12 Trails Worth Loading the Truck For

12 Trails Worth Loading the Truck For

<

There's a certain kind of satisfaction that comes from earning a view — the kind that requires more than a paved road and a parking lot. Whether you're chasing alpine ridgelines, desert slot canyons, or dense backcountry forest, the trails worth remembering tend to share a few things in common: genuine challenge, remarkable scenery, and a sense of remoteness that reminds you why you got into this in the first place. Knowing what you're getting into before you go is half the battle, so factors like elevation gain, trail surface, seasonal accessibility, and proximity to reliable resupply points all deserve serious consideration. The right destination doesn't just test your gear — it tests your judgment, your fitness, and your willingness to slow down long enough to take it all in.

Rubicon Trail: The Crown Jewel of American Off-Roading

Stretching 22 miles through California's Sierra Nevada, the Rubicon Trail runs from Loon Lake near Georgetown to the shores of Lake Tahoe and is rated a 10 out of 10 on most difficulty scales. Named obstacles like Little Sluice, Soup Bowl, and Cadillac Hill demand locking differentials, high clearance, and genuine skill behind the wheel — this is not a trail you bluff your way through. Jeep tests its Rubicon models here, and the Jeepers Jamboree has been running the route every year since 1953, cementing its status as the proving ground of American 4x4 culture. Elevations range from 5,400 to over 7,000 feet, and most experienced drivers take three to four days to complete it. If there's one trail you build your rig for, it's this one.

Black Bear Pass: One-Way Down and No Room for Doubt

Connecting Red Mountain Pass to Telluride through Colorado's San Juan Mountains, Black Bear Pass is a 9.9-mile shelf road that climbs to 12,840 feet before sending you down a one-way descent so unforgiving it only allows traffic to flow downhill for all but one day each year. The trail is lined with 1,000-foot drop-offs, off-camber switchbacks, loose shale, and tight blind corners that have earned it a reputation as one of the most dangerous 4x4 routes in the country. Along the way, you'll pass the old Black Bear Mine and get face-level views of Bridal Veil Falls, Colorado's tallest waterfall at 365 feet. High clearance and short wheelbase are strongly recommended, and locking differentials are considered essential for the steep, technical descent. The old trailhead sign put it plainly: you don't have to be crazy to drive this road — but it helps.

Hell's Revenge: Moab's Slickrock Roller Coaster

Set just outside Moab, Utah, Hell's Revenge is a Jeep Badge of Honor trail and the trail most people picture when they think of red rock off-roading. The route runs across undulating sandstone fins and steep slickrock faces, with named obstacles like Hell's Gate, The Hot Tubs, Mickey's Hot Tub, The Escalator, and the Tip Over Challenge that have become legend in 4x4 circles. Despite the drama of the terrain, the sandstone provides remarkable traction when dry, rewarding precise line selection over brute force. Panoramic views of the Colorado River and Arches National Park sprawl out from the high points, making it as scenic as it is technical. It's accessible enough for capable stock vehicles with experienced drivers, but deserving of every ounce of its fearsome reputation.

White Rim Road: Four Days on the Edge of Canyonlands

Circling the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park in Utah, White Rim Road is a 90-mile multi-day route that belongs on every serious overlander's bucket list. The trail runs along a narrow sandstone bench hundreds of feet above the Colorado and Green Rivers, offering layered canyon views that no paved road can touch. Most groups take four to five days to complete the route, camping on designated sites carved into the rock with no services and no bail-out points mid-route. The terrain falls between moderate and difficult — exposed sections and rocky stretches test your vehicle, while the sheer distance tests your preparation. A permit is required from the National Park Service, and they sell out fast, so plan months ahead.

Alpine Loop: 65 Miles Above Colorado's Timberline

The Alpine Loop Grand Scenic Byway cuts through the heart of Colorado's San Juan Mountains, connecting Lake City, Ouray, and Silverton across 65 miles of high-altitude off-road terrain that tops out above 12,000 feet. The route passes through tundra meadows, ghost towns, historic mining roads, and high passes with sweeping views of the Rockies that reward the effort of getting there. Rated moderate to difficult, it's accessible to capable trucks with proper clearance while still delivering genuine challenge at exposed ridge crossings and rocky climbs. It's open roughly June through October depending on snowpack, and conditions can shift fast above the treeline. Dispersed camping along the route turns it into one of the most rewarding multi-day overland trips in the lower 48.

Dalton Highway: 414 Miles to the Arctic Ocean

Built in 1974 to support construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the Dalton Highway — still known locally as the Haul Road — runs 414 miles from the Elliott Highway near Fairbanks all the way to Deadhorse at the edge of the Arctic Ocean. About 75 percent of the road is gravel, subject to potholes, washboard, and flying rock from passing semi-trucks that use the full width of the 28-foot-wide road without hesitation. The route crosses the Continental Divide at Atigun Pass in the Brooks Range at 4,800 feet, and views of the Yukon River, boreal forest, Arctic tundra, and the midnight sun are the rewards for enduring it. Services are nearly nonexistent between Coldfoot and Deadhorse, so extra fuel, two full-size spares, and a satellite communicator aren't optional — they're survival gear. Many rental companies prohibit driving it entirely, which tells you everything you need to know.

Mojave Road: A Desert Ghost Trail Across 147 Miles of Nothing

The Mojave Road traces an ancient trade and military route across 147 miles of the Mojave Desert between the Colorado and Mojave Rivers, running mostly through the Mojave National Preserve on unmaintained two-track that disappears after heavy rains. A high-clearance 4x4 is required, but this is more an endurance and navigation challenge than a technical rock crawl — the real threats are tire-puncturing teddy bear cholla cactus, blown-out sand sections, and the absolute remoteness of the route. There are no services, no cell signal, and stretches where the nearest paved road is hours away. The desert scenery — lava fields, sand dunes, Joshua tree forests, and ancient petroglyphs — makes it one of the most visually striking drives in the American West. A full recovery kit and a paper map are not suggestions.

Trans-America Trail: 5,000 Miles From Tennessee to Oregon

Originally mapped for dual-sport motorcycles, the Trans-America Trail has become one of the great 4x4 overland odysseys in North America, covering approximately 5,000 miles of primarily unpaved roads from Tennessee to the Oregon coast. The route threads through the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, high desert, and Pacific Northwest forests, crossing terrain so varied it feels like driving through five different countries in a single trip. It's not a single marked trail but a stitched-together route of forest service roads, dirt two-tracks, and remote county roads that requires advance planning, good navigation tools, and a well-built rig. Most full-route drivers take three to four weeks to complete it, and sections can be mixed or matched for shorter regional runs. For a man who wants to genuinely know the land he lives in, nothing beats this one.

Hatfield-McCoy Trails: 700 Miles Through Appalachian Hardwood

Spread across nine counties in southern West Virginia, the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System covers more than 700 miles of interconnected OHV trails through the same rugged Appalachian hollows where two of America's most infamous feuding families once drew blood. The terrain ranges from wide forest service tracks to steep, rocky climbs through dense hardwood forest, with trails graded for every skill level — though the harder routes, like Rockhouse, start steep and get steeper fast. The system was developed deliberately to trigger economic development in counties hit hard by the decline of coal and timber, and it's largely succeeded, with small towns now built around the trail culture. Permits are required and available online, and full-service campgrounds and general stores make multi-day runs practical without heavy overlanding prep. It's the kind of place you go for a weekend and start planning your return before you've unpacked.

Valley of the Gods: 17 Miles of Red Rock and Silence

Tucked just north of Mexican Hat in southern Utah and partly situated within the Navajo Nation, Valley of the Gods is a 17-mile loop through a landscape of isolated sandstone buttes, monoliths, and desert pinnacles that look like a smaller, quieter version of Monument Valley. The road is graded dirt and accessible to most 2WD high-clearance vehicles in dry conditions, though heavy rain can make it completely impassable even for 4x4s — check the forecast before you commit. There are no services, no entrance fees, and almost no crowds compared to the national parks nearby, which makes it one of the best-kept secrets in the Southwest for drivers who want big scenery without the parking lot. The light at golden hour turns the red formations into something otherworldly. Go slow, stop often, and bring more water than you think you need.

Black Hills, South Dakota: 600 Miles of Wild Midwest Terrain

The Black Hills of western South Dakota offer over 600 miles of off-road routes that flip between grassy plains, heavily timbered ridgelines, and legitimate rock crawling sections in a way that feels like driving through multiple regions in a single outing. The system encompasses 11 reservoirs, 1,300 miles of streams, and 13,000 acres of wilderness, making it a serious multi-day destination that consistently gets overlooked in favor of Utah and Colorado. Proximity to Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and the Badlands adds cultural and scenic depth to what's already a full-on driving adventure. Difficulty ranges from smooth forest two-track to technical off-camber rocky climbs, and the region is accessible across a long season compared to higher-elevation western alternatives. For an overland trip that doesn't require a two-day drive to Moab, this is the move.

Devil's Highway: The Most Merciless Stretch of Sonoran Desert

El Camino del Diablo — the Devil's Highway — is an overland route through the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona that has been claiming lives since Spanish missionaries first attempted it in the 1600s, and it hasn't gotten much gentler. The route traverses the Barry M. Goldwater military range and skirts the US-Mexico border, requiring advance permits for both the range and the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, and cell service is effectively nonexistent for the entire run. Summer temperatures routinely exceed 110°F, natural water sources are nearly absent, and the biological diversity — saguaro cactus, pronghorn, Sonoran pronghorn, and Gila woodpeckers — is remarkable if you're calm enough to notice it. At minimum, you'll want a high-clearance 4x4, two full-size spares, excessive food and water, and a Garmin InReach or equivalent satellite communicator. This is the trail for men who are serious about remote desert driving and honest with themselves about their preparation.

More Galleries