and help you if you have an issue on your own.
As a lifelong off-road driver and mountain biker, if you choose to drive up Maple Springs to Main Divide in OC, please drive slow. This is not a high speed desert trail. These trails are mostly catered to cyclists, hikers and motorcycles.
Thanks for bringing that up, as an avid mountain biker I have had way too many run ins with guys driving too fast. Especially around blind corners, you even run the risk of crashing into another truck doing the same speed from the other way. 9 times out of 10 its a younger driver too. Respect the other users.
I've hit all those except Otay. Main Divide is awesome at night especially at the towers. 3N16 I've hit day, night, snow and mud. I love the Big Bear 🐻 area. Burns is cool. I usually start at Rattlesnake Canyon and take it into Big Bear. Cleghorn was the very first trail I took when I started offroading in 2019. I love how you can take beginners but they can see people hitting some of the offchutes. Love how all the offchutes connect right back with the fireroad. You can leave Cleghorn and hit Pilot Rock less than 10 minutes away. Great trail chooses.
One thing I’m unclear about, when you get to the peak or end of the trail how do you go back? Do you turn around and go back the way you came? Or does the trail lead you to a highway? Thanks.
my first trail is the burns canyon trail. me and my friend got split on the turn. and i was following my car gps and got lost in the mid of no where on the montain, luckly we drove out at 8pm .
From the Silverado side no problem. But from the Ortega side there are now some serious patches of deep, fine silty sand so I wouldn't go that route without 4WD.