San Bernardino County, CA is one of the largest counties in the county and home to a wealth of history and places to explore. The County offers a lot of diversity in biomes and geography which range from the high peaks of San Jacinto and San Gorgonio, which reaches heights of 11,499 feet in elevation, down to the low desert elevations. Death Valley National Park hosts the second lowest evaluation on the planet, down at Badwater and Furnace Creek is the hottest on record. The county is huge at 20,105 square miles and with a low population of just over 2 million people, offers a lot of ability to explore and get away from it all. The bulk of this population is centered around the San Bernardino Mountains.
San Bernardino County hosts a variety of national protected areas, and also includes the Mojave Nations Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park and part of Death Valley National Park.
All campfires and gas stove fires on public lands in California require a California Camp Fire permit which is free and available online at http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/
Areas of Interest
Big Bear, CA
Big Bear, CA is a mountain year round resort community in the San Bernardino Mountains. The cute little town is a which offers skiing in the cold winter months and lots of fishing, boating and 4×4 opportunities the rest of the year. They also have a pretty nice little Oktoberfest for those so inclined.
Joshua Treen National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is located San Bernardino County, California. The park encompasses roughly 90,636 acres of about 1,235.4 sqaure miles of the Mojave and the Colorado Deserts. The area is found on the border of San Bernardino and Riverside, California.
The area was set aside designated a national monument in 1936 by President Franklyn Delano Roosevelt. The park was again elevated to a nation park in 1994 by President Bill Clinton.
Mojave National Preserve
The Mojave Desert dominates portions of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona. Mojave 4×4 trails offer access to everything this huge desert offers in amazing biodiversity, climates and history which is truly unique. Throughout the area, ghost towns and mines dot this harsh landscape. Typically, the area receives less than 15 inches of rain per year, and temperatures regularly exceed 110 degrees in the summer months.
Trail Map
4×4 Trails
 Achy-BreakyAchy-Breaky is a very difficult, trail which circumnavigates Watkins Peak in San Bernardino County, California. This trail is one of many on the Stoddard Wells… |
 Camp Osito Road – 2N17Camp Osito Road is a back country 4x4 trail which connects Knickerbocker Road to Skyline Drive in Big Bear, California. The seldom travelled road is… |
 Clarks Grade 1N54Clarks Grade 1N54 Trail Head dropping down into Barton Flats from Skyline Drive. Clarks Grade 1N54 is a steep and scenic descent from the top… |
 Cleghorn Ridge 2N47Cleghorn located outside of Big Bear, CA Cleghorn Ridge is a 4x4 trail which leads from the I-15 at the Cleghorn exit to Silverlake State… |
 Dish Pan Springs 3N34Also known as the Deep Creek Trail, Dish Pan Springs offers a short but hardcore trail in Big Bear. Dishpan springs trail contains large boulders… |
 Gold Fever Off Road TrailThe Gold Fever Off Road Trail is a back country drive by some historical sites in Holcomb Valley, in the San Bernardino Mountains. The trail… |
 Gold Mountain 3N69Gold Mountain Trail Head The Gold Mountain 3N69 Trail can be found in the San Bernardino National Forest near Big Bear Lake. The favored direction… |
 Henry Wade Escape RouteThe Henry Wade Escape Route is an easy 4x4 trail suitable for almost any vehicle and connects highway 127 to Badwater Road. The route is… |
 Holcomb Valley Road 3N14Holcomb Valley Road 3N14 takes you through scenic Holcomb Valley Holcomb Valley Road 3N14, is a main artery in the road system above and behind… |
 Jacoby Canyon 3N61Jacoby Canyon 3N61 Trail head Jacoby Canyon 3N61 is a trail which can be found in the San Bernardino National Forest near Big Bear Lake.… |
 John Bull Trail 3N10The John Bull Trail 3N10 has the solid reputation as one of the toughest and most challenging trails in the Big Bear mountains of San Bernardino… |
 Knickerbocker Road – 2N08Knickerbocker Road - 2N08 is a steep and beautiful drive from near the town of Big Bear, California to Skyline Drive. The route is a… |
 Kokoweef MineThe Kokoweef Mine and in fact all of the trails and mines located in the Ivanpah / Mountain Pass area represent exactly why I started… |
 Morning Star MineLocated in the Ivanpah Mountains, the Morning Star Mine is a gold / silver mine located near to California / Nevada border near Mountain Pass.… |
 Old Mojave RoadThe Old Mojave Road (Government Road) is an east-west route that enters the Mojave National Preserve off the highway 95 in Nevada, and Afton Canyon… |
 Old Spanish TrailThe Old Spanish Trail was a historic trade route that linked Santa Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California. The trail was established in the… |
 Silver Star MineThe Silver Star Mine is a small mine site located off of the Zinc Mountain Road in San Bernardino County, California. |
 Skyline Drive 2N10Skyline Drive 2N10 offers higher elevation views of Big Bear, California Skyline Drive 2N10 is the unofficial name for USFS Road 2N10 that begins just… |
Snow Slide Trail 2N13Snow Slide Trail (2N13) connects Green Valley Lake to Fawnskin, in San Bernardino, California. The Green Valley Lake trail head is located by the campground… |
Sugarpine Mountain 2N49Sugarpine Mountain trail is moderately difficult and starts at the edge of San Bernardino and finishes in the Silverlake State Park. The trail is designated… |
Willow Creek Road 3N34Willow Creek road is an easy gentle ride located near Big Bear, California. The easy trail runs from Hooks Creek Road to Highway 173 and… |
Points of Interest
 Arrastres – Gold Fever TrailThe Arrastres is a point of interest found along the Gold Fever Off Road Trail in Holcomb Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains. The remains… |
 Atolia California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownAtolia is a ghost town and tungsten mine located in the Mojave Desert in northwestern San Bernardino County, California. The town is located just off… |
 Barker RanchThomason/Barker Ranch is a five-acre property within Death Valley National Park. This historic site is located off of Goler Wash in the southern Panamint Range… |
 Barnwell and Searchlight RailroadThe Barnwell and Searchlight Railroad was a twenty three miles long railroad which connected Searchlight, Nevada to Barnwell California and the larger rail network of… |
Belleville California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownThe cabin at the Belleville California townsite is not original but moved to the location to represent the style of the structures of the town.… |
 Bert Smith’s CabinBert Smith's Cabin overlooks Camp Rock Springs Located deep in the Mojave National Reserve exists a small stone building, known as Bert Smith's Cabin, which… |
 Calico California – San Bernardino Count Ghost TownCalico California is a ghost town located just outside of Barstow in Mojave desert of San Bernardino, California. The town began its like in 1881… |
 Camp Rock SpringsA small oasis and valuable water supply along the Old Mojave Road, Camp Rock Springs was the site of a military outpost established on December… |
 Colorado SteamshipsFrom 1852 through 1909, Colorado Steamships ferried people and supplies up and down the Colorado River to mining camps and outposts. Following the discovery of… |
 Doble California – San Bernardino Ghost TownDoble California is a gold mining town and ghost town which is located off the western shore of Lake Baldwin in San Bernardino, California. The… |
 Evening Star MineThe Evening Star Mine first came to our attention in the winter of 2014, while researching the mining history of the Mountain Pass, CA. |
 Goffs California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownOriginally known as Blake, Goffs, California is a small unincorporated community located off of Route 66 in the Mojave desert near the Piute Mountains. Originally… |
 Gold Mountain Mine – Gold Fever TrailLocated about 10.8 miles from the start of the Gold Fever Off Road Trail, the Gold Mountain mine is an abandoned mine site which overlooks… |
 Goldome MillThe heavily vandalized Goldome Mill outside of Ivanpah, California. Photo by James L Rathbun The Goldome Mill is an abandoned modern mill site in the… |
Government HolesThe tale of the the Old Mojave Road is the story of water, the more important resource in the desert. Along the Old Mojave Road… |
 Hangman’s Tree – Gold Fever TrailThe Hangman’s Tree is a point of interest found along the Gold Fever Off Road Trail in Holcomb Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains. The… |
Henry Wade Escape RouteThe Henry Wade Escape Route is an easy 4x4 trail suitable for almost any vehicle and connects highway 127 to Badwater Road. The route is… |
 Ivanpah California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownNot of be confused with two others sites of the same name, Ivanpah is a ghost town and mine site located along the Eastern edge… |
 Jonathon Tibbets Grasshopper Quartz MillStop number four along the Gold Fever Off Road Trail is Holcomb Valley, is Jonathon Tibbets Grasshopper Quartz Mill. The Gold Fever Off Road Trail… |
 Kelso DepotThe story of the westward expansion is the story of the railroads. Beginning in 1862, the Union Pacific Railroad sought expansion opportunities along the western… |
Kokoweef MineThe Kokoweef Mine and in fact all of the trails and mines located in the Ivanpah / Mountain Pass area represent exactly why I started… |
 Mojave GoldfishOver Presidents day weekend, my wife and I were travelling back from Big Bear, CA to our house after a visit with family towards our… |
Morning Star MineLocated in the Ivanpah Mountains, the Morning Star Mine is a gold / silver mine located near to California / Nevada border near Mountain Pass.… |
 Myers RanchMyers Ranch is a privately owned ranch located in Goler Wash in the Panamint Mountains of Death Valley National Park, California. The forty acre ranch… |
 Ryan CaliforniaRyan, California, is a small unincorporated community located in the southeastern region of San Bernardino County, California. The town is located in the Greenwater Range… |
Silver Star MineThe Silver Star Mine is a small mine site located off of the Zinc Mountain Road in San Bernardino County, California. |
 The Hole in the Wall Ring TrailThe Hole in the Wall Ring Trail is a short is a 1.5 miles loop trail around a hill top and through a slot canyon… |
 The Lucky Day MineThe Lucky Day Mine is a gold and copper mine located in San Bernardino, California and once owned by Wyatt Earp. Wyatt Earp is probably… |
 Tonopah and Tidewater RailroadExplorers of the Mojave Desert in southern California are bound to have heard the stories of the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad. The Tonopah and Tidewater… |
 Travelers MonumentWhen travelling the Old Mojave Road, there is a tradition to pick and carry a rock, and carry the rock to the Travelers Monument. The… |
 Two Gun Bill’s SaloonLocated at stop 3 along the Gold Fever Off Road trail is the supposed location of Two Gun Bill's Saloon in Holcomb Valley, California. The… |
 Ubehebe CraterUbehebe Crater is a volcanic crater located near Grapevine Canyon in Death Valley National Park in California. The crater is approximately 600 deep and one… |
 Vanderbilt California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownA metal headframe marks a vertical shaft in the mining district outside of Vanderbilt California. Located in the New York Mountains, Vanderbilt California was an… |
 Wilbur’s GraveCharles Wilbur's Grave is a point of interest located in Holcomb Valley near the Holcomb Valley Campground, San Bernardino, California. Charles Wilbur's Grave located in… |
 Zzyzx Road – Soda springsLocated south of Baker, CA on the edge of a large soda dry lake bed in the Mojave, Zzyzx Road is a short road which… |
San Bernardino Ghost Towns
Atolia California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownAtolia is a ghost town and tungsten mine located in the Mojave Desert in northwestern San Bernardino County, California. The town is located just off… |
Belleville California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownThe cabin at the Belleville California townsite is not original but moved to the location to represent the style of the structures of the town.… |
Calico California – San Bernardino Count Ghost TownCalico California is a ghost town located just outside of Barstow in Mojave desert of San Bernardino, California. The town began its like in 1881… |
Doble California – San Bernardino Ghost TownDoble California is a gold mining town and ghost town which is located off the western shore of Lake Baldwin in San Bernardino, California. The… |
Goffs California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownOriginally known as Blake, Goffs, California is a small unincorporated community located off of Route 66 in the Mojave desert near the Piute Mountains. Originally… |
Ivanpah California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownNot of be confused with two others sites of the same name, Ivanpah is a ghost town and mine site located along the Eastern edge… |
Ryan CaliforniaRyan, California, is a small unincorporated community located in the southeastern region of San Bernardino County, California. The town is located in the Greenwater Range… |
Vanderbilt California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownA metal headframe marks a vertical shaft in the mining district outside of Vanderbilt California. Located in the New York Mountains, Vanderbilt California was an… |
San Bernardino Campgrounds
 Afton Canyon CampgroundThe Afton Canyon Campground offer amazing access and camping for the Old Mojave Road, surroundings areas of the Mojave. The dry, desert campground is found… |
 Belle CampgroundBelle Campground in Joshua Tree National Park Belle Campground is a small campground with 18 campsites located in Joshua Tree National Park in California. Joshua… |
Black Rock Canyon CampgroundBlack Rock Canyon Campground Black Rock Canyon Campground is a large campground with 99 campsites located in the northwest corner of the Joshua Tree National… |
 Camp Phallus – New York MountainsLocated in Caruther's Canyons of the New York Mountains, Camp Phallus is named for a "unique" rock formation visible from the campsite. The campsite offers… |
Cottonwood CampgroundThe Cottonwood Campground is campground located in Joshua Tree National Park in San Bernardino, California. Reservations are required only during the busy season from September… |
Hanna Flats CampgroundHanna Flats Campground is located near Big Bear Lake is located in the San Bernardino mountains of California about 90 miles east of Los Angeles in southern… |
Hidden Valley CampgroundHidden Valley Campground is location on Joshua Tree National Park The Hidden Valley Campground is an established year round campground location in Joshua Tree National… |
 Holcomb Valley CampgroundHolcomb Valley Campground features 19 single-family campsites and is located along 3N16 in Holcomb Valley, just outside 0f Big Bear, in San Bernardino County, California.… |
 Holcomb Valley RanchHolcomb Valley Ranch is a historic region located in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, United States. It has a rich history that dates… |
 Hole in the Wall CampgroundHole in the Wall campground is found deep in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California. The Campground is a popular location for… |
Indian Cove CampgroundIndian Cove Campground in Joshua Tree National Park Indian Cove Campground is a campground located in Joshua Tree National Park in San Bernardino county, California.… |
Jumbo Rocks CampgroundJumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Park Perhaps one of the more popular campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park, Jumbo Rocks Campgronds is located… |
 Mid Hills Campground, Mojave National PreserveLocated in deep in the heart of the Mojave National Preserve there is an abundance of campsites to suit everyone. The Mid Hills campground was… |
Ryan CampgroundRyan Campground in Joshua Tree National Park Ryan Campground is a campground located in Joshua Tree National Park in San Bernardino, California and hosts 31… |
 Serrano CampgroundSerrano Campground is a campground with 108 campsites located near Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino, California. the campground is located just across the highway… |
Sheep Pass CampgroundSheep Pass Group Campground is a group campground located in towards the center Joshua Tree National Park in California. The campground features six group campsites… |
White Tank CampgroundWhite Tank Campground is a campground in Joshua Tree National Park and located off Pinto Basin Road in the northern section of the park. White… |