60,000 ACRES OF OPEN RIDING ADDED TO JOHNSON VALLEY, SPANGLER AND EL MIRAGE

So stoked in So Cal.

UPDATE: Over 60,000 ACRES OF OPEN RIDING ADDED TO JOHNSON VALLEY, SPANGLER AND EL MIRAGE 

 

With all the news of trail closures and park shut downs lately, it’s refreshing to get some good news. As of August 1st 2019 three sections of the Mojave Desert in Southern California are getting trail restrictions lifted in certain areas. A massive 41,000 acres in the Spangler Hills area near Ridgecrest, over 20,000 in Johnson Valley and 680 acres at the North end of El Mirage are now designated as open riding areas. 

So basically it means less red signs. In fact in those specific areas there will be no signs at all. So you can ride off trail, over rocks or wherever you want. In the long term, you may see King Of The Hammers expand it’s course in Johnson Valley and more District events taking place there and in Spangler as they can technically allow sections with better passing and Bomb Run starts.  Now get out an ride. The official lingo is below. By far, the best way to view these and other ride areas in California is at www.owlsheadgps.com

Johnson Valley is under constant threat of reduction due to the activities and expansion going on at the neighboring 29 Palms Military Base. This is the first good news we’ve heard from the area in years. The area in the red triangle is now designated for open riding. There’s no more need to stay on marked trails here.

On March 12, 2019, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act was signed into law by President Trump. The act included federal lands proposals from nearly all 50 states that had lingered in committee, some for over a decade, without movement.  Included in this act was a number of measures introduced by Sen. Feinstein (CA-D) and Rep. Cook (CA-R) that affects the California Desert.  Among those measures were:

The area in Red Cross Lines is the new 680 acres of open riding. If you know the park, it’s on the backside of the big Rocky Mountains and before the Northern most fence line.

a)  the expansion and congressional designation of the Spangler Hills OHV Recreation Area (additional 41,000 acres) and the El Mirage OHV Recreation Area (additional 680 acres)

b) the congressional designation of the current Stoddard Valley OHV Recreation Area, Dumont Dunes OHV Recreation Area, and Rasor OHV Recreation Area

c) the expansion of the Johnson Valley OHV Recreation Area (20,240 acres), which was previously designated by Congress in 2013

The largest section to receive an open riding designation surrounds the Spangler Hills (in Yellow). Expect this area to become more popular with weekend warriors and campers as the town of Ridgecrest, CA is on the verge of becoming very UTV friendly. Let’s keep our fingers crossed on that one.

The newly expanded OHV area lands for Spangler, Johnson Valley, and El Mirage were made available for open riding as of August 1, 2019.

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