The Pilot Rock Truck Trail starts at the east side of Silverwood Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains in the San Bernardino National Forest. Possibly the most scenic trail in San Bernardino county, Pilot Rock Truck Trail runs between Silver-wood Lake and the small mountain community of Lake Arrowhead. This long mountain trail serves up one amazing view after another starting with Waypoint 6 which overlooks Silverwood Lake from a steep ledge. From Pilot Rock ( the actual rock ) at Waypoint 18, you will look out to see a panoramic view of the distant desert fading into the forest covered mountains.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
Recommended Vehicle:
2WD Vehicle with High Clearance
Concerns:
Summary:
The main trail is a simple dirt road. The high end rating comes from the optional alternate routes.
Community Consensus
1 votes
8 votes
3 votes
Easier
Spot On
Harder
The weighted average of your fellow members agreement of our trail
rating. As trail conditions change this helps us keep the community
aware of changes.
Mandatory
1 -
EASY
The hardest part of the trail that you
cannot bypass - you have to drive it.
Optional
4 -
MODERATE
The hardest part of the trail that is
purely optional - you can bypass it.
Dirt and/or rocky road. Potential rocks and/or tree stumps less than 5" tall and/or vertical ledges less than 5" tall and/or near vertical ledges or waterfalls less than 6" inches. Good tire placement likely. Can be steep, but with good traction.Read More about our Rating System
Pilot Rock Truck Trail is a long off-road mountain trail that runs from Silverwood Lake to Lake Arrowhead.
This is an easy dirt road, though there are multiple opportunities to jump on the harder, alternate route that parallels the trail and intersects the main Pilot Rock Truck Trail.
For the most part, the main trail is a wide dirt road, but there is a narrow section of shelf road between Waypoints 18 and 19.
If Pilot Rock is not long enough for you, combine it with any or all of Cleghorn Trail, Willow Creek Jeep Trail , and even Dishpan Springs and Holcomb Valley.
Under normal conditions, 2WD, high ground clearance vehicles can make it through Pilot Rock, but 4WD is recomended for any of the alternate routes.
1. Pilot Rock OHV Staging Area (2N33) (0
mi)
The Pilot Rock OHV Staging Area is a great place to air down and check out the view from the Cedar Spring Dam.
The Trailhead is about 75 yards east of this location.
2. Pilot Rock Trailhead (0.05
mi)
The Pilot Rock Trailhead is on the south side of the road and marked as Forest Road 2N33.
3. 2N17X North Intersection (0.54
mi)
Continue to the right to stay on Pilot Rock.
2N17X is a more difficult trail with steep climbs and narrow saddles. 2N17X intersects with Pilot Rock again at Waypoint 13.
4. Turnout (2.53
mi)
Continue straight to stay on Pilot Rock. The turnout here leads to a few other trails, but these are marked as restricted.
5. Water Tank (2.9
mi)
Continue straight to stay on Pilot Rock. A watering system sits on the east of the side trail here.
6. Overlook (3.67
mi)
Be careful around this turn.The trail loops around the edge of the ridge at this point. There is a serious cliff and an amazing view of the lake here.
7. Alternate Route Intersection 1 (3.81
mi)
This is the first intersection with the more difficult, parallel route. Continue left ( the northern trail ) to stay on Pilot Rock. If you need some more action, go right ( the southern trail ), up the harder router.
8. Alternate Route Intersection 2 (4.15
mi)
This is the second intersection with the more difficult, parallel route. Continue straight to stay on Pilot Rock.
9. Alternate Route Intersection 3 (4.9
mi)
Here is another intersection with the more difficult, parallel route. Continue left ( the northern trail ) to stay on Pilot Rock.
10. Alternate Route Intersection 4 (5.61
mi)
Here is another intersection with the more difficult, parallel route. Continue left ( the northern trail ) to stay on Pilot Rock.
11. 2N36 Intersection (6.05
mi)
Continue straight to stay on Pilot Rock. A right / south will take you on 2N36 which leads down the hill.
12. Alternate Route Intersection 5 (6.35
mi)
Here is another intersection with the more difficult, parallel route. Continue straight to stay on Pilot Rock.
13. 2N17X South Intersection (7.27
mi)
Continue straight to stay on Pilot Rock. 2N17X connects to Pilot Rock again on the left / north.
14. Alternate Route Intersection 6 (7.37
mi)
Here is another intersection with the more difficult, parallel route. Continue left ( the northern trail ) to stay on Pilot Rock.
Here is another intersection with the more difficult, parallel route. Continue left ( the northern trail ) to stay on Pilot Rock.
The rock path shown here is easily bypassed.
16. Path to the Pilot Rock (8.46
mi)
If you're running the easy route as mapped here, this short detour on the more difficult route is a must to get to Pilot Rock ( the actual rock ). Turn right / west on the alternate route.
If you want to skip the path to Pilot rock, Continue to the left and skip to Waypoint 19.
17. Pilot Rock Turn (8.56
mi)
Turn right / north here to reach the rock.
18. Pilot Rock (8.62
mi)
This is it. The rock that is big enough, high enough and noticeable enough to claim the name of this entire trail.
This is a good spot to stop for lunch or just take in the view.
Back track to Waypoint 17, then 16 to get back on the main trail and continue east. You will pass through a narrow shelf road before the next waypoint.
19. 2N34 Tunnell Road / Sawmill Road (10.07
mi)
Continue straight to stay on Pilot Rock. 2N34 / Tunnel Road / Sawmill Road is on the right / south.
20. Grass Valley Creek (11.09
mi)
Continue straight, across Grass Valley Creek.
21. 3W14 Intersection (11.41
mi)
Continue straight to stay on Pilot Rock. 3W14 is limited to bikes and quads only. No jeeps or 4x4 vehicles.
22. Pavement (11.47
mi)
Continue straight. This is where the dirt ends / pavement begins.
23. End / Highway 173 (11.9
mi)
Pilot Rock ends here at Highway 173. If you still want more, turn left and head north for 1.2 miles to connect to Willow Creek Jeep Trail.
24. The View From Pilot Rock (8.62
mi)
Here are some more pictures to remind you of the view from Pilot Rock.
Designated
Silverwood Lake Campsites in the Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area offers group site camping, RV camping and tent camping. Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area is near the west end of Pilot Rock Truck Trail and reservations can be made through Reserve America. This campground includes toilets and showers. Single sites are $35 per night. Group sites are as high as $300 per night.
Dispersed camping is available off Highway 173 near the east end of this trail, in Arrowhead.
The North Shore Campground is on the east side of Lake Arrowhead, but this campground is only open from late April through early October. North Shore Campground has potable water and flush toilets. Fees are $23 per 1 vehicle for the night, however fees increase and a 3 night minimum is enforced on holiday weekends.
Starting Point
Cajon Junction, California
From I15 and Highway 138, take 138 northeast 8 miles. Turn left onto 173 and take for 2.4 miles and turn right just after the damn. The Pilot Rock OHV Staging Area will be about 1 mile ahead.
The recent rains must have made this trail much harder. I included photos of the hardest spot and wash out where I turned around due to being by myself.
Great trail with options. I’ve done the fire road all the way through, easy and any stock vehicle can make it. Then I took all but two off chutes, 4WD needed. I took offchutes late night
Ran this trail from east to west starting at the 2N34 Tunnel Two intersection. The recent rains have left a handful of deep ruts that make it so you have to choose your line pretty carefully so in my rookie opinion I would say its more like a 3 rating. There are some fantastic views of the lake and some cool views of the desert to the north.
Great beginner trail. The variety and severity of the off shoots make this a great trail to learn. This is a heavily trafficked trail so beware of opposite direction traffic.
2021 cherokee trailhawk 2 inch lift, 30.5 inch KO2s.
Great trail. Absolutely worth the hype. I would say the main road should be rated a 2 because there are several spots where clearance is needed and at least one spot where 4wd is needed. The offshoots aren't terribly challenging, but still fun.
This trail is a good trail to test out your truck and learn your truck. It has an the easier trail or you can take many off shoots that are a bit more challenging but all passable. The 5” lift on my truck definitely saved my driver door. Amazing trail will definitely hit it up once again. Oh and yes you will get tons of Pin Stripes but hey…….. Battle scars lol
Had a good time out on this trail with my newly lifted and tired Jeep. We stayed away from 2N17X and just did the main trail with all of its various off shoots (but not the rock crawl... at least I didn't, LOL). Took my son and we had a great day out with our dog. The main fire road is easy, the off shoots can be of varying difficulty, but nothing was too hard. As an experienced hiker of most of these mountains, it is funny how easy a Jeep makes it to get into the back country. A lot less effort on my aging joints. The on coming side by sides were a little intense, and they are pretty hard on the trail. A great day out in the wilds of the Berdoo's.
Great morning on Pilot Rock Road. As someone else mentioned there is only one fairly technical deep rock rut that needs to be carefully navigated but for the most part very easy drive.
Third time on this trail within two years. Clearance would be the only limiting factor given the countless deep uneven rocky ruts. Especially one large off camber rock rut after passing Pilot Rock. Really fun but for sure requires some experience. Didnt see anyone else there, even after taking an hour lunch break. Highly recommend.
Great views of the lake from the get go, and then great views of fall foliage between waypoint 16 and 19. The trail is a little rocky at points and the only real obstacle on the main trail (easy mostly) is a portion with a DEEP rut running down the center of the tail. You just have to pick your line and you're good to go.
Good trail. Well marked. Buddy and I in an XJ and a ZJ went out on a Tuesday and saw absolutely no one. Some fun terrain challenges, but always a more moderate option. Out of this world views. Exciting to see the change of biomes from desert chaparral to more wooded forest. We started at the dam and ended in the woods, and went on to continue riding in the Willow Creek trail nearby.
The Forest Service has temporary closed all of the National Forests in California. This closure will is from Aug. 31, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. through September 17, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.
Had a blast on Pilot Rock came from Old Pilot Rock there are several harder off shoots that are fun with some challenging obstacles. Finally got to do this trail that we have a cat named after.
Great trail! Will definitely run it again with another vehicle or two as the spur and the alternate trails look like a lot of fun! The main trail is well marked and I did it in 2WD the entire way in my 92 XJ (3" lift, 31s). There is a hill that has a large rut running down what looks like the center, but as you climb the hill, you'll be able to pull to the left safely to avoid it if you'd like. To get up to Pilot Rock itself, I did throw down the 4x4, but I stopped halfway up that particular trail as I was by myself and didn't feel like being stuck hung up on a rock.
Did the trail today with 7 other rigs. Ive never run this before so first time was in the snow/mud. It was a blast! Turned what I imagine would have been a simple trail into a fun and exciting run, playing in the snow! Just be careful for the ice on the inclines of the trail and make sure to go with someone else in case a recovery is needed. Be cautious doing the off shoots because you cant see whats under the snow and the ice makes things tricky. There was an SUV that had rolled on the trail and is in the middle of the trail. There’s enough room to go around it though. Had a stock Jeep Compass Trailhawk in the group and they made it through with no issues
Nice & scenic trail! Ran as mapped from West to East and continuing down Tunnel Two then finished up through the Miller Canyon OHV trail. No off shoots taken during this ride, kept it nice and mellow. The fire road is very easy going except for one section ( See Photo 5 ) towards the end of the trail. It is easily passable just take it slow and use a spotter if needed and you'll be fine. A great way to escape the city and take in some great views.
We entered from the west or the Silverwood Lake end of the trail and you quickly come to overlooks with beautiful majestic views of the lake. The trail is OHV rated "Blue" on the signage, which is "More Difficult" but its an easy trail with 1 section that we paused at to pick a line. 2 wheel drive pickup would be fine IMO. Our vehicle was a lifted Jeep 4 door and in 2wd the entire trail and it was a breeze. The lower elevation part of the trail is loose and embedded rock so if you can air down it will make for a more comfortable ride. We came across a rattlesnake sunning in the road at the beginning of the trail. As the original mapper stated there are many opportunities to go off the main trail. Even many more then are identified in the original mapping. Some of these are not marked with signage, and some marked as "Open" and some have ratings of black diamond or "More Difficult". We found that it was easy to see the main trail and keep from inadvertently going on one of these alternate routes.
Great trail with some amazing views. Ran this west to east (followed TrailsOffroad GPX). Hiked up to Pilot Rock first then went back and drove the Jeep up (stock Rubicon). Nice trail by itself but thinking of combining this with Cleghorn for a full day next time.
This is such a fun one! It’s perfect for beginners (like us lol) but have fun options to make it more difficult. It’s shorter than the other two we have done, but it has the most gorgeous views! I definitely recommend.
Pilot Rock is an awesome fireroad trail. I only did a couple of the easy offshoots that particular day. There's a good amount of water holes to drive through and the staging area is right before the trail.
So many good views. Trail is well kept. Easy to Difficult depending on which route you want to go. Weather was perfect today, 60s/70s and a clear sky. Towards the end of the trail (Arrowhead side) there were some good size puddles to splash in!
I took the wife, kid and dog up the fireroad. A little mud and snow, but nothing difficult. We finished up with lunch on the lake.
I can't wait to go back with some friends and try some of the alternate routes.
We ran this trail West - East starting at the Dam as our staging area to air down.
Once we got to the "gatekeeper", we opted to go left and tackle the Ridge Trail 2N17X.
Overall the Trail is pretty engaging with ups and downs from start to finish. Ruts and shelves and V notched sections are plentiful along the ridge.
Having a small lift and off road tires will help your situation, having at least one locker will make your life way easier and less challenging.
Weather was on the most side with a light drizzle when we ran this trail. But its a different ballgame when its totally wet, muddy or even icy.
With most of the steep inclines, you will come up to a blind turn so you can either: walk it up first before u drive it, drive it up and make an educated turn based on how much u can see OR look at a map of the trail in reference to where u are and see which way to trail continues.
Ran this trail west to east. Did about half the offchutes. The first significant offchute after waypoint 7 is deeply rutted, One of our rigs broke a CV axle here (3rd gen Toyota 4runner) so a rear locker is definitely a plus. The fire trail is as easy as it gets.
We started off the 173 at The Pilot Rock OHV staging area and drove to the 2N36 intersection. From there we went right onto Pilot Rock Ridge Rd which brought us down to the 138. This was our first time doing any type of wheeling and it was a blast! I never felt uncomfortable with the trail and there was plenty of rocks, off camber and rain ruts to have fun with. Whatever your skill level is this is a great trail to cruise with some great views and cool places to pull off and relax.
Great trail to take for my first time off-roading. Took it west to east starting near Silverwood Lake. Didn’t feel comfortable about a section just past Pilot Rock so turned around.
The whole trail is pretty rutted out from recent rains, but still passable.
We spent a little time playing on the harder lines before heading up into Lake Arrowhead.
Did the more difficult leg of this trail (2N17x) back in March, definitely has some challenging rutted out hill climbs. Fun time though and a locker helps tremendously! XJ is locked in front and my Montero has the factory air locker in the rear.
First time ever going off roading and really enjoyed myself. You definitely need to check this trail out. Meant for beginners and Moderate drivers. Look out for bikers and quads guys and drive safe
Followed the trail map we found on this site. Everything was accurate and went very well. Made it to Pilot Rock, but didn’t get all the way up to the rock. Got close for only having stock Cherokee Trailhawk. Trail was fun and was a Saturday well spent.
We mapped a few trails to the south and ended up going west on Pilot Rock from Miller Canyon, I missed the by-pass on the rough section just west of the Rock and wasn't comfortable continuing without an experienced spotter so we turned around. The east half of the trail we did the optional routes and had a great time.
We did the Pilot Rock Truck Trail after coming off 2N17X where it meets 2N33. We headed east from there and did all of the optional offshoots. Some of them provided a pretty good challenge, especially if you took the harder lines (see video). The trail is somewhat similar to Cleghorn with the main dirt road which is easy, with the more difficult offshoots that can be bypassed if too difficult. Fun trail, especially combined with 2N17X and it's easy to keep going to Lake Arrowhead and head to areas such as Devil's Hole to finish off the day.
From the Community
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G. Martin
Mapping Crew - California
G. Martin, gm4x4 on Youtube , is a California native, born and raised in northern California and now living and wheeling in southern California. He enjoys exploring new trails and setting up camp in the remote outdoors.
You may come across him in the middle of the Mojave Desert, the mountains of Big Bear, in the central Sierras near Shaver Lake or any other dirty, rocky road in the southwest.
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