Whether you are an experienced outdoor enthusiast or a new one, we look forward to seeing you on California’s park trails, beaches, mountains and the deserts but ask that you recreate responsibly. Please visit www.parks.ca.gov/COVID19 to view the latest visitor guidelines, safety tips and other important information that can help protect you and your family, and the safety of visitors and those who take care of the State Park System.
  • Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch SVRA
    More than 26,000 acres of scenic and challenging terrain offer recreation opportunities
    for ATVs, motorcycles, ROVs, and 4x4 vehicles.
  • Carnegie SVRA
    Known for its challenging hill climbs and single track trails, the SVRA offers a variety of recreation
    opportunities for OHV enthusiasts.
  • Clay Pit SVRA
    Located two miles west of Oroville, this 220-acre SVRA provides recreation opportunities for
    motorcycle, ATV and 4x4 recreationists.
  • Heber Dunes SVRA
    The sand dunes and dense groves of tamarisk trees that prevail throughout the SVRA offer a unique desert
    recreation experience.
  • Hollister Hills SVRA
    Divided into two unique recreation areas-the Upper Ranch and the Lower Ranch-the park provides a wide-variety
    of OHV recreation opportunities for all skill levels.
  • Hungry Valley SVRA
    OHV recreation opportunities include open areas, identified trails, tracks, play areas, special use areas,
    and a 4x4 obstacle course.
  • Oceano Dunes SVRA
    The SVRA provides a unique opportunity for visitors to participate in OHV recreation on several miles
    of beach and coastal sand dunes.
  • Ocotillo Wells SVRA
    More than 85,000 acres of Southern California desert provide a wide variety of opportunities for
    OHV recreation and exploration.
  • Prairie City SVRA
    This urban OHV Park provides recreational opportunities for motorcycles, ATVs, 4x4s, ROVs, Karts,
    and Quarter Midgets.

Legislation Update

October 15, 2021

AB 232 Reciprocal recognition of OHV registration
Effective January 1, 2022 the State of California will no longer recognize another State’s OHV registration program unless that State also recognizes California’s program. Beginning next year out of state recreationists must purchase a California non-resident permit to ride on public lands if his/her home state requires residents of California to purchase a non-resident permit for his/her currently registered OHV. View the complete OHV Bulletin in this link.

October 5, 2021

The passage of Senate Bill 155 reiterates the importance of maintaining the Tesla-Expansion Area and will also compensate California State Parks for its investments in Off-Highway Vehicle projects within the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area. Please read more details about Senate Bill 155.

September 10, 2021 

Senate Bill 227 (Jones) did not pass out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is no longer moving forward.

Summary

Senate Bill 227 would have created a vehicle registration program for competition type of off-highway vehicles (OHV) that do not meet California’s air quality emissions standards, beginning with model year 2022, and would have increased the biennial registration fee from $33 to $42.

California Air Resources Board (CARB)

As a result of CARB regulations, the “Red Sticker” Registration Program for OHVs that are not air emissions compliant has been eliminated. Without a replacement program, there is no mechanism to register these vehicles. These vehicles will be limited to operating only on closed courses when on public lands.

Absent Legislation

The current California Vehicle Code establishes the use requirements for these vehicles on public lands, including exemptions from spark arrestor and sound level standards. These requirements do not apply to vehicle operation on private lands.

The Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division maintains its ongoing support for sanctioned competition events and will continue to accommodate these events moving forward. CARB’s efforts, through its regulatory process to influence or encourage OHV manufacturers to design emissions compliant vehicles, was not successful.

Current Red Sticker OHVs, model year 2021 and older will continue to operate under the Red Sticker Seasonal Riding Schedule provided by CARB, until January 1, 2025. Beginning January 1, 2025, these vehicles will then be allowed to operate year-round on public lands open to OHV recreation.

Questions related to this issue can be directed to Tom Bernardo at the OHMVR Division at tom.bernardo@parks.ca.gov.

2021 (G21) Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program Intent Award posted on Grants Webpage

The California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR Division) announces its Intent to Award for the 2021 Grants and Cooperative Agreements grants cycle. Please visit the Grants and Cooperative Agreements page for more details.

This Notice of Intent to Award is subject to execution of a project agreement. This notice does NOT constitute the formation of a contract between the OHMVR Division and the apparent successful applicant.

Public Notice of Intent To use Environmental Assessment (EA)/Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

Public Notice of Intent To use Environmental Assessment (EA)/Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in lieu of a Negative Declaration for the Tahoe National Forest, Robinson Flat to China Wall Connector Trail Project:

Notice of Intent _Robinson Flat Connector Trail

Notice of Completion_Robinson Flat Connector Trail

CEQA FONSI_Robinson Flat Connector Trail

Latest Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Information Bulletin

Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Information Bulletin, 20-1, regarding properly registered, street-legal, out-of-state vehicles may be downloaded from the Laws/Safety Page.

[Read More]

Announcement Regarding Land Use in the Johnson Valley Area

The Johnson Valley Shared Use Area will be temporarily closed from October 22 through November 1, 2021 for military training. Please note this is a change from previous announcements. The new closure dates are a shortened window from the originally scheduled dates of October 15 through November 1, 2021. When training is complete, the Marine Corps will conduct thorough pre- and post-inspections in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management to ensure the land is safe for public use.

The Marine Corps decided to shorten the closure period after refining the scope of training to be conducted in October and November 2021. When possible, the Marine Corps elects to shorten closure periods to allow for maximum public use and recreation in the Johnson Valley Shared Use Area.

As a reminder, the Johnson Valley Shared Use Area is also scheduled for closure on the following dates in 2022:

  • April 26 – May 9, 2022
  • October 18 – November 1, 2022

The Marine Corps will continue to conduct outreach and inform the public of any temporary changes in land use for the Johnson Valley Shared Use Area. Any questions or inquiries on military training in Johnson Valley may be directed to the Resource Management Group by contacting the Combat Center at: SMBPLMSJOHNSONVALLEY@usmc.mil or 760-830-3737.

Map

[Updated 9/7/2021]

 

 

Off-Highway Vehicle Adventure Guide

CA Off-Highway Adventure Map CoverThe OHMVR Division Off-Highway Adventure Guide has been updated. For a list of OHV opportunities, please reference the new Off-Highway Vehicle Adventure guide [PDF 3.5 MB]. [10/24/13]