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Leviathan Recreation Area

Saturday, December 23, 2023

Trail Map

Other Names

Leviathan Mine Road, Barney Riley Trail, Leviathan Creek, Loop Canyon Road, Monitor Pass, Smiths Creek, Carson River, Toiyabe National Forest, High Peak, Dome Two, Leviathan Peak, Haypress Flat, Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger District

Last Known Status

Open

This remote and scenic area on the California-Nevada border consists mainly of jeep trails and fire roads surrounding a large dormant sulfur mine (off-limits). The area offers some primitive campsites, but no clearly designated staging areas or services.

You will find about fifteen miles of scenic views of the high-desert forests and mountain ranges along the main road with just a handful of decent side trails. A long rocky jeep trail with many stream crossings (caution - some over 1 foot deep.) is located in the northwest area. You will not find much exciting terrain here overall, but at least you'll have the whole place to yourself.

Trail Map... Nearby ATV Trails...

REGULATIONS

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)	Some Areas	CA OHMVR stickers required
2 Stroke Engines	No Restriction	CA OHMVR restrictions apply
MX Helmet Required	Yes	helmets required by state law
Camping	Some Areas	(camp in developed sites only)
Campfires	Some Areas	(permitted in developed campsites only)
Night Riding	Yes	Not Recommended
Trail Blazing	Prohibited	no trailblazing
Alcohol	No Restriction
Rule Enforcement	Few/Periodic
Comment	Leviathan Mine is off limits, also they have surveillance cameras.

TERRAIN

Approx Size	1,000 acres (2 sq mi)
Miles Of Trail	50
Climate Type	Forest
Elevation	6000 to 8700 ft.
Trail Maintenance	Marked, Not Rated, Lightly Maintained
Loose Dirt	Little
Hard Pack	Mostly
Sand	None
Mud	Little
Dust	Some
Rocks	Some
Trees	Many
Steep Hills	Few
Water Crossings	Few
Small Jumps	None
Large Jumps	None
Berms	None
Sand/Gravel Pits	None
Single Track	None
Roads	All
Intersections	Few
Rider Traffic	None
Shade	Many
Ranges/Gunfire	Few
Hazards	Few	(hazards are marked) Laviathan Mine
Novice	Mostly
Amateur	Some
Expert	Little
Comment	Barney Riley Trail is very rocky and challenging jeep trail

TYPE OF AREA

Area	Motorized Trails

Land	National Forest

GPS POINTS

KEY SERVICES

Gasoline	5-20 Miles (N)	Woodfords Station
Diesel	5-20 Miles (N)	Woodfords Station
Water	1-5 Miles (W)	Mount Bullion
RV Hookup	5-20 Miles (E)	Topaz Lodge (800) 962-0732
RV Disposal	5-20 Miles (E)	Topaz Lodge
Campground	5-20 Miles (W)	Grover Hot Springs (530) 644-2248
Conv Store	5-20 Miles (N)	Smiths - Gardnerville (775) 782-0155

FEES & PASSES

Parking	(None)
Entry	(None)
Riding	(None)
Camping	(None)

RATINGS

Pros	no traffic, remote, primitive, free, large area
Cons	no actual trails, all roads, no services, no clear or designated staging areas
Our Rating	Fair
Recommended Stay	1-2 Days Spring, Summer
Comments	(Scroll Down For Rider Reviews & Comments)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Nearest City

Markleville, CA

Trail Map

From: Markleville, CA
1) Take 89 South for about 9 miles
2) Turn left (north) on Leviathan Mine Road (N38.40.144 W 119.39.998)
3) Go .6 miles, veer right
4) Go another .6 miles until it breaks out in a field
5) Stage here, you will see multiple OHV trails (if road turns into pavement you've gone too far).

From: Carson City, NV
1) Go approx 30 miles south on 395
2) Turn right (west) on Leviathan Mine Road
3) Follow Leviathan Mine Road for approx 5 miles
4) Staging should be done before crossing the cattleguard. A good staging opportunity is when you see a brown sign that says "Entering California" at GPS coords N38.45.710 W119.39.428