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OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLES
Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) users will
find many opportunities for off-highway
enjoyment in the Sierra National Forest.
Become familiar with OHV laws, restrictions,
and closures. Respect private property,
wildlife and other forest visitors. Always
operate your vehicle in a safe, responsible
manner.
For information regarding
on how you can Tread
Lightly while
using your OHV follow this
link.
OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE PERMIT REQUIREMENTS
All vehicles which are operated on public lands must be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The registration fee is $50 per vehicle, and is valid for a two-year period. The OHV fees are used for acquisition of new OHV areas, development and operation of existing OHV areas, enforcement of the rules and regulations, and protection of the natural resources. DMV will issue a Green or Red Sticker for off-road vehicles. Vehicles which can be operated both on- and off-highway will be given a street-legal license.
OHV Registration Requirements
In order to operate any type of motorized vehicle off-road on public land, you must have one of the following:
Street-Legal License Plate: If you want to operate a 4-wheel drive vehicle or dual-purpose motorcycle on-road and off-road, you must have a street-legal license plate.
The Green Sticker Or Red Sticker: If you are going to operate a motorized vehicle off-road only, you must have either a Green Sticker or a Red Sticker that has been issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Green Sticker allows vehicles to operate on public land all year. The Red Sticker is for motorcycles and ATVs model year 2003 and newer that do not meet the emission standards established by the California Air Resources Board. If the vehicle has a 3 or a C in the eighth position of the Vehicle Identification Number, then it does not meet the emission standards and should be issued a Red Sticker. The Red Sticker is exactly the same as the Green Sticker except that these vehicles can only be operated during certain times of the year. To find out when you can operate your vehicle, call the specific riding area that you want to visit or you can follow the link to the Red Sticker Open Riding Schedule.
Vehicles Without VIN Numbers
A Green Sticker or street legal license is required to drive in the Sierra National Forest. In order to get a permit your vehicle must have a VIN (vehicle identification number). If your vehicle does not have a VIN you can contact the California Highway Patrol Office for an evaluation. Call 559-441-5467 for an appointment with Officer Clay who handles VIN for CHP. The CHP office is located at 1382 W. Olive Ave, Fresno, CA. Officer Clay will look over the vehicle and see if it meets State requirements for issuance of a VIN, which will then allow you to obtain a "green sticker" registration for use on public lands. Not every vehicle will meet the requirements, but not every vehicle is made for use on public lands such as national forests, state beaches, deserts.
MULTIPLE USE
Many people with different interests
may be enjoying an area at the same time.
Trail and camping courtesy are essential
for everyone
to have an enjoyable experience. Be a
good neighbor and extend the same courtesy
and consideration to those around you
as you expect
from them. If you are using a Off-Highway
Vehicle please follow the rules below
when using trails:
- Motorcycles Yield to All
- Bicycles Yield to Equestrians and
Hikers
- Hikers Yield to Equestrians
ORGANIZED EVENTS
The use of National Forest Lands for
organized recreation events, such as
enduros, poker runs, and rallies, requires
a Special Use
Permit. Contact the District
Office responsible for the administration
of the area for details and requirements.
RIDING OPPORTUNITIES
The Sierra National Forest offers a
variety of trail riding experiences.
In general, off-highway vehicles can
operate on any road
or trail that is designated with a OHV
marker ( a jeep symbol). California
Vehicle Code and Green Sticker laws apply
on all National
Forest roads.
Below you will find various
recommended OHV opportunities on the
Sierra National Forest.
Beasore Road
Shuteye Peak Route: From
Beasore Road you can access the Shuteye
Peak Route, which provides a spectacular
panoramic
view of the Sierra Nevada.
To get there take Hwy 41 north from
Fresno to Road 222. Follow Road 222 around
the north side of Bass Lake to Beasore
Road. Follow the Beasore Road to the
Central Camp road (6S42) to Gaggs Campground.
North of the campground turn on road
6S59, follow it 2 miles to the 4-wheel
drive section which begins at Little
Shuteye Pass. Shuteye Fire Lookout is
two miles at the end of the road.
Red Top Route: You
can also access Red Top Route from
Beasore Road.
Follow
Beasore
Road
toward Globe Rock.
At Globe Rock turn north on Road 5S04
follow it to 5S70 and then to 5S70A which
begins the OHV route. The trail is approximately
1 1/2 miles and ends near the Ansel
Adams Wilderness boundary.
Clover Meadow
Cattle and Green Mountain OHV
Routes: From
the Clover Meadow area you can access
the Cattle and Green Mountain
OHV Routes.
To get there take Hwy 41 North from
Fresno. Turn on Road 200 to North Fork.
Follow Road 200 until it turns into the
Minarets Road (also known as the Sierra
Vista Scenic Byway). Continue on
Minarets Road to Clover Meadow Wilderness
Station.
From the station follow road 5S30 across
the West Fork of Granite Creek, which
parallels the creek downstream and crosses
the East Fork of Granite Creek. Continue
for approximately 1 1/2 miles to
the Mammoth Trailhead. Green Mountain
OHV route is to the left (north), and
Cattle Mountain OHV route (south) is
to the right.
Green Mountain is approximately 1 mile
in length, and Cattle Mountain is 2 miles
in length. Both routes offer an excellent
view of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
Courtright/Wishon Area
Dusy-Ershim OHV Route: This
backcountry route is classified as Most
Difficult and
traverses 31 miles between the John
Muir and Dinkey
Wilderness areas. Driving
time for the entire route is 2 to 3 days.
This route is recommended for advanced
drivers, and not recommended for full
size pickups, long
wheel base vehicles or for traveling
alone.
To get there take Hwy 168 east of Clovis
to the Dinkey Creek Road (just before
you get to Shaver Lake). Follow the
Dinkey Creek Road east to Dinkey Creek.
At Dinkey Creek take the McKinley Grove
Road toward Courtright Reservoir. At
the Courtright Road, turn left and head
north towards Courtright Reservoir. Cross
the dam on the east side of the lake
and stay on the road to the Dusy-Ershim
OHV route sign.
The route begins at 8,400 feet elevation,
with many open rocky areas. Be aware
that portions of the trail cross large
granite slabs and are marked with rocks.
Elevation rises to 10,000 feet at Thompson
Lake, remaining at the 9,000 to 10,000
feet for the rest of the route.
Please follow this
link (PDF) for
more information on the Dusy-Ershim OHV
Route.
Spanish OHV Route: This
route is classified as
More Difficult. An easy
route for experienced drivers and a challenge
for beginning drivers. The route encompasses
loose
dirt, some granite, a few rocks, and
a little uphill. The route is 3.5 miles
long and takes 4 hours to drive. This
route is not
recommended for van type 4WD vehicles
or full size pickups, due to some tight
maneuvering near the wilderness boundary.
To get there take Hwy 168 east of Clovis
to the Dinkey Creek Road (just before
your get to Shaver Lake). Follow the
Dinkey Creek Road east to Dinkey Creek.
At Dinkey Creek take the McKinley Grove
Road 17 miles to Wishon Dam. Follow the
road 2.5 miles past the Dam and turn
at the Crown Valley Trailhead. Follow
the road 1.5 miles to the Spanish Route,
it starts a short distance beyond Rancheria
Creek.
Dinkey Creek
Swamp OHV Route: For
the experienced drivers. Long wheel base
vehicles recommended only from Exchequer
Meadow
to Hatch Lake trail junction. The route
is approximately 9 miles and takes 4.5
hours to drive.
To get there take Hwy 168 east of Clovis
to the Dinkey Creek Road (just before
your get to Shaver Lake). Follow the
Dinkey Creek Road east to Dinkey Creek.
At Dinkey Creek turn on the McKinley
Grove Road. Travel 2.5 miles to the Swamp
Lake Vehicle Route. Turn north and follow
the dirt road 3 miles to the fork in
the road. At the fork, turn left and
drive
1.1 miles until it forks again. Take
the left fork .8 miles to the trailhead
gate.
Follow this
link (PDF) for more information
on Swamp
OHV Route.
Edison/Florence Area
There are several OHV routes located
near Edison and Florence lakes. To get
there take Highway 168 east from Clovis
to Huntington
Lake. At Huntington Lake take the Kaiser
Pass Road east to the junction of the
roads that take you to Edison or Florence
Lakes.
The routes
include:
Hooper Diversion: This
route is 2.5 miles long and is classified
as Easiest. It takes
2 hours to drive. This route is located
off of the Florence
Lake Road (7S01). Follow 7S01 for 5.5
miles to road 7S65, turn left and travel
to the Jackass
Meadow Campground. Continue
for another 2 miles to reach Hooper Diversion
Dam.
Bear Diversion: This
route is 2 miles long and is classified
as Easiest. It takes
1 hour to drive. This route is located
off of the Edison
Lake Road (5S80). Follow 5S80 two miles
north past Mono Hot Springs and continue
another mile to the intersection with
road 6S38. Turn right on 6S38 and follow
the route 2 miles to Bear Diversion Dam.
This is a popular starting point for
people who want to enter the John Muir
Wilderness. Overnight stays in the
wilderness require a permit. Day trips
do not require
a permit.
Onion Springs: This
route is 5 miles long and is classified
as Easiest. It takes
2 hours to drive. The route is located
near Edison Lake.
Take road (5S80) to road 6S83. Follow
road 6S83 for three miles to Edison Lake.
Turn left and drive across Vermillion
Valley Dam for 3 miles to the Onion Springs
OHV route. This route serves as a trailhead
to the John
Muir Wilderness.
Huntington Lake
Just south of Huntington Lake, off
of Hwy 168, you will find the
Red Mountain OHV routes.
There are several routes in the area
that lead to small lakes near or in the
Dinkey
Lakes Wilderness. They include
West Lake, Strawberry Lake, Red Mountain,
Coyote Lake, and Mirror Lake.
To get to the Red Mountain area, take
Hwy 168 east from Clovis towards Shaver
Lake. Continue 13 miles past Shaver
Lake and turn on the Road 8S10, Red Mountain
trailhead.
Follow the signs for 3 miles to the intersection
of Road 8S42, and then travel 2.5 miles
to reach the trailheads.
West and Strawberry Lakes: These
routes are classified as Easy routes
and will lead you to West and Strawberry
Lakes. The West Lake trail is 1 mile
long and the Strawberry Lake is 2.5 miles
long.
Red, Mirror and Coyote Lakes:
Red Lake is classified as a More
Difficult route that is 2 miles
in length and takes 1 hour to drive.
This route accesses Red Lake just outside
of the Dinkey
Lakes Wilderness.
Coyote Lake is classified as a Most
Difficult route that is 3.5
miles long and takes 2 hours to drive.
It provides access to Coyote Lake which
is located in the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness.
The shoreline of the lake from the
outlet westward to where the trail
first approaches the lake is the wilderness
boundary. Motorized equipment is not
permitted past this boundary.
Mirror Lake is classified as a Most
Difficult route which is 1.5
miles long and takes almost an hour
to drive. It provides access to Mirror
Lake. The route down to the lake is
a tough one!
Miami Motorcyle Trails
From Hwy 41, you can easily access the
Miami Motorcycle Trails. This area offer
60 miles of year round roads and trails
for dirt bikes and all terrain vehicles.
To get there take Hwy 41 north from
Fresno to Oakhurst. Travel through Oakhurst
and continue on Hwy 42 for approximately
6 miles. Turn left on Road 6S41. There
are two staging areas, Kamook and Lone
Sequoia, where you can park and unload
your vehicles.
The area offers trails within the low to moderate
difficulty range, and a few
short segments with high difficulty.
The trails are found at an elevation
of 3,600 to 4,800 feet. and all trails
have a maximum vehicle width of 40 inches.
All trails are open to two-way traffic
and are used by others.
Please stay on designated trails only.
All vehicles using the area must adhere
to California state laws.
Shaver Lake
Brewer OHV Route: Just
above Shaver Lake you will find the Brewer
OHV route which is classified as Easiest.
This trail is great for beginners or
those looking to test a new vehicle.
The route is 3.5 miles long and takes
about 1 hour to drive.
To get there take Hwy 168 east from
Clovis to Shaver Lake. Follow Hwy 168
past the town of Shaver Lake to the Tamarack
Sno Park Area. Turn east on Road 9S69
and travel approximately 3 miles, then
turn left on Road 9S69. Continue on Road
9S69 for 2 miles until you reach Road
9S10 on your right. Follow Road 9S10
for 1.5 miles to you get to a gate and
large bulletin board.
Bald Mountain: This popular OHV route is the only route on the district that is open year-round. The route is accessible from the south by taking Dinkey Creek Road east from Shaver Lake and at approximately 9.5 miles turning left on Rock Creek Road (9S09). Go north on Rd 9S09 for 3.5 miles to start of the route. Staying right at the first two intersections will put you on the more challenging lower loop. Stay left for the most direct and easier route to the top of Bald Mtn. To access from the north take Hwy 168 above Shaver Lake to the Tamarack Snow-Park, travel along Rd 9S09 for 3 miles to the intersection of Rd. 9S02. Take Rd. 9S02 south and you will come to the north trailhead in less than 10 minutes. This route is known as the "easy way" to the top of Bald Mountain. Stay right at the first intersection after the trailhead. Many high clearance trucks can reach the top going this way. Left will take you to the lower loop.
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