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The Top 10 ATV and UTV Trails in California

By Joe Crisan | Behind The Wheel on August 18, 2021
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California is famous for being home to a lot of things: Hollywood, vast and beautiful deserts, great surfing, beautiful Redwood trees… uh… Hollywood again… It’s also home to some incredible UTV trails.

Whether your idea of a good time is exploring dirt roads or blasting up massive dunes, California has something for everyone. It also has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country.

With so many great places to ride, choosing just one can be a daunting decision. That’s why we’ve complied this list of the best UTV trails in California.

NOTE: Park details and prices reflect what was current as of July 2021.

1. Cleghorn OHV Trail

  • Location: San Bernardino, CA
  • Size: 5 square miles (15 miles of trails)
  • Style: Trails, drop-offs, hills, rocks
  • Machines: ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes, 4x4s
  • Experience Level: All
  • Cost: $5/parking, $5/day, $30/year
Jeep Wrangler riding on trail
Photo by Trails Offroad

2. Dumont Dunes

  • Location: Baker, CA
  • Size: 13 square miles
  • Style: Dunes, hills, trails
  • Machines: ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes, 4x4s
  • Experience Level: All
  • Cost: $30/vehicle, $40/holiday weekly pass
Aerial view of side by sides at sand dune
Photo by Dumont Dunes Riders

3. Glamis (Imperial Sand Dunes)

  • Location: El Centro, CA
  • Size: 34 square miles
  • Style: Dunes, hills
  • Machines: ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes, 4x4s
  • Experience Level: All
  • Cost: $50/permit fee, $150/seasonal pass
Aerial view of side by side parked on sand dune at sunset
Photo by Schloe Travels

4. Hollister Hills SVRA

  • Location: Hollister, CA
  • Size: 11 square miles (180 miles of trails)
  • Style: Trails, hills, drop-offs
  • Machines: ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes, 4x4s
  • Experience Level: All
  • Cost: $5/vehicle
Dirtbikes riding on trail at Hollister Hills
Photo by California State Parks

5. Hungry Valley SVRA

  • Location: Gorman, California
  • Size: 30 square miles (130 miles of trails)
  • Style: Trails, hills, rocks
  • Machines: ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes, 4x4s
  • Experience Level: All
  • Cost: $5/vehicle
Jeep Wrangler riding in desert at Hungry Valley
Photo by Trails Offroad

6. Jawbone Canyon

  • Location: Cantil, CA
  • Size: 13 square miles (100 miles of trails)
  • Style: Trails, drop-offs, hills
  • Machines: ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes, 4x4s
  • Experience Level: All
  • Cost: Free
Riders taking a break at sand dunes
Photo by Dirty Gourmet

7. Johnson Valley OHV Area

  • Location: Lucerne Valley, CA
  • Size: 150 square miles (1000 miles of trials)
  • Style: Trails, hills, rocks
  • Machines: ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes, 4x4s
  • Experience Level: All
  • Cost: Free
Can-Am Maverick X3 riding on rocks at Johnson Valley
Photo by The Bureau of Land Management

8. Miller Canyon

  • Location: Hesperia, California
  • Size: 10 square miles
  • Style: Trails, drop-offs, hills
  • Machines: ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes, 4x4s
  • Experience Level: All
  • Cost: $5/vehicle, $30/annual pass
Jeep Wrangler riding on trail in woods
Photo by Trails Offroad

9. Ocotillo Wells SVRA

  • Location: Borrego Springs, CA
  • Size: 133 square miles (500 miles of trails)
  • Style: Trails, hills, rocks, drop-offs
  • Machines: ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes, 4x4s
  • Experience Level: All
  • Cost: Free
Polaris RZR riding in sand at Ocotillo Wells
Photo by Ironwoods Off-Road Rentals

10. Stoddard Valley OHV Area

  • Location: Barstow, CA
  • Size: 83 square miles (100 miles of trails)
  • Style: Trails, hills, rocks, drop-offs
  • Machines: ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes, 4x4s
  • Experience Level: All
  • Cost: Free
Jeeps rock crawling at Stoddard Valley
Photo by MotorTrend

With California, you just can’t go wrong. Whether you’re a novice who just got their first side-by-side or you’ve won the King of The Hammers, you’re sure to find a trail you like.

Before you go, be sure to call ahead and make sure the trail or park is open. Unexpected closures can happen, and they are a pain—especially when you’ve driven half-way across the country… not that we would know…

We did our best to include the top UTV trails in California, but there are so many great ones, we couldn’t list them all. Got a favorite spot we missed? Let us know in the comments! And what state are we going to next time? Stay tuned to find out.

RELATED CONTENT: dunes15 riding spots33 trails31
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2 Comments

  1. Avatar for bruno bruno says:
    November 16, 2022 at 3:31 pm

    Hello, I was wondering where the best atv spots would be between sacramento-lake tahoe area?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Kavan Wright Kavan Wright says:
      November 17, 2022 at 8:16 am

      Hey Bruno, you have a bunch of options in your area. There’s Mammoth Bar OHV Area, Foresthill OHV, China Wall OHV, and Georgetown OHV park, to name a few. I’ve never ridden at any of them, but the Tahoe National Forest is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been, so you can’t go wrong as far as I’m concerned.

      Reply

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