It’s a big state and for off-road fans, boasts plenty of trails, from those that pass through giant Redwood Forests to traversing peaks on the edge of the Mojave Desert.

With so much available it can often be difficult to decide what to do. Jeep‘s Official Blog has provided a little background on some of the most popular and memorable trails in the Golden State. Here’s a sampling:

Shasta-Trinity Forest (Northern California): Although the Rubicon Trail tends to get all the glory in this part of the world, Shasta-Trinity is considered a hidden gem. There’s miles of back roads to explore in this densely wooded area and the nearby Chappie-Shasta Off-Highway Vehicle Area boasts some 52,000 acres and 200 miles of trails with which to negotiate with your Jeep. It’s also a popular spot for hiking, mountain biking and boating.

Death Valley National Park (Central California): While you would probably want to avoid this spot in the heat of summer, during the cooler months it offers some spectacular vistas as well as some challenging trail driving. There are over 1,000 miles of trails in DVNP, though one of the most recommended is the Lippincott Mine Road which climbs almost 1500 feet over the course of six miles, ending at the site of an abandoned mine. Another is the Mahogany Flats/Charcoal Kilns Road, which gives you the opportunity to view both the highest and lowest points of elevation in the US at the same time.

Joshua Tree National Park (Southern California): Made famous by U2′s 1987 album, the Joshua Tree offers plenty of opportunties to drive through canyons and picturesque desert scenery. Pinkham Canyon- Thermal Canyon Road is a 20 mile loop that ends up with some great views of Monument Mountain, with a side road en route that takes you through some of the most breathtaking scenery in the entire park.

For more info on these and other California trails, click on the link below:

[Source: Official Jeep Blog]

Chrysler has been known for organizing public participation events at various locations across the U.S. and Canada. Now it’s set to launch another, dubbed the Jeep Rocks & Road Tour, which will hit 11 different venues across the United States from July 16 through October 31st this year.

The tour is designed “to provide our current and potential customers with an adventurous experience that is exclusive to the Jeep brand,” according to Jeep CEO Mike Manley.

At each location, the tour will incorporate on and off-road driving tests, with participants getting time behind the wheel of 2011 Jeep models, including the Wrangler, Patriot and new Grand Cherokee. Trained instructors will be on hand for the off-road sections, which will including multiple types of road surfaces, rocky trails and log crossings. In addition to sampling the latest Jeep offerings, owners of existing models will also get a chance to drive their own vehicles at these events in the ‘Jeep Owner’s playground.’ The tour kicks off at the Syracuse, New York Nationals (one of the largest car shows in the North East) on July 16th, with stops in Columbus, Ohio; Rockford, Illinois; Indianapolis; Boston; Omaha, Nebraska; Martinsburg, West Virginia; Virgina Beach; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Charlotte, North Carolina and Fort Worth, Texas. The Jeep Rocks & Road tour is free to those that pre-register for the event, so long as they bring their receipt with them on the day.

For more information, including the exact venues for the tour, click on the link below.

[Source: Chrysler]

Texas is truck country, so when you’re looking to organize an event for loyal pickup customers it would seem the best place to do it. Recently, Nissan decided to just that, putting on its first ever truck rally for Frontier and Titan owners at Hidden Falls Adventure Park, not far from the state capital Austin. The park contains more than 200 miles of off road trails and allowed Nissan to bring together more than 41 Frontier and Titan owners for a three day shindig with an off-roading theme.

Besides the owners, professional instructors were on hand to help guide them along marked trails, while a group of Nissan’s engineering, product planning and marketing staff were on hand to talk with the truck owners and their families. Part of this event was to get feedback regarding the existing trucks and what features buyers might be looking for in the next evolution of Nissan’s pickups including the upcoming Titan. “These guys are passionate about their trucks,” stated Chief Nissan marketing manager for trucks Dan Tons. “We asked them why they choose Nissan. They said they were looking for a vehicle that fit their needs, was priced right and could handle their capabilities best.”

Added Tiago Castro, Senior Planner for Nissan trucks – “we wanted a firsthand opportunity to talk to customers who currently own Titans. We wanted to learn what they like and don’t like about the Titan and to also have interaction with them like we do for other Nissan vehicles, like the Z car. A lot of these guys get together on their own, but this time we wanted to facilitate that meeting.”

[Source: Pickup trucks.com]