Offroad Trails to Experience the Solar Eclipse

Next week (April 8, 2024), adventurers in certain parts of the United States will have the opportunity to experience one of the most exciting natural phenomena: a total solar eclipse. If you want to experience the eclipse away from the city, we've pulled together a list of trail guides that fall within the projected path of the eclipse. If you venture out to enjoy the eclipse be sure to open up the Trails Offroad app and select your state from the Offline Downloads to have these trail guides available outside of the cellular service. And don't forget to leave a trail review with photos after your adventure! We've listed each state in alphabetical order:

Arkansas

Arkansas hit the jackpot this time around! From Fort Smith to Texarkana, to Little Rock, and on over to Jonesboro, the eclipse cuts a swatch across nearly half the state. The Ouachita National Forest north of Hot Springs, AR will be arguably one of the best places to be, although you should probably expect many others to be out there as well. In Ouachita National Forest use trails like Winona Auto Tour Scenic Drive, Trail 86, or Alum Fork to get you started in the area.

Looking to get some serious wheeling done during the eclipse? Hot Springs ORV Park should be your top choice. The park is privately owned and operated so you will need to book admission. Check out trail guides like Rubicon Ridge D1 and Snake F19 to get started in the area.

North of Russellville, in parts of the Ozark-Saint Francis National Forest, you'll find trails like Dare Mine Road and Felkins Meyer Bridge. Farther northeast will put you in a Scout Route network, including Tie Ridge Road, North Barkshed Road, Bee Hollow Road, and countless other national forest roads.

Indiana

Redbird Off-Road State Recreation Area provides not only fantastic offroading but falls directly in the path of the solar eclipse. Check out Red Bird 5 Green, Red Bird 0 Green North, and Red Bird 3 Green to start getting a lay of the land.

Missouri

The southeastern corner of Missouri lines up with the solar eclipse. Scout Routes within the Mark Twain National Forest like Karkaghne Scenic Drive, CR P-235, and the surrounding area could be worth the scenic drive.

New York

Cedar River-Limekiln Road and Otter Brook Road provide eclipse options here. Much of the wilderness and wild forests north of Utica, NY, and continuing through upstate New York, fall within the path of the eclipse.

New Brunswick (Canada)

NB Overland Rte, Part 1

Oklahoma

The very southeastern corner of Oklahoma should get some form of the solar eclipse and the fire lookout from the Kiamichi Trail (aka K-Trail) could be a neat spot to observe from. Hochatown State Park and the area around Broken Bow Reservoir also fall within the eclipse path.

Pennsylvania

Although the patch of the Alleghany Forest just outside of Warren, PA, falls just outside of the eclipse path, it's possible to still have some form of coverage.

Coal Knob, Hook Run, and the surrounding area may be a good choice.

Texas

Although the Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area falls just within the eclipse path and offers a great network of offroad trails, the privately operated park is closed weekly Mon-Wed meaning there is no access on eclipse day. Be sure to check out our park trail guides as an option for future trips within Texas!

Similarly, Hidden Falls Adventure Park is a great offroad park located northwest of Austin; however, normal park hours are Thursday-Sunday, and no announcements have been made regarding opening the park for the eclipse (as of time of publishing). To plan a trip to Hidden Falls Adventure Park check out our trail guides in the area.

The Texas Hill Country Overland Route could be a good option for eclipse observation though much is paved and borders private land, consider it a scenic drive rather than a camping adventure.