GENERAL INFORMATION
The Stoddard Valley Off Highway Vehicle Area is open to all vehicles. There are more than 50,000 acres of desert mountains (very few trees), valleys and sandy washes to explore. The terrain difficulty varies from easy to impossible.
The OHV area is bounded on the north by Barstow, the west by Interstate 15 and the east by Highway 247. Except for holiday weekends and race events, the area receives low to moderate use. Stoddard Valley has become a popular area to hold Off Road Races. There are staging areas for pit crews, but the public can dry camp anywhere. Attending the California Assoc. of Four Wheel Drive Clubs’ annual Hi Desert Round-Up event in Stoddard Valley during Memorial Day Weekend is a good way to discover the area. (800) 494-3866. The best access from Interstate 15 is Hodge Road or Outlet Center Drive. Dale Evans Parkway and Stoddard Wells Road exits from Interstate 15 will put you onto private property and several miles outside the OHV area. From Highway 247 the best access is Stoddard Wells Road or the dirt roads just north of the Slash X Ranch Cafe. The valleys and mountains are honey-combed with trails, while the mountains have trails to challenge even the best rider or four wheeler, the sandy washes and desert trails are for higher speeds. The Trail Guide describes many of the areas within the OHV Boundary. The area outside the OHV boundary is a Limited Use Area. This includes the area west of Interstate 15. Presently a Limited Use area restricts travel to Existing Roads only. The BLM is redefining Limited Use to traveling on Designated Roads rather than Existing Roads. Once the transition is complete, a new BLM Desert Access Guide will be printed. The Desert Tortoise lives in the California high desert. The tortoise hibernates through the winter in an underground burrow. After sleeping through the winter, the tortoise becomes active in the spring. It is illegal to remove a tortoise from the desert. Only move a tortoise when it is in danger of being run over, and only in the same direction it was traveling and no further than necessary. The tortoise can live to be 100 years old but can die early from diseases carried by a domesticated tortoise released into the wild. If you already have a tortoise, you must obtain a permit. For more information go to www.tortoise.org
Pack it in, Pack it out!
The OHV area is bounded on the north by Barstow, the west by Interstate 15 and the east by Highway 247. Except for holiday weekends and race events, the area receives low to moderate use. Stoddard Valley has become a popular area to hold Off Road Races. There are staging areas for pit crews, but the public can dry camp anywhere. Attending the California Assoc. of Four Wheel Drive Clubs’ annual Hi Desert Round-Up event in Stoddard Valley during Memorial Day Weekend is a good way to discover the area. (800) 494-3866. The best access from Interstate 15 is Hodge Road or Outlet Center Drive. Dale Evans Parkway and Stoddard Wells Road exits from Interstate 15 will put you onto private property and several miles outside the OHV area. From Highway 247 the best access is Stoddard Wells Road or the dirt roads just north of the Slash X Ranch Cafe. The valleys and mountains are honey-combed with trails, while the mountains have trails to challenge even the best rider or four wheeler, the sandy washes and desert trails are for higher speeds. The Trail Guide describes many of the areas within the OHV Boundary. The area outside the OHV boundary is a Limited Use Area. This includes the area west of Interstate 15. Presently a Limited Use area restricts travel to Existing Roads only. The BLM is redefining Limited Use to traveling on Designated Roads rather than Existing Roads. Once the transition is complete, a new BLM Desert Access Guide will be printed. The Desert Tortoise lives in the California high desert. The tortoise hibernates through the winter in an underground burrow. After sleeping through the winter, the tortoise becomes active in the spring. It is illegal to remove a tortoise from the desert. Only move a tortoise when it is in danger of being run over, and only in the same direction it was traveling and no further than necessary. The tortoise can live to be 100 years old but can die early from diseases carried by a domesticated tortoise released into the wild. If you already have a tortoise, you must obtain a permit. For more information go to www.tortoise.org
Pack it in, Pack it out!