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By: Dave Helgeson
Places to Ride: Stoddard Valley, CA
Mile and Miles of trails
Sand Wash
Designated Race Course
Gentle Hills
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Looking for a place to ride that offers a
wide variety of terrain, vistas with great
views, and lots of open space for camping? Then
spend a weekend at Stoddard Valley OHV area just
south of Barstow, California. The area consists
of broad valleys punctuated with rocky peaks,
rolling hills, and sandy washes snaking through
the foothills. The valley floor averages about
2,600 feet in elevation with the peaks running
4,000–4,500 feet which provide plenty of
opportunity to work through your gears.
Creosote bushes and an occasional Joshua tree
make up the vegetation in the area which leaves
plenty of open space to ride. Riders of every
skill level will find something to their liking
at Stoddard Valley. There are dirt roads that
criss-cross the area in every direction for the
novice rider or those just looking for a
relaxing ride. ATV trails consist of easy trails
paralleling the road to cross country routes up,
down, and around the peaks and valleys, to hill
climbs from steep to steeper with rocks thrown
in for advanced riders. The sandy washes provide
some great fun as they wind their way into the
foothills. Each bend provides another
opportunity to send a roost of sand flying into
the air. The area also offers a designated race
course for permitted events or those just
wanting to crack the throttle open a little
wider than normal. The tops of the peaks offer a
great place to watch the sun set, and many can
be reached via roads and/or mountain goat paths.
NOTE: Mine shafts exist in the riding area!
Pay attention when off established trails.
The riding area is located south of Barstow
in the pie-shaped area between Interstate 15 and
Highway 247. The majority of visitors arrive
from Los Angeles on Interstate 15 and exit at
Outlet Center Drive entering the west side of
the OHV area via Sidewinder Road. If you want to
camp away from the crowds, enter the east side
of the riding area via Highway 247, turn at
either Stoddard Wells Road or farther south at
the Slash X Café.
Camping spots exist all along the dirt roads
in the area. Bring your own firewood if you plan
on having a camp fire.
Services: All major services are available in
Barstow, ten miles or less from most staging
areas in the OHV area.
Rules and Regulations:
- Camping is allowed anywhere within the
riding area that does not block travel on a
road. Camping is limited to a 14-day stay.
- Draining of holding tanks, littering and
trash dumping is prohibited. Please take
your trash out with you. Thank You.
- All vehicles must have a muffler or
spark arrester and have either a
street-legal
license or be registered as an off-highway
vehicle.
- Vehicles operated at night must have
head and tail lights.
- Helmets are required for all ATV riders!
Passengers are not permitted on ATVs.
- Digging or destroying trees and shrubs
or harassing wildlife or livestock is
prohibited.
- The desert tortoise is a federally
protected species. Please do not handle or
disturb
these animals. Look, but don't touch!
- It is illegal to damage or destroy
archeological sites or remove artifacts
- Shooting is not allowed in the OHV area
(except for shotguns during hunting
season)
- No garbage collection in this area.
Please "pack it in - pack it out."
- Possession of or burning wood containing
nails, screws, or metal hardware is
prohibited.
For more information contact:
Bureau of Land Management
Barstow Field Office
2601 Barstow Road
Barstow, CA 92311
Phone: (760) 252-6000
Fax: (760) 252-6098
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow.html
E-mail:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/forms/feedback/index.php?fo=4
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