BRIDGEPORT, CALIFORNIA OHV RIDING

Last updated Apr 13, 2020

Bridgeport is a well-known destination for fishing situated in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is also one of the most scenic spots to ride in the whole state. Some riding can be found to the west of town, but the majority of it is east and stretches all the way across the Nevada border with miles of spectacular views. Here’s what we found when we went to Bridgeport, California for some OHV Riding.

One of the roughest trails we found was leading into the backside of the Historical Bodie ghost town. You can park your UTV at the gate and walk in.

We accessed the eastern half of the trail system directly out of the Bridgeport Reservoir Marina & RV Park. Along with direct access to world-class fishing and epic scenery, the park has everything for your stay. Most of the over-30 camp spots are right on the shore of the reservoir. Bathrooms are available for tent and dry campers, and full hookup sites are available as well; however, the best part of the park is that right across the street is a huge BLM trail system.

Out towards Nevada, the trails are more like roads, but they can take you hundreds of miles in any direction.

If you research the local trails with Yamaha’s Adventure Pro GPS or with the Ride Command App, you can easily see there are plenty of destination rides. We set out in search of gold mines and found several along a beautiful 120-mile loop. We actually skirted the famous Bodie Ghost Town by coming up a gnarly King of the Hammers-style trail that brought us to the park’s gate where you can walk in. Part of our trail went along the East Walker River and up to the active Aurora mine site.

The Bridgeport Marina RV Resort is located right at the trailhead and has access to miles of trails east of town that run all the way into the state of Nevada.

Since most of the trails are under snow all winter and most of the spring, the trails are not overused. In fact, in a full day of riding last summer, we only saw one more vehicle on the trails.

Other day rides can take you south to the towns of Mammoth or Bishop, east to Hawthorn, Nevada, up to Smith Valley or near Fallon, Nevada, where you can ride portions of the Pony Express OHV Trail or the BITD Vegas 2 Reno off-road racecourse. Other than the rough section we took into Bodie, most of the trails in this area are good for any sized SxS at any skill level. We should note that the trails reach pretty high elevations—from 6000–9000 feet. These days, with EFI, it really only means you will get slightly better fuel economy and you might encounter cold temperatures, even in summer.

The trails are dotted with remnants of California’s gold rush of the 1800s. You are able to walk through them as long as you do not touch or take things with you.

One of the trails took us down to a fork of the Walker River. Improved and unimproved campsites are found throughout the mountains and flatlands.

STAY AND PLAY

The hosts at the Bridgeport Reservoir Marina & RV Park are very welcoming to OHV riders and fisherman alike, and if you do both, they have plenty of tips for you, along with boat rentals so you can catch dinner. To get to Bridgeport, California for some OHV Riding, you either have to drive up Hwy 395 from the Los Angeles area (six hours north), or, from the Central Valley in the summer (riding season), you can take Tioga Pass (Hwy 120) through Yosemite National Park, then head north on 395. When you get to Bridgeport, turn right near the airport on Hwy 182. Look for the lake, and the park is 2 miles up on your left.

Bridgeport Marina RV Park hosted us as we explored the over 100 miles of trails in our Honda Talon. They have great accommodations, a store for food, and fishing supplies and maps of the area. Book your summer spot at (760) 932-7001. Tell them you heard about them in UTV Action magazine.

The Bridgeport Reservoir Marina & RV Park is closed in the winter. The riding is best during summer and fall when all the snow has been cleared from the high-elevation trails. Reservations can be made at (760) 932-7001.

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BRIDGEPORT, CALIFORNIA OHV RIDING

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