Classes

What I suggest you do is pick an area you are considering visiting and then on Amazon buy a off-road trails 4x4 map. Say for Big Bear and Arrowhead lake area there are plenty. You can even download them online sometimes.

There is dirtopia, All Trails and a few other sites I can't seem to find right now.
https://www.dirtopia.com/wiki/4WD_Trail_Rating
https://www.alltrails.com/us/virginia/off-road-driving

In Big Bear area the map I have shows trails as green, blue or black diamond. This is meant to keep it simple, just like the ski slopes. Some websites do a 1-10 scale for trails.

So let's use Big Bear as an example. You can plan a day drive (I suggest you leave house nlt 7am) for the lake and plan out a few trails online. You can buy a map on Amazon or go to the visitors center and pick one up. They have Forrest Service and aftermarket maps. Those maps will often show basic ratings. You can then drive the dirt roads that are green, maybe a bit of blue. It's up to you. I suggest you avoid any and all black diamonds as a newbie. There are plenty of trails around lake Arrowhead and Big Bear that meet this criteria. Make it a day trip, pack food and water. Drive as much as you can into 3pm then head home. You can cover a lot and the weather is still prime.

Anza-Borrego is another great example. You can go nearly everywhere in the entire park with 4wd. Much easier going than Big Bear because there are no black diamond trails in Anza-B that I'm aware of.

You'll want to make sure your truck is ready to off-road. No running boards for example. If you have nice wheels and scratch them then that is just an excuse to buy more rugged wheels.

Now if you follow advice and get a Backcountry Nav program and download the map before you leave home then you will not get lost or stuck from going down the wrong trail. This isn't like the city where signs can be depended on. Also bring extra water and food - always. Spare tire and you are capable of changing it - a must.

The advice I give also works for other outdoor activity like hiking or backpacking. You do not need to do an REI group tour to get into the sport. Just start off small and be safe with plenty of planning.

Good luck!
 
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BrianSD_42 said:
What I suggest you do is pick an area you are considering visiting and then on Amazon buy a off-road trails 4x4 map. Say for Big Bear and Arrowhead lake area there are plenty. You can even download them online sometimes.

There is dirtopia, All Trails and a few other sites I can't seem to find right now.
https://www.dirtopia.com/wiki/4WD_Trail_Rating
https://www.alltrails.com/us/virginia/off-road-driving

In Big Bear area the map I have shows trails as green, blue or black diamond. This is meant to keep it simple, just like the ski slopes. Some websites do a 1-10 scale for trails.

So let's use Big Bear as an example. You can plan a day drive (I suggest you leave house nlt 7am) for the lake and plan out a few trails online. You can buy a map on Amazon or go to the visitors center and pick one up. They have Forrest Service and aftermarket maps. Those maps will often show basic ratings. You can then drive the dirt roads that are green, maybe a bit of blue. It's up to you. I suggest you avoid any and all black diamonds as a newbie. There are plenty of trails around lake Arrowhead and Big Bear that meet this criteria. Make it a day trip, pack food and water. Drive as much as you can into 3pm then head home. You can cover a lot and the weather is still prime.

Anza-Borrego is another great example. You can go nearly everywhere in the entire park with 4wd. Much easier going than Big Bear because there are no black diamond trails in Anza-B that I'm aware of.

You'll want to make sure your truck is ready to off-road. No running boards for example. If you have nice wheels and scratch them then that is just an excuse to buy more rugged wheels.

Now if you follow advice and get a Backcountry Nav program and download the map before you leave home then you will not get lost or stuck from going down the wrong trail. This isn't like the city where signs can be depended on. Also bring extra water and food - always. Spare tire and you are capable of changing it - a must.

The advice I give also works for other outdoor activity like hiking or backpacking. You do not need to do an REI group tour to get into the sport. Just start off small and be safe with plenty of planning.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
Brian makes some great recommendations.

I was a newb a couple of years ago (I still am really if we're being honest), and did what he suggested. I hooked up with a couple of friends who know the area and followed them. I got the maps at the visitor centers and have used them to learn both Big Bear and Anza.

I use Gaia GPS instead of Backcountry Navigator, I think which you should use is personal preference. I had a friend who used Gaia, so I got that one.

If you end up going out by yourself, I highly recommend getting some sort of satellite emergency beacon, either an InReach or a Spot. A lot of the areas we go do not have cell coverage and being able to get help in an emergency (or a breakdown) is invaluable and may save your life or someone else's.

You can see some of the trips I've taken in my build and adventure thread, and I'll be adding more over the next couple of weeks.

Good luck!! :thumb:
 
buys brand new 5th gen, throws spacers and methods on.

giphy.webp




go to big bear and drive all around skyline. 2N10 and 2N11. super fun, super easy. lots of nice views. then take burns canyon road down in to pioneertown and have a drink at pappy & harriet's.
 
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Just to add to some sites for reference.

https://www.trailsoffroad.com/
Also has a ton of trails with pics, waypoints and ratings. They require a registration to access the info, but is free.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934838071/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This isn't a bad book either for some easy roads to solo.
This is their web site: https://funtreks.com/

Based on the replies to this thread we all need to plan a run sometime, maybe a green to blue, and just bring everyone along.
I agree, some of the best rides with friends and family have been along greens and just enjoying what is out there with folks you dig hanging with.
 
we all know what a 2.5" lifted 5th gen on methods looks like.

wait, maybe this one is different!
 
2112 R said:
Based on the replies to this thread we all need to plan a run sometime, maybe a green to blue, and just bring everyone along.
I agree, some of the best rides with friends and family have been along greens and just enjoying what is out there with folks you dig hanging with.
Click to expand...

Agreed.
 
[MENTION=65101]BrianSD_42[/MENTION] thanks for the great & detailed advice.

I’m in the same boat as the OP— new to off-roading and wanting to learn safely.
Stock 2018 TRDORP. Working first on safety gear. Next year sometime I’ll replace the tires...

Would love to meet up with some folks who aren’t all about rock crawling on monster lifts. I have a fair amount of outdoor experience... just not off-roading...
 
MACT4R said:
I remember asking a similar question a few years ago when starting out. Majority including [MENTION=117408]Oneluv13T4R[/MENTION] and [MENTION=77357]85straight[/MENTION] advice is to join a run and learn from the vet.. Having said that if no one posted yet, TTORA has a run and camp at anza Nov 3-4 great for newbie to experienced.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...share_tid=246853&share_fid=31538&share_type=t

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I just posted in that site, thanks for the link. Going to try and get my schedule set to attend if possible. Not sure a 5th gen can make it through the Squeeze, but the Moderate runs listed are a for sure thing.
 
jhmoore said:
[MENTION=65101]BrianSD_42[/MENTION] thanks for the great & detailed advice.

I’m in the same boat as the OP— new to off-roading and wanting to learn safely.
Stock 2018 TRDORP. Working first on safety gear. Next year sometime I’ll replace the tires...

Would love to meet up with some folks who aren’t all about rock crawling on monster lifts. I have a fair amount of outdoor experience... just not off-roading...
Click to expand...

I’m all about all kinds of wheeling, crawling ,go fast whatever. There’s a time and place for it all and all of it can push your limits one way or another

Good call on getting safety gear first. Good first aid kit, gps, map, and a I tube or whatever it’s called where you can text location and request help form anywhere. Everything else is stuff you bring on a normal trip. Lots of water, food, and clothing for all conditions to an extent. Know the area you’ll be traveling to and plan accordingly.
 
I took the course that everyone here recommends in socal. I won’t use their name. I remember driving away disappointed and $300 poorer.

I’ve learned far more from talking to other people on runs and those are free.
 
visualfxengineer said:
I took the course that everyone here recommends in socal. I won’t use their name. I remember driving away disappointed and $300 poorer.

I’ve learned far more from talking to other people on runs and those are free.
Click to expand...

Please use their name. If you had a bad experience then people need to know about it and avoid any waste of time and money
 
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