Southern California Off-Road Trail Series - Cleghorn Road

If you live in Southern California and enjoy running 4x4 trails, I highly recommend the Cleghorn Road Trail. Located off the I-15 at the Cleghorn Road off-ramp just past Devore, it is a rather conveniently located trail for many off-road enthusiasts. This trail is open year-round.

Whether driving North or South on I-15, exit at Cleghorn Road and head East, toward the hills. The trailhead is literally 50 feet up on a dirt road, which makes it a highly popular and easily accessible local trail. This trail goes from the Cleghorn off-ramp on the I-15 to Highway 138 near Lake Silverwood. It can be run forward or backwards, so be aware you may encounter rigs coming the opposite way.

There is plenty of room at the trailhead to air-down and shoot the breeze with your buddies for a bit while waiting for the latecomers to arrive at Cleghorn. There will probably be another group or two at the trailhead, as well, so there is an opportunity to meet like-minded off-road enthusiasts and swap numbers and stories, and check out each other's rigs.

This trail has something for everyone. Bone-stock four-wheel drivers who want a very scenic and gorgeous day out are found on the trail, as well as lifted, locked, and extremely well-built rigs. There are some very challenging parts of the trail, but there is a maintained fire road that weaves back and forth along Cleghorn, making it traversable for just about any rig. All the tough spots can be bypassed.

Cleghorn features many types of terrain, as well. There are nasty off-camber sections of trail that are great photo opportunities for rigs that flex well or lift the wheels. There are some rocks, but most of these are optional. Some aren't. If you run the trail and have somewhat low clearance and/or no rocker protection or skid plates, just realize things could get interesting.

There are also a couple of very fun, very off-camber V-notch sections of trail that require low speed and full attention. A wrong turn of the wheel could have you scraping dirt and trees with the side of your rig. These sections of Cleghorn are a favorite among most the wheelers I know, especially after a nice rain. This trail can prove challenging enough on a warm, dry summer day; add some mud or snow to the mix and you have a downright terror of a run!

There are some absolutely breathtaking views looking down on Lake Silverwood from above on the Cleghorn trail. I have seen mist settling on the mountains just over this very calm looking lake on many occasions, and it never gets old. If you own a quality camera, bring it along. There are many scenic photo spots along Cleghorn. The average run time for this trail with a medium group is around three hours. You can do it in less if your rig is really built well and there are only a couple vehicles, and more if you are in a large group with beginners on board. As always, stay on the trail and don't litter or destroy anything on purpose. We can all help prevent land closures, if we wheel with our thinking caps on. Have fun and stay safe!