Off Road Riding Areas

What make a good off road riding area?  Actually there are many different type of terrain that can provide interesting off road riding experiences.  Here are some common factors to think about.  Some basic things to consider include what type of activity you will be doing (dirt bikes, ATVs, horseback riding, etc.), your level of experience (you will enjoy more difficult and challenging terrain only after you are experienced), weather (be sure to dress appropriately), and number and level of experience of riders in your group, how much time you have (limited travel time means you need a place close to home).

1.  Access to riding trails and/or open areas.  The next big necessary feature is access to good riding trails or open riding areas.  The most enjoyable outings we had in southern California were in places that provide both good trails and open riding areas.  What makes up a good trail depends on what you are riding, your level of expertise, and your expectations.  I like trail systems that provide a variety of riding experiences, some for young or novice riders and some with more technical challenges for more experienced folks.  Rolling hills can provide hours of moderate level entertainment.  Open riding areas usually offer plenty of fairly flat places for novices to learn and may often include rolling hills and sometimes even more aggressive hill climbs and technical challenges.

2.  Reasonable access to necessary resources.  The definition of both ''reasonable access'' and '' necessary resources'' will depend on the user.  For some being within an hour or so of a small town where you can get necessary supplies is enough while some folks might consider full RV hookups a must (please note that places with full RV hookups seldom have good access to riding areas!).  I had a friend whose idea of roughing it was having to ring twice for room service!

3.  Plenty of room to camp.  How much room you need will depend on the size of your group.  Solo riders  or small families need only a single campsite.  Larger groups need room for multiple individual areas and often include motorhomes, camping trailers, and tent campers.  Our Desert Rat group usually staked out a nice big area that could accommodate about a dozen rigs arranged around a central fire pit like the circling of a pioneer wagon train.

4.  Appropriate terrain for your riding style.   Options might include trails, hills, beaches, sand washes, and open riding areas.  Some areas may have trails specifically designed for specialized learning, such as beginner's trails and even rock crawler practice tracks.

5.  Access to emergency services.  We all hope we never need emergency services when we are riding our OHVs, but stuff happens.  There are accidents.  Vehicles break down.  People get sick or injured.  We run out of provisions.  Most off road riding areas will be some distance from the emergency services and stores we are used to at home.  Invest a little time familiarizing yourself with where and how to get emergency services when you go off road.  Know where you have to go to get a signal for your cell phone.  Know where to find or contact rangers or law enforcement.  We were pleased that the California City Police Department posted signs all over the open riding areas near California City with their direct phone number.  Dialing 911 in that area would connect you to the California Highway Patrol a couple of hundred miles away.  Emergency response times directly from California City were much faster.  I had a number of personal encounters with California City Police, both out on the trails and when assisting other users to get help in town and am pleased to say they were always professional, helpful, and friendly.  They even sponsored volunteer Desert Indcident Response Teams to aid lost or injured riders.

6.  Appropriate weather.   For most OHV outings we want mild temperatures and sunny skies.  For snowmobiling we need snow on the ground but not too much of it still falling.  Rain can dampen more than spirits when you are riding a dirt bike or ATV but is probably less of a problem if you have a covered side-by-side.  Most of our family outings in southern California were to parts of the Mojave Desert but sometimes, in the hottest part of the summer, we would head a little further up into the mountains to escape the heat.  We once left the valley floor at 5:00 am when it was over 100F and arrived at our campground at over 9000 feet elevation a few hours later and needed winter coats!  Desert trails in the summer are very hot and very dusty.  Forest trails were a lot more pleasant, with little dust and even some shady portions to ride through.

7.  Not TOO far from home.   Ultimately you when you go off roading you want to spend as much time as possible riding you OHV, not getting there and getting back.  But given the nature of off roading, you should probably count on at least some driving.  Many of our favorite riding areas were more than 150 miles from our home!  That meant we generally only went there on 3-day weekends or other extended outings.  You may want to find someplace closer to home where you can swing by for a quick weekend or even after work ride.  Places for short outings don't have to have all the neat features you might seek for longer excursions, but they can still be fun.  After all, dirt is dirt!

Check with local land managers like the US Forest Service, your state Forest Service, or, in Western States, the Bureau of Land Management to learn about riding areas within their jurisdictions.  Local, state, and regional OHV clubs may also be able to provide some suggestions.  You should be able to get some good ideas from the Internet.  Do an online search for ''off road riding areas near me''  You may be surprised at the resources that pop up!  Personally I prefer getting recommendations from other riders so I can learn more details about prospective areas before investing the time and fuel to go there.

Never assume it is OK to ride just because an area is remote and undeveloped.   Many such areas are private property and you would be trespassing.  Trespassers can be arrested and could face stiff fines and maybe even jail time.  Many desolate remote areas were once used for mining and you may encounter loose tailing piles and dangerous pits that can lead to accidents that damage your equipment and your body!  You may even see well used trails that trespass on private property.  Just because others are blatantly trespassing doesn't make it OK, and the useage could be from the owner or other authorized users.  If you encounter a NO TRESSPASSING or PRIVATE PROPERTY sign, stop and turn around immediately unless you have specific written permission from the owner to be there.  Written permission is usually best, in case you have to prove your right to there to law enforcement.

While we are on the subject of riding areas, we need to cover appropriate behavior.  Off road enthusiasts get blamed frequently and often erroneously for trashing off road staging areas.  I have personally been involved in a number of clean up projects, both as an organizer and a worker, and in literally every case, most of the trash we collected was from illegal dumping by nearby residents, not stuff left behind by riders.  In one case we filled a 40 yard dumpster with the junk we gathered up, which included sofas, toilets, TVs, and car parts -- not stuff anyone hauls around on their dirt bikes or ATVs!  In talking with BLM land managers in southern California and Utah I confirmed that our experience was typical.  Very little if any of the refuse collected on clean up projects is the result of off road usage.  That being said, we should still do our part to take care of the steadily diminishing riding areas we have.  Always clean up after yourself.  The Desert Rat off road group I was part of in southern California always put in some time policing the area around our camp sites and staging areas to clean up any wayward trash before departing.  It only takes 15-20 minutes to make a good pass around your campsite picking up trash and it will payoff in keeping it nice for the next visitor -- which could be you!  Sometimes we had to clean up the area when we arrived because others had left it a mess.  Another important part of appropriate behavior is complying with rules.  We may not always agree with or understand certain rather oppressive rules but blatantly defying them only strengthens the opposition and leads to even more oppressive rules and sometimes complete closure of riding areas.  When you encounter offensive rules, contact the relevant land manager to express your opposition and find out if there is any legitimate reason for the rules.  Believe it or not, land managers are tasked with actually managing the land under their jurisdiction and that means supporting all appropriate uses, not just keeping people off of it!  I have generally been very pleased with the support I have seen from US Forest Service rangers, BLM managers, and California State OHV park rangers.  I once had to coordinate a clean up project with a BLM manager whose title included CONSERVATION so I was a little intimidated to start with.  He turned out to be very helpful and surprisingly supportive of our off road activities.  He even directed the leader of an environmental group at a college near our riding area to contact me for permission to participate in our event.  It was interesting seeing off-roaders and environmentalists working side by side for a common goal.  I think both groups were kind of surprised to learn the other group was made of good people.

You will usually find some popular riding areas within a reasonable drive of almost every major population center, at least in the Western states.  These places typically are easy to find and easy to get to.  In most cases they will include trails for a variety of riding styles and skill levels.  About the only downside is there will usually be a lot of other riders unless you go during some ''off'' time, like week days or during bad weather.  Sometimes having other riders around is a good thing.  They can be a useful source of information and even help if you need it.  Just observing them can be both educational and entertaining.  There are also more remote and less used riding areas that can be a lot of fun.  If you prefer solitude when camping, these might be a better choice for you.  Just know that if if anything happens (accident, illness, injury, breakdown) you will likely be on your own for at least a while.

When you find a good riding area should you stick with it?  The answer is a definite maybe!  There are distinct advantages to riding in a familiar setting.  You aren't likely to get lost. You will know how long it will take to reach various familiar destinations so you can plan your rides efficiently.  Riding familiar territory is fun and can feel comfortable.  It is a good place to train new additions to your riding group, whether be be biologically related to you or not.   I had been the "new kid" for so long I was surprised when on one outing I discovered I was the only ''old timer'' in our group of about 6 riders.  However, exploring new trails has a very strong appeal of it's own.  New trails can yield new challenges that help you extend your skills.  New trails let you experience different opportunities to test your skills and your equipment and enjoy new scenery.  New trails lead to new destinations and often each destination has its own set of desirable attributes and advantages.  Match your choice with your wants and needs for each outing.  If you are bringing new riders you might give a preference to familiar locations where you can share your knowledge and expertise.  If you are looking for increased excitement and new experiences, consider new riding areas.  I found it a lot of fun to explore new areas with someone who had been there before.

Only you can decide what  is a good off road riding area for you.