Off-Road Trails Near Las Vegas: TOR's Trail Guide
Updated: 6 days ago
The best off-road trails near Las Vegas start less than an hour from the Strip. Seven Magic Mountains is the easy one, about 27 minutes away. The McCullough Range backroads, right past the towers, are easy two-track under 30 minutes out. Cottonwood Pass, Wheeler Pass and the Bitter Springs Backcountry Byway are the real dirt, each about 40 to 50 minutes to the start and each built for a high-clearance 4x4.
We've driven every trail on this page ourselves, and the miles below come from our own GPS tracks. Each trail gets its own full guide on the TOR blog, and this page is where they all live. We update it every time a guide goes up or a trail closes.
At a glance
Easiest trail: Seven Magic Mountains, about 15 miles of easygoing dirt past the painted towers.
Closest real dirt: McCullough Range backroads, about 15 miles of two-track from Jean Dry Lake toward Sloan.
Best short dirt drive: Cottonwood Pass, about 11 miles of red dirt over a 4,900-foot pass to Goodsprings.
Biggest mountain day: Wheeler Pass, about 33 miles over the Spring Mountains past the Charcoal Kilns from 1875.
Most variety: Bitter Springs, a 28-mile BLM byway with red sandstone, petroglyphs and a Lake Mead finish.
Rig: the TOR Bronco handles all five. Fees are shown on the listing.
Jump to: Compare the trails · Seven Magic Mountains · McCullough Range · Cottonwood Pass · Wheeler Pass · Bitter Springs · Before you go · Booking · FAQ
How Do the Trails Near Las Vegas Compare?
Start with Seven Magic Mountains if it's your first time on dirt, and save Wheeler Pass for when you want a full day. Drive times are from the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign to where the dirt starts, checked on Google Maps in October 2026.
Trail | From the Strip | Distance | How hard | Best season | Land manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
About 27 min (19 mi) | About 15 mi of dirt | Easy dirt roads | Fall to spring | BLM | |
Under 30 min to the middle of the route | About 15 mi of dirt | Easy two-track with whoops; onX 3 of 10 | Fall to spring | BLM | |
Cottonwood Pass | About 40 min (25 mi) | About 11 mi of dirt | Steep, rutted start, then easy | Year-round; April for wildflowers | BLM (Red Rock Canyon NCA), then Forest Service |
Wheeler Pass | About 50 min (43 mi) to Cold Creek | About 33 mi end to end | Rocky with steep pitches; snow up top in winter | Spring and fall | Forest Service (Spring Mountains NRA) |
Bitter Springs Backcountry Byway | About 50 min (41 mi) to I-15 Exit 75 | 28 mi | Graded, then sandy washes | Fall to spring | BLM, ending at Lake Mead NRA |
Every trail in the table fits the TOR Bronco. Here's what each one is like.
Seven Magic Mountains is the best first trail near Las Vegas: about 27 minutes from the Strip, easy dirt roads and a famous stop in the middle. The installation is seven towers of stacked, painted boulders by artist Ugo Rondinone, standing in the desert since 2016.
Most people see it from the parking lot. In the Bronco, you take the dirt roads around the towers and keep going toward the McCullough Range, where the desert opens into grassy flats under rocky peaks. Or skip the pavement entirely: the dirt backway from the south end of the Las Vegas Valley is about 14.6 miles of desert two-track, and our full guide has the route.
Read the full guide: Seven Magic Mountains trail guide.
Keep going past the towers and you're on the McCullough Range backroads.
The McCullough Range backroads run about 15 miles of desert two-track along the west side of the range, from Jean Dry Lake north toward Sloan. The middle of the route is under 30 minutes from the Strip, and Color Rock Road passes right by Seven Magic Mountains.
Getting there: I-15 south to Sloan Road (Exit 25), then Las Vegas Boulevard south about 10 miles to Knight Ranch Road, and left toward Jean Dry Lake.
The drive: hard-packed dirt and two-track with whoops and wash crossings. onX rates Color Rock Road 3 of 10. Skip the Railroad Canyon wash (rated 5) unless you have a spotter.
Don't miss: Jean Dry Lake, where BLM allows dispersed camping for up to 14 days. Stay off the lakebed when it's wet.
Read the full guide: McCullough Range trail guide.
When you're ready for a real climb, Cottonwood Pass is next.
Cottonwood Pass: The Best Short Dirt Drive
Cottonwood Pass is the best short dirt drive near Las Vegas. Cottonwood Valley Road runs about 11 miles of dirt from Blue Diamond Highway (SR-160) over a roughly 4,900-foot pass and down into the old mining town of Goodsprings.
Getting there: take SR-160 west toward Pahrump and look for the dirt turnoff for Cottonwood Valley Road. It ends on pavement in Goodsprings.
The drive: the first few miles on the north side are the hardest: steep, rutted and rocky. Past the summit it mellows into an easy run down Goodsprings Valley.
Don't miss: the pull-off with a view back over the Las Vegas Valley, and the historic Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings at the finish.
Getting home: pavement from Goodsprings takes you to Jean and I-15, about half an hour back to town.
Full trail guide coming soon. For a whole day in the mountains, go to Wheeler Pass.
Wheeler Pass: The Big Mountain Day
Wheeler Pass climbs over the Spring Mountains between Cold Creek and Pahrump, roughly 50 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It was the main wagon route between the Indian Springs area and Pahrump in the 1800s. Our full crossing tracked about 33 miles end to end, topping out around 7,700 feet.
Getting there: start from Cold Creek, off US-95 past Indian Springs, or from the Pahrump side off Wheeler Pass Road. The Pahrump side starts as a wide dirt road. The Cold Creek side gets rougher near the summit.
The drive: rocky, with a few steep pitches. Plan on a high-clearance 4x4.
Don't miss: the Charcoal Kilns from 1875 in Wheeler Wash. They're fragile, so look and photograph, but don't climb.
Short on time? Do what we did: an out-and-back from the Pahrump side to the summit, about 34 miles round trip.
Full trail guide coming soon. For red rock and a lake at the end, head to Bitter Springs.
Bitter Springs Backcountry Byway: Red Rock to Lake Mead
The Bitter Springs Backcountry Byway is a 28-mile BLM route across the Muddy Mountains, from the Valley of Fire highway near I-15 to Northshore Road in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. It's been a designated byway since 1989, and it's the trail we've driven more than any other.
Getting there: I-15 north to Exit 75 for Valley of Fire. Head toward the park, and where the pavement bends left after about three miles, go straight onto the dirt. BLM signs mark the byway.
The drive: the first eight or so miles are graded, climbing to an old rock quarry. Past that it turns into sandy washes, so air down for the sand.
Don't miss: the red and yellow sandstone at Buffington Pockets, petroglyphs in the side canyons, and Bitter Spring near the east end. We've seen wild horses there.
Timing: plan two to three hours one way. Our two tracked runs came in at 28 and 33 miles. Skip it if rain is in the forecast, because the washes can flood.
Full trail guide coming soon. Whichever trail you pick, a few things go with you every time.
What Should You Know Before Driving a Trail Near Las Vegas?
Bring more water than you think, download your map before you lose signal, and stay on the route. Those three cover most of what goes wrong out here.
Carry at least a gallon of water per person per day. Most trails near Vegas have no drinking water.
Download the trail area for offline use. Cell service drops out fast outside town. New to onX Offroad? Our onX link (paid link) gets you a free 7-day trial. Full disclosure: we get a reward when you use it.
Tell someone your route and when you'll be back.
Air down for sand, then air back up before the highway.
Drive only on open, designated routes, follow posted detours and pack out everything you bring in.
Each of these has its own section, with how-to and the official sources, in our first-timer guide to off-roading near Las Vegas.
How We Pick Trails
Every trail here is one we've driven ourselves, close enough to Las Vegas for a day trip, legal to drive on designated routes, and a good fit for the TOR Bronco. We add a trail only when we have our own GPS track and photos from it.
How to Rent a Bronco for These Trails
The TOR Bronco is a 2026 Ford Bronco Outer Banks set up for trail days and nights out, with recovery gear, an air compressor, a fridge and solar power on board. It picks up less than 15 minutes from Harry Reid International Airport.
TOR Bronco (2026 Ford Bronco Outer Banks): Outdoorsy · see the Bronco page for what's included
Trailer 01 (2026 Rockwood Geo Pro 17LE) stays on pavement, so it's for campground trips: see the Trailer 01 page
New to Outdoorsy? Use our Outdoorsy link (paid link) for $50 off your first trip of $200 or more (click Start Exploring on that page before you book). Full disclosure: we get a travel credit when you use it.
Want trip ideas near Las Vegas and first dibs when the calendar opens? Join our list on toradventures.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest off-road trail near Las Vegas?
Seven Magic Mountains. It's about 27 minutes from the Strip on easygoing dirt roads, with the painted boulder towers in the middle.
Do I need a 4x4 for trails near Las Vegas?
For Cottonwood Pass, Wheeler Pass and Bitter Springs, yes: plan on a high-clearance 4x4. On the Seven Magic Mountains backway, four-wheel drive isn't required in dry weather, but you want high clearance.
When is the best time to off-road near Las Vegas?
Fall through spring. Summer days regularly top 100°F in the desert, and Wheeler Pass can hold snow and ice near the summit in winter.
Can I rent a 4x4 for these trails in Las Vegas?
Yes. The TOR Bronco is set up for all five trails, with recovery gear and an air compressor on board, and it books on Outdoorsy.
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