Home > California > El Mirage Dry Lake |
Thursday, July 18, 2024
Other Names | Shadow Mountains, Mojave Desert, Crows Nest, Resurrection Hill, Twin Hills Road, Rabbit Hole Mine |
Last Known Status | Open |
This is a large and open area located in the Mojave Desert that consists of a dry lake bed, miles of surrounding sand washes, desert trails and scattered play areas that are open to all off-road vehicles. The trails are open year-round but the lake bed is off limits during wet weather. During weekends this place can be packed with visitors (dry lake racing) but it gets very little use during the week.
The El Mirage Visitor Center is open daily during business hours but self pay kiosks are available that accept credit cards and cash (exact change only). The office has coffee, snacks and ice but also sells helmets, gloves, goggles and sunglasses at reasonable prices.
There are a dozen designated campgrounds to choose from, and many sites come with a shade gazebo, picnic table, BBQ grill and fire ring. The campgrounds are big rig friendly, so finding the right site is fairly easy.
Recent improvements include a designated 54-acre fenced off training area that has loading ramps, restrooms, picnic tables and a large shade gazebo. Free ATV training courses are held here every second Saturday of the month for kids ages 6-17.
Permit Required | Yes | CA OHMVR stickers required |
Dates Open | Year-Round | CA OHMVR red sticker vehicles permitted year round |
Other ATV Stickers Accepted | Yes | Residents of any state not listed must purchase a Nonresident OHV Use Permit. (AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, IA, ID, IN, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, UT, VT, WA, WI, WY) |
Spark Arrestor | Yes | A spark arresting exhaust silencer or end cap is required for all vehicles. |
Noise Limit | Yes (96 dB) | CA OHMVR noise limits apply (1985/older limit 101 dB, 1986/newer limit 96 dB) |
Whip Flags | Not Required | |
Maximum Vehicle Width | No Restriction | |
Motorcycles & Dirt Bikes | Permitted | CA OHMVR stickers required |
ATVs | Permitted | CA OHMVR stickers required |
UTV & SXS | Permitted | CA OHMVR stickers required |
SUVs & Jeeps (registered) | Permitted | |
Dune Buggy & Sand Rail 4x4 (unregistered) | Permitted | CA OHMVR stickers required |
2 Stroke Engines | Certain Times | CA OHMVR restrictions apply |
MX Helmet Required | Yes | helmets required by state law |
Camping | Some Areas | not permitted on lakebed or more than 100 feet from shore |
Campfires | Some Areas | (permitted in developed campsites only) permit required during fire season |
Night Riding | Yes | |
Trail Blazing | Permitted | |
Alcohol | Prohibited | glass bottles prohibited |
Rule Enforcement | Few/Periodic | |
Comment | This area was free but as of October 1, 2008 the El Mirage Cooperative Management Area is now a fee area. |
Approx Size | 24,400 acres (38 sq mi) | |
Miles Of Trail | 40 | |
Climate Type | Desert | |
Elevation | 2800 to 3800 ft. | |
Trail Maintenance | Marked, Not Rated, Lightly Maintained | |
Loose Dirt | Little | |
Hard Pack | Mostly | |
Sand | Some | |
Mud | Little | |
Dust | All | |
Rocks | Little | |
Trees | Few | mostly Joshua Trees |
Steep Hills | Few | |
Water Crossings | Some | |
Small Jumps | Few | |
Large Jumps | None | |
Berms | None | |
Sand/Gravel Pits | None | |
Single Track | None | |
Roads | Some | |
Intersections | All | |
Rider Traffic | All | |
Shade | Few | shade is provided by the gazebos within the campsites |
Ranges/Gunfire | Few | |
Hazards | Few | (hazards not marked) heavy rider traffic during weekends, deep ditches, debris |
Novice | Mostly | |
Amateur | Some | |
Expert | Little | |
Comment | area can get windy making the trails and lakebed very dusty |
Area | Motorized Trails, Dry Lake Bed |
Land | BLM |
Gasoline | 5-20 Miles (SE) | Adelanto/Circle K (760) 246-6997 |
Diesel | 5-20 Miles (SE) | Adelanto/Circle K (760) 246-4222 |
Water | 5-20 Miles (SE) | Adelanto/Circle K (760) 246-6997 |
RV Hookup | 5-20 Miles (SE) | Adelanto RV Park (760) 246-7775 |
RV Disposal | 5-20 Miles (SE) | Adelanto RV Park (760) 246-7775 |
Campground | 5-20 Miles (SE) | KOA-Victorville (760) 245-6867 |
Conv Store | 5-20 Miles (SE) | Adelanto/Circle K (760) 246-6997 |
Parking | Yes ($0.00) |
Entry | Yes ($15.00 per vehicle) Parking, riding, and camping are included in the entry fee. |
Riding | Yes ($0.00) |
Camping | Yes Tent: $0.00 RV: $0.00 Addtl. Vehicle: $0.00 |
Comment | Day pass is $15/day and is good until noon the next day. Weekly pass is $30/week or $90/year. |
Pros | free, can camp anywhere, miles of trails to explore, descent desert scenery |
Cons | no shade, windy, dusty, very busy during weekends |
Our Rating | Good |
Recommended Stay | 1-2 Days Fall/Winter |
Comments | (Scroll Down For Rider Reviews & Comments) |
Nearest City | Adelanto, CA | ||
Address | 20471 Mountain View Road, Adelanto, CA 92301 | ||
| From: Adelanto, CA
1) Take US-395 to Chamberlin Ave. 2) Turn west on Chamberlin Avenue, continue 2.2 miles 3) Turn right (north) on Koala Avenue, continue 1 mile 4) Turn left (west) on El Mirage Road, continue 5 miles 5) Turn right (north) on Mountain View Road, continue 1.5 miles 6) Continue past stop sign about .5 miles (paved road will turn to dirt) 7) Stage anywhere. |
Contact Info | BLM - Barstow Field Office 2601 Barstow Road Barstow, CA 92311 (760) 252-6000 blm_ca_web_ba@blm.gov www.blm.gov |
Contact Info | El Mirage Visitor Center 75 Colusa Road El Mirage, CA 92301 (760) 388-4411 staff@elmirage.org www.elmirage.org |
Contact Info | ATV Safety Institute (877) 216-8779 (760) 983-9417 info@americansafteycouncil.com atvsafety.org |
Comment | ATV training courses. |
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