Overview :
This trail is located inside Stoddard Valley OHV Area. The 54,679-acre park is open to cross-country travel for all off-road vehicles. ... more »Elevations range from 2,800 to 5,000 feet. The trail circles around the base of Watkins Peak, weaving in and out of numerous side canyons. Some good views from high points along the route but most of the trip is not scenic. We drove this trail on Memorial Day weekend as part of the annual High Desert Roundup sponsored by the California Association of 4-Wheel Drive Clubs. Hundreds of RVs show up for the event. Over a hundred 4x4s participated in the single-day, Achy-Breaky run. For information on Stoddard Wells OHV Area, contact Barstow Field office of the Bureau of Land Management at 760-252-6000.
Rating:
Difficult. Menacing desert terrain with numerous steep, rocky climbs. Large, sharp rocks require tight maneuvering, increasing the likelihood of tire damage. High clearance, skid plates and differential lockers required. No stock vehicles. A complex network of poorly defined roads makes route-finding very difficult, even following a GPS tracklog. Very hot in summer. Carry plenty of water. Never drive this trail alone.
This trail is one of 75 trails from the book, Guide to Southern California Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails, by Charles Wells, and is available at www.funtreks.com. less «
Achy-Breaky 4x4 Trail, California
- Home
-
Barstow
- Hotels
- Flights
- Holiday Rentals
- Restaurants
- Things to Do
- Best of 2013
- Your Friends
-
More
- Write a Review
-
Sign in with Facebook
- Sign in
- Register Now!
- FREE Mobile App
Achy-Breaky 4x4 Trail, California
Overview : This trail is located inside Stoddard Valley OHV Area. The 54,679-acre park is open to cross-country travel for all off-road vehicles. ... more »
Tips: This is a nasty trail in a remote and desolate area. We recommend you drive this route as part of the annual High Desert Round Up, usua... more »
Take this guide with you!
- 1. Download the EveryTrail app from the App Store
- 2. Search for the Achy-Breaky 4x4 Trail, California guide
- 3. Enjoy your self-guided tour
Points of Interest
From Stoddard Wells Road, head east at crest of hill. Within a short distance the trail gets difficult with steep sections and sharp ledges. You'll climb over a ridge and drop down the other side.
2. Stay left in canyon bottom. Road that joins on right here is where you'll come out at the end of this trip. As you continue a short distance, stay on the main trail to left. Optional way on right that climbs along the hillside is called "The Staircase" and is much more difficult.
Bear right in sandy wash bottom and head north.
Bear right out of wash bottom and follow road that parallels wash for a short distance, then heads in a more northeasterly direction. Make sure you are following your tracklog.
You'll turn right on a very faint road. At times, there seems to be no road at all, or there are so many choices you wouldn't know which way to go without a tracklog.
Turn right and begin following a rocky ravine. Things start getting very difficult.
When you reach a dramatic high point, bear left downhill. Trail circles downhill to right and joins a more defined path at the bottom. Stay right at that point following tracklog.
After many more twists and turns, ascents and descents, you drop to valley floor and turn right on an improving road. Continue to follow tracklog.
Make a right turn and follow sandy valley.
Right here passes through difficult Rock Garden. Bypass is left.
You can bypass a nasty spot here, then continue around loop and return to Point #2. This completes the loop. At Point #2, drop down the same hill you did earlier, and turn left in wash bottom at Point #3 to return to Stoddard Wells Road.
Return to Stoddard Wells Road north of where you entered when you started the trail. Right returns to Highway 247 and Barstow the way you came in. Left is a long drive to Interstate 15 near Victorville.
- Select a TripAdvisor site:
-
-
We support the following browsers: Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox. Mac: Safari.