5 off-road trails in California
UTV, ATV, side-by-side, dirt-bike, and 4x4 trails across California — with current managing-agency, permit, and difficulty information.
Verified by the PickRV editorial team against official agency pages.
- Curated trails
- 5
- Trail miles listed
- 256
- Managing agencies
- 4
- Need a permit or pass
- 3 of 5
- Agency difficulty range
- Easy – Extreme
What this list contains
Safety first. Trail conditions change with weather, season, and active land-management decisions. Always verify the managing-agency source linked on each trail page the day before you ride. Carry recovery gear, a communication plan, and ride within your skill level. Difficulty 4-5 trails frequently require a winch, spotter, and at least one buddy vehicle.
What you are choosing between
Ratings come from the managing agency for each trail, not from us.
Who manages them
The same mark leads every card below, so you can tell a forest road from a state park without reading a word.
2 trails
State land or state park
1 trail
Bureau of Land Management
1 trail
County parks or roads
1 trail
US Forest Service
Big Bear FSR 2N02 (Holcomb Valley)
Big Bear Lake, CA
Easy
2 of 5 · agency rating
Rubicon Trail
Georgetown, CA
Extreme
5 of 5 · agency rating
Hollister Hills SVRA
Hollister, CA
Intermediate
3 of 5 · agency rating
Oceano Dunes SVRA (Pismo)
Oceano, CA
Easy
2 of 5 · agency rating
Calico OHV Trail System
Yermo, CA
Intermediate
3 of 5 · agency rating
Off the pavement
Dust, trail, and horizon — where off-road rigs earn their keep.
Your next step
Riding California in something you rented
1 of these 5 are rated advanced or extreme, which is a real constraint on what is worth renting — and 3 of them want a permit before you turn a wheel.
Tell us when you want to drive California.
Nothing in California is bookable today — PickRV opens for bookings on October 25. Dated requests are what we take to owners, so give us the window you actually want — you get one email the day a rig covers it, and nothing else.
Questions about California off-road trails
- Where can I ride a UTV or ATV in California?
- California has 5 curated off-road trails on PickRV — across BLM, USFS, NPS, state, county, and private OHV parks. Each guide lists the managing agency, current permit requirements, and the official source URL.
- Are these trail listings up to date?
- We cite the managing agency's official page on every trail. Trail status (closures, permit changes, seasonal access) does change — always verify the official source URL the day before you ride.
- Do I need a permit to ride off-road in this state?
- Permit requirements vary by trail and managing agency. Of the 5 trails listed for California, 3 require a permit or pass. Each guide states the permit source.
Nearby & related
Keep planning California
Sourced costs, campground directories, and the places worth a detour — the next layer of California trip planning.
- RV rentals in CaliforniaLocal rigs, owner-set prices
- California RV rental costFuel · camping · tax, sourced
- California RV-friendly campgroundsHookups, rig limits, booking tips
- RV rental companies in CaliforniaLocal hosts & outfitters, verified
- Campervan & van rentals in CaliforniaVan-life routes, rules & rigs
- California Pacific Coast Highway 1 RVPickRV Wiki · 12 min read
- RV rentals in CaliforniaPickRV Wiki · 6 min read
- Fossil sitesDeep-time road stops
California rules · last verified 2026-05-10
- State rental tax
- 9.75% · not collected by PickRV
- Min driver age
- 21+ std · 25+ Class A
- Gravel roads
- Permit required
- Generator quiet
- 22:00-06:00