Gold Mountain Trail + Crab Flats Campground: A Weekend on the Trail

There’s nothing quite like loading up your rig, hitting the road with friends, and spending a weekend on the trail in 4wheel drive. This past weekend, our adventure centered around the scenic Gold Mountain Trail, which offered breathtaking views and exciting challenges. The trip had a little bit of everything—scenery, challenging obstacles, minor hiccups, and plenty of laughs around the camp fire.

Prepping for the Trip

Knowing I’d be camping with two people this time, the first order of business was upgrading my sleep setup. My trusty cot wasn’t going to cut it, so I picked up an Exped Duomat. Foam core with an air fill, it packs down quickly but still keeps you off the ground. Honestly, it made a huge difference in comfort.

Thursday night, the Tacoma got packed up with all the gear, including the Adventure Hammock Systems™ mount (my latest camp luxury). By Friday afternoon, anticipation was high. Work seemed to crawl by, but once the day wrapped, I linked up with Ryan V at Albertsons for a few last-minute supplies before hitting the road. Traffic wasn’t terrible, and even with the obligatory In-N-Out stop, we made it to Crab Flats by about 9 PM. Setting up camp in the dark went smoothly, and after a long day, we crashed hard, ready for the weekend ahead.

Saturday: Gold Mountain

We woke up to a clear mountain sunrise and eased into the morning with coffee, breakfast, and a few trail stories while waiting for the rest of the crew. Ryan R made the drive from San Diego, and my brother came up from LA. By mid-morning, the lineup was set:

• Ryan V’s Tacoma
• Andrew’s Jeep Gladiator
• Ryan R in the Ride Shocks Ford Bronco

Midday Heat & Challenges

The Trailhead

Getting to Gold Mountain wasn’t straightforward thanks to the Tour de Big Bear cycling event, which had traffic completely jammed. Once we worked around the backups, we aired down at the trailhead, stretched our legs, and took stock of the rigs. To our surprise, there’s now a gatekeeper obstacle at the trail entrance—honestly a nice addition to set the tone for what’s to come. Definitely need at least 33” tires and a locker.

Early Obstacles

The first stretch went smoothly, climbing switchbacks and enjoying the views. Things got more interesting at a waterfall ledge turn, where we crossed paths with a ZJ that had lost its power steering and was being carefully guided down the trail. To add to the scene, there was also a super clean Jeep FC—not something you see every day.

While Ryan R wrangled some drone footage (fighting both wind and tree cover), the Bronco and Gladiator worked through the main line with no issues. Ryan V decided to spice things up by taking the bonus line, a steeper ledge with a tight squeeze around a tree. A little throttle and persistence got him through clean. We paused in a clearing for lunch, recharged, and then pressed on.

Exploring the Gold Mountain Trail

The middle of the trail was a mix of rocky climbs and faster fire road sections—fun for the drivers, maybe less so for passengers being tossed around in the back. A couple of climbs tested both the Bronco and Gladiator, even causing the Bronco’s drivetrain to briefly overheat. With some rock stacking and careful spotting, both rigs made it through without damage.

By late afternoon, we rolled off the trail and into town, where we treated ourselves to a round of (overpriced) beers at a local brewery before heading back to Crab Flats. Ryan R had to peel off for the drive back to San Diego, while the rest of us wrapped up the night around a portable fire pit, swapping stories and battling it out in some surprisingly competitive games of Uno.

Sunday: Pack Up

Sunday morning was relaxed—coffee, breakfast, and breaking down camp at our own pace. That said, the smell of smoke from a nearby wildfire was a good reminder to keep things moving. We packed up efficiently and hit the road, satisfied with a weekend of wheeling and camping well spent.

Vehicle Highlights

One of the best parts of trips like this is seeing how different rigs handle the same trail.

Ryan R’s 2022 Ford Bronco (Sasquatch)

• Outfitted with sPod switches, Baja Designs lights and custom radio mount
• Suspension includes a Ride Shocks Bronco Lift Kit with AccuTune Offroad Upper Control Arms
• 37″BFG All-Terrain tires mounted to Titan 7 forged wheels
• Check out all the build specs for this Bronco here.

Final Thoughts

The Crab Flats and Gold Mountain weekend was a success—no major breakdowns, solid trail challenges, and plenty of good times. Trips like these are what it’s all about: dialing in the rigs, testing new gear, and escaping the grind for a few days in the mountains with good friends.