Pardoes 4WD Trail
Pardoes 4WD Trail is a 7.3-mile trail in Eldorado National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and 4WD over 50 inches. It enters Mokelumne Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Eldorado National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 38.6140° N, 120.0910° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 38.5733° N, 120.1665° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.
The trail
| Length | 7.3 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 60-96 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Open to at least one motorized use |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 16E26 |
| Forest | Eldorado National Forest (unit 0503) |
| States | California |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | Allowed |
| 4WD over 50 inches | Allowed 04/01 to 12/31 (month/day) |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Mokelumne WildernessFS · about 3% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedFy27 Hemlock Rx
13 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedBig Trees State Park Broadcast Burn Rx
23 mi from the trail midpoint · 170 acres
- PrescribedD51 Rx Pile Burning
44 mi from the trail midpoint
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Pardoes 4WD Trail?
The Forest Service records 7.3 miles under this name in Eldorado National Forest, the sum of 2 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Pardoes 4WD Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and 4WD over 50 inches are allowed. The trail is open to at least one motorized use. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Pardoes 4WD Trail start?
The line begins at 38.6140° N, 120.0910° W and ends at 38.5733° N, 120.1665° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Pardoes 4WD Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Mokelumne Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Mokelumne Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Pardoes 4WD Trail?
Bear River Group Campground (3.9 mi), Silver Lake Campground East (4.3 mi) and Bear Group Campground (4.4 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 6 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Pardoes 4WD Trail?
Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Pardoes 4WD Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 60-96 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Pardoes 4WD Trail?
Eldorado National Forest, Forest Service unit 0503. The trail is in California.
Is there a fire near the Pardoes 4WD Trail?
The interagency feed shows 3 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Fy27 Hemlock Rx at 13 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 2 segments named Pardoes 4WD Trail in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0503. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.