Updates on Recovery from the Post Fire
Post Fire Recovery Frequently Asked Questions
When will the park open?
Hungry Valley SVRA will partially reopen on Friday, November 1, 2024.
How do I enter the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA)?
Enter the park through the north entrance at Gorman. The south entrance remains closed as the park continues to recover from the impact of the Post Fire.
What are the park hours?
The park is open for day use from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice.
What are the rules for admission into the park?
- On weekdays: A total of 100 drive-in vehicles will be allowed in each day, including 25 recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs, side-by-sides, and UTVs). Visitors will be admitted on a first come, first served basis until the vehicle limit is reached.
- On weekends: Reservations are required for entrance to the park, and should be made via the LAZ Parking app or website.
Why is there limited entry for vehicles?
In June 2024, the Post Fire scorched large sections of Hungry Valley SVRA's eastern and southern areas, which include most of the off-highway vehicle trails and the Quail Canyon Special Event Area. These areas remain closed to allow nature to recover, reducing the available trails for off-highway recreation to about 70 miles. To ensure that visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience in this limited space, some temporary restrictions on admission and vehicles have been put in place as the park continues to recover from the wildfire.
Can I still use my California State Parks pass?
Off-Highway Vehicle Day Use Annual, Senior, Veterans and Disabled passes will only be accepted on weekdays until the temporary restrictions on admission and vehicles are lifted.
When will the park open for overnight camping?
California State Parks estimates Hungry Valley SVRA will reopen for camping in early 2025.
Why is the area burned by the Post Fire closed?
The burn area, covering significant portions of the park's eastern and southern regions, presents hazards for visitors. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all, access to the area remains restricted while it recovers naturally from the wildfire’s impact.
Why can’t the area burned in the Post Fire be converted to open riding?
The Post Fire burn area comprises sensitive natural resources as well as cultural preserves that are protected under state law.
Can I drive through Hungry Valley SVRA to exit at Gorman from the Miller Jeep Trail in Los Padres National Forest?
You can drive through the park to exit at Gorman from 6:00am to 6:00pm.
Hungry Valley SVRA Post Fire Partial Closure Map
October 11, 2024
Maintenance staff continue working to repair infrastructure at Hungry Valley SVRA.
September 28, 2024
Hundreds Join Forces to Rebuild Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area
In June this year, the Post Fire tore through the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA), scorching more than 10,000 acres of the park and damaging its infrastructure and resources. In the aftermath, despite the sense of loss and grief, there was also hope and togetherness -- the off-highway vehicle (OHV) community and many members of the public rallied, eager to help restore the beloved landscape.
This outpouring of interest turned to action last Saturday, National Public Lands Day, as hundreds of volunteers poured in from across the state to help heal the park. Park staff registered 231 volunteers in less than 30 minutes! After a welcome from Great Basin District Superintendent Russ Dingman and a safety briefing, volunteers spread out to repair fences, paint restrooms, plant trees, sow seeds, remove invasive plants, and install a new rock obstacle course.
Volunteers ranged from longtime park visitors such as Coleman, who returned after over a decade to help with the 4WD practice area, to University of California Los Angeles students who came to give back to a park where they had tested their Bruin Racing Baja team's off-road vehicle. Another volunteer, Nate, reflected on how the park offers him peace during mid-week trail drives. At the end of the workday, volunteers received T-shirts and sat down to a delicious lunch of pulled pork and deep pit beef sandwiches, chips, brownies, and drinks generously provided by the California Off-Road Vehicle Association (CORVA) and California Outdoor Recreation Foundation.
Hungry Valley SVRA is on track to reopen by November 1st, thanks in part to the incredible efforts of everyone involved. A special thank you to:
- CORVA’s Rusty Ryan and Misty and Shea Sanders for organizing lunch and T-shirts for the volunteers.
- Park staff from the Great Basin District and Headquarters, including OHMVR Deputy Director Sarah Miggins, Division Chief Callan McLaughlin and Assistant Chief Jack Gorman, Desert Division Chief Greg Martin, and Interpretation and Education Division Chief Heather Holm, who all jumped in to help.
- Lance Chi, District Facilities Management Health and Safety Officer, for leading the safety briefing.
- Brian Baer, California State Parks Senior Photographer, for capturing the day’s work.
And most importantly, a huge thank you to the hundreds of dedicated volunteers who came together to restore this beloved park!
September 6, 2024
Hello Volunteers! We are so glad to have you come out and help for the Hungry Valley SVRA Volunteer Day. As we get organized for this event, there have been a few logistic details that have appeared. Because of the large turnout for this event, there is a potential for impact to the fragile trails. Because of this and because there will be so many people at his event, those that attend are asked not to bring ROVs, ATVs, dirtbikes and any trailers.
There is no camping at Hungry Valley, but there is limited free camping for volunteers at the shared group campsite at Fort Tejon, a few miles north of Gorman. Space is limited for vehicles and on a first come, first serve basis. An open pit toilet is located within the campground. Potable water is available at spigots along the campground fence. Picnic tables, barbecues, fire pits, and room for tent camping are available within the campground. Camping here is in a shared space and for volunteers only. If you would like to camp with friends or family, I recommend getting a reservation at one of the Los Padres National Forest campgrounds. Sadly, they are operated by a concessionaire, so we cannot waive any fees.
If you have not done so already, please register with CORVA if you would like a free catered lunch (rumor has it that they will serve carne asada tacos), water bottle and T-shirt. Otherwise, you are welcome to bring your own lunch and hang out under the shade of the ramadas at the Honey Valley group campsite when we break for lunch at 1pm.
We are working hard to make this a successful event. It takes a lot of organization to bring a multihundred attendee to life. Hungry Valley SVRA staff appreciate your dedication and passion for the park. We work hard to advocate and provide high quality, long-term recreational opportunities to our OHV community. Thanks for helping us and being part of what gives us joy in our careers.
August 30, 2024
Staff have purchased supplies for the Volunteer Day and they are starting to trickle in. Two hundred tree saplings are at the park. Staff will take care of them as they acclimatize to Hungry Valley’s montane desert climate. Tools for planting trees should arrive next week.
The interpretation team has collected all the materials needed to sign in everyone as a volunteer. They worked to create all the social media information, put out updates and a press release for the event.
Natural resources has purchased grass seed and we are awaiting delivery details.
Maintenance is purchasing many items like paint and paintbrushes for the projects they will be supervising.
The Public Safety staff are preparing a safety brief for the morning of the volunteer training. This will be given to all of the volunteers and staff on the morning of September 28th. Once volunteers have selected an activity, a separate safety briefing will be held with specific concerns relating
The weather in late August is still near over above 100F during the day. For people volunteering, consider bringing a hydration drink or power to replenish those electrolytes.
If you are interested in volunteering, details can be found HERE
August 23, 2024
Volunteer Day at Hungry Valley SVRA
Come join us for a day of giving back at Hungry Valley SVRA! We will be hosting a Volunteer Day at the Honey Valley Group Campground. Help us maintain and improve this beautiful outdoor space while enjoying the fresh air and making a positive impact on the environment. No experience necessary - just bring your enthusiasm and willingness to pitch in! Help install peeler post fencing, plant grass seeds and tree saplings in the burn area at the southern end of the park. Additionally, restrooms need repainting in the campground, and improvements are planned for the 4x4 course. Help us maintain and improve this beautiful outdoor space while enjoying the fresh air and making a positive impact on the environment. No experience necessary - just bring your enthusiasm and willingness to pitch in! Let's work together to make a difference in our community. See you there! Preregister to sign up on Eventbrite
Directions: Enter Hungry Valley SVRA via the North Entrance (Gorman) and follow signs to Honey Valley Group Campsite: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wAGfipJ6RgYjLvMn8
Take I-5 and get off at the Gorman exit. Drive to the McDonalds and make a right on Ralph's Ranch Road. Drive 1 mile and turn left at the Hungry Valley SVRA sign (Gold Hill Road). From the Kiosk follow the signs and drive 2.5 miles until you see the Honey Valley Campground on the left hand side.
Please bring the following items
- a refillable water bottle & snacks
- work gloves
- sunscreen
- sturdy shoes & hat
- a sack lunch or preregister with CORVA for a free lunch
Volunteer registration and waiver form signing begins at 9 AM. The day ends at 1 PM at the Honey Valley Group Campsite. Volunteers may bring their own lunch and eat under the shade ramadas or to get a free lunch, T-shirt, and water bottle, volunteers must pre-register with CORVA
August 16, 2024
Plans are solidifying for the Volunteer Day. Mark your calendars for September 28th from 9 am to 1 pm. Next week's update will include more details including a registration link.
Cultural resources is scheduled to start their cultural survey next Monday.
Natural resources, maintenance, and cultural resources are purchasing supplies for the Volunteer Day projects.
Interpretation staff are organizing the logistics of signing up volunteers and greeting volunteers that day.
August 10, 2024
The Hungry Valley crew continue to work in high 90 and 100 degree plus weather (and earthquakes!). Staff replaced miles of perimeter fencing that dozers drove over or the fire burned. Next step is the replacement of the trail signs.
Still a major concern is erosion, especially in areas now moonscapes and devoid of vegetation. To control erosion, staff use straw bales to create dams and fill in massive fissures in the ground. Straw wattles help stabilize slopes by slowing, spreading and filtering overland waterflow. The true effect of the fire caused erosion will be seen later in the year during the fall and winter rains. Our staff are working hard to lessen the impact of potential erosion on the park and to our riders.
The trail crew will continue to work on damage to the trails due to deep dozer treads lines as they used our trails to access the fire and changes to soil quality cause by the fire’s heat. Soil texture is currently soft, puffy, silt sand and former rocks have lost their hardness and cleave into pieces with the smallest amount of pressure. Trails will need to be groomed and may need very minor modifications in areas the fire burned.
All the tens of miles of dozer firebreaks have been surveyed by the District Environmental Scientist.
Natural resources is the process of assessing the damage to the plant and animal communities and are coming up with a rehabilitation plan.
Two cultural preserves, the Freeman Canyon and the Gorman cultural preserves, within the park burned. These cultural preserves are set aside to conserve the history of the ranching families whose property became Hungry Valley SVRA. The surveys are scheduled for late August/ early September.
District staff have requested a quote for a kiosk to replace the South Kiosk which burned to the ground. When the park reopens, it is expected that all traffic will have to enter from the northern Gorman entrance.
Mark your calendars! A volunteer date has been set for September 28th. District staff and OMHVR Division are working together to contact OHV organizations such as CORF, CORVA, Point Mugu 4X4 club, Bakersfield Trailblazers among many others to help come together on that day to support members of the public who volunteer. More details will be published as we get closer to the date.
Lastly, and what everyone has been waiting for, due to the rapid progress of all the wonderful staff at Hungry Valley SVRA and Great Basin District, we tentatively think that park will reopen in November.
August 2, 2024
As many of you know from riding at Hungry Valley SVRA, we have some areas with steep terrain and sandy, loose soils. When wildfires sweep through a landscape, the heat can alter soil texture and create stable sand-sized particles making the soil texture more course and erodible. One concern is the damage of our summer monsoons/winter rains to critical trails, especially those on slopes where the fire burned most of the vegetation. One of many methods Hungry Valley utilizes to mitigate erosion is to strategically place straw bale dams. When placed effectively, straw bales dams slow debris and sediment laden water. This allows the sediment to settle and clean water to flow downstream. Additionally, the water flow rate reduces, dispersing the energy as water moves through the dam. This reduces sediment flow and thereby lowers the damage caused by erosion. Hungry Valley staff is braving 100-degree heat so that we quell the effects of the Post fire and welcome back our OHV family.
July 26, 2024
The first signs of life and recovery. Sacred Datura (Datura wrightii) known for its white trumpet flowers and large green leaves (one of the few green things during summer) seems to be the first to show signs of recovery. Sacred Datura crown sprouts- the ability of a plant to regenerate its shoot system after destruction (usually fire) by producing regrowth from the root crown. While everything above the ground is ash, the root crown has dormant structures that come to life after a fire. While this drains valuable resources from the plant, it is an excellent fire survival method. Sacred Datura is one of the few plants which grows during the summer, so it makes sense that it will be one of the few things to pop up until we get our winter rains.
July 19, 2024
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| The Hungry Valley SVRA trail crew replacing fencing that was damaged in the Post Fire. | A member of the Hungry Valley SVRA trail crew replacing fencing that was damaged in the Post Fire. |
July 12, 2024
Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) welcomed California State University, Northridge (CSUN) geology students and geography and environmental studies professor Dr. Amalie Orme to conduct research on wildfire impacts at the park from the Post Fire that burned approximately 10,000 acres of state land this past June.
Geology students Taylor Trevino and Alex Sasich collected soil ash samples to analyze any polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogenic compounds in the soil, to determine the soil quality in the riparian habitat. Dr. Orme directed students to identify areas that may have oil seepage in the soil so that students can analyze the soil profile of different areas of the park that may have high concentrations of mercury, lead, and heavy metals from the fire.
Hungry Valley SVRA is slowly recovering from the fire but with the collaboration from CSUN students and professors, we can proceed with understanding the impacts of wildfires. One student from the Department of Biological Sciences will be starting a small project to learn about the post-recovery succession of the oak trees that were also impacted by the fire and how they can recover over time. Another student will be utilizing remote sensing and Geographic Information System techniques to analyze the burn severity and mapping the vegetation and trees that were affected by the fire.
Hungry Valley SVRA is grateful for all the students and professors in supporting us throughout these trying times, and it’s with the collaboration of local universities that uplift our spirits here.
July 3, 2024
Hungry Valley SVRA is closed until further notice. The Post Fire is 100% contained with fire crews on standby in case of flare ups. The wind-driven fire started in Gorman heading west then south toward Pyramid Lake burning 15,690-acres in Hungry Valley SVRA and Los Padres and Angeles National Forests.
In the days after the fire, Southern California Edison replaced utility poles restoring power within the park. Other utility companies have inspected their equipment and repairs are ongoing. Supplies and equipment are being ordered to replace miles of fencing and gates damaged in the fire. A major concern is soil erosion in the park due to rain storms during the summer monsoon season. Plans to mitigate soil erosion are being implemented to prevent further damage to the park.
June 24, 2024
California State Parks today announced the temporary full closure of the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) in Southern California due to extensive damage caused by the Post Fire. The closure has been in effect as of June 17, 2024. The wildfire, which started on June 15, has burned through large swathes of the park in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, impacting the SVRA’s infrastructure and resources in the park and leading to hazardous conditions. State Parks strongly advises the public not to enter the park, which will remain closed until further notice.
The Post Fire burned 10,064 acres within the eastern and southern portions of Hungry Valley SVRA, which contains most of the park’s off-highway vehicle recreation trails and the Quail Canyon Special Event Area. When the fire initially started, nearly 1,200 park visitors and staff were evacuated safely.
So far, the fire is confirmed to have destroyed or severely impacted:
- The South Entrance Station
- A well pump shed
- Several miles of fencing and trails
- Multiple wayfinding signs
- 2,000-acres of the Native Grasslands Management Area
- Two cultural preserves
- Vegetation that provides habitat within the park and natural boundaries for trails
June 17, 2024
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| The Post Fire burned exceedingly hot devastating trees, shrubs, and other plants altering the habitat within the park. | East, West, and Lower Freeman Canyons were severely impacted by the Post Fire. |
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| 10,064-acres within Hungry Valley SVRA burned in the Post Fire. | The loss of trees and other large vegetation will impact the viewshed and habitat for years. |
June 15, 2024
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| The Post Fire started on June 15, 2024 near the Gorman exit from I-5. | The fire spread rapidly from the north into the eastern portion of the park. |
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| Embers carried on the gusty winds spread the fire up to one-mile away. | Rangers evacuated nearly 1,200 people to safety as the fire spread within the park |