US Forest Service

Mendocino National Forest

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Off-Highway Vehicles

Off-Highway Vehicle Program

The Forest Service in cooperation with the State of California Off-Highway Vehicle Fund, (Green Sticker), has developed roads, trails, and facilities for further enjoyment of the OHV user. Remember, these are your facilities and OHV funds are being used to develop and maintain them.

OHV information and maps have been updated and are available. Please contact the Forest Service Office closest to your visit to obtain a printed copy. Sections of the maps are available on the web for informational purposes only.

Motor Vehicle Use Maps

The Forest Service announced a new regulation on November 2, 2005, governing off-highway vehicles and other motor vehicle use on national forests and grasslands. The new rule requires each national forest or ranger district to designate those roads, trails and areas open to any motor vehicle use.

The Mendocino National Forest has had a system of designated Off-Highway Vehicle routes in place for more than 30 years. These existing designated Off-Highway Vehicle routes, together with other roads designated "open for motorized travel" are displayed on recently published Motor Vehicle Use Maps. Four maps have been published for the Mendocino National Forest dividing the Forest into quarters from North to South.

Grindstone Ranger District

The south end of the Grindstone Ranger District offers over 200 miles of some of the most enjoyable and challenging OHV routes in the nation. The "Mendocino OHV Corridor" is a designated 40 mile, east-west route across the south end of the Forest connecting the Grindstone Ranger District's Fouts Springs/Davis Flat OHV Staging Area and the Upper Lake Ranger District's Middle Creek OHV Staging Area.

The riding area varies in elevation from 1,700 feet (at Fout Springs), to almost 6,000 feet (near Goat Mountain). Vegetation varies from low elevation chaparral to tall pine and fir forest in the high country.

The Grindstone Ranger District is not an OHV "park". Off-highway vehicle recreation is just one of the many uses allowed on National Forest lands. Please be considerate of others you may encounter in the forest.

Upper Lake Ranger District

The Upper Lake Ranger District's OHV area-South offers over 135 miles of system trails and roads traversing through beautiful scenery and challenging terrain.

The riding area varies in elevation from 1,600 feet at Middle Creek campground/staging area, to over 4,500 feet at Hull Mountain to the north. The trails range in degree of difficulty from novice to advanced.

Due to the nature of the topography on the Upper Lake District Middle Creek Campground is recommended for families with children or beginning riders so they may enjoy the "play area", while adults or intermediate/advanced riders access the trails up out of the East Fork of Middle Creek.

If you seek a family riding experience with easy access to all trails ranging in difficulty level from novice to advanced, Penny Pines or Deer Valley Campgrounds are much more desirable.

Lake Pillsbury Basin North Half Trails

The basin is closed annually from May 18 through September 8 to OHV use. During this closure you are welcome to truck your bikes out of the basin and ride the trails. There are approximately 33 miles of trail. Many of the trails in this area are 4WD trails.

It is prohibited to operate or use a vehicle (two wheel, three wheel, or four wheel) off a forest developed road in this area. (36 CFR 261.56)

It is prohibited to use any two wheel, three wheel, or four wheel vehicle, not meeting California Vehicle Code (Sections 360 and 4000 (a) CVC), for highway operation on forest developed roads in the above described area. (36 CFR 261.54a)

The boundary runs generally North from Scott Dam along Road 20N01 to Coyote Rock then easterly along the southern base of Boardman Ridge to Big Squaw Valley, then southwest to the US Forest Service Summer Home Tract, then southeast to Thistle Glade, then westerly to Rice Fork Summer Homes, then southwest to Split Rock, then northeast to Scott Dam.

(Page Modified 9/2/08 )

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