Carnegie State Vehicular Recreational Area is located between Tracy & Livermore off Interstate 5.
It is 1,500 acres and expanding. There is quite a variety of terrain. Marked trails are labeled according to degree of difficulty.
I go each year in April when they have the motorcycle hillclimb championships.
Check out the links below for more details.
Ric
State Park information
Hillclimb information

 

Hey. You gotta love Carnegie...

WE used to live in Livermore and then Stockton back in 03...

. So we miss the area and all the riding spots....Carnegie is not for the faint of heart.. Alot of big hill climbs... And some nice trails and elevation changes.. We have been to the top when it was snowing up there.. At the top you can see forever it seems..

So when you go... Say hello to Skip from Nick and Victoria..... And have a couple of his famous chicken sandwiches for us....

Happy Trails... Try out Hollister Hills, if you haven't .. Also Elkins Flat is cool single trail with fire roads and camping.... Hit Prairie City when its muddy elsewhere.. Mostly flat and rocky trails.


Nick...

 

Nick,
You are so right about how challenging some of the hills are. There are a few spots where I would have rolled-over if I didn't keep a full throttle or hang on the side of my quad to keep the rubber side down.
I'll say Hi to Skip for you when I go to the hillclimb in April.
Ric at Carnegie Park
Ric

 

Ric....

I have rolled an 88 Quadzilla there.. LOL.... It was when I was first learning to ride..

. It was at the water tower hill...Its the hill above the water tower... Its at the far west end.

.. We had been riding around for awhile and just learning to ride the 500... It was my bro-in laws... I said shoot I can make that... The hill goes up and then kinda comes out... I panicked=chickened out and tried to turn around mid hill... I should of just stopped and regrouped.. I didn't and started down hill... I hit a hole or ditch and over the bars I went..

.. Needless to say the quad did cartwheels... not the squiggly wiggly normally seen... It went over my bro-in-laws head as he came up after me....So a new frame and plastics and a broken collar bone later.. all is well...

So be carefull out there.. I have seen dozens of poor souls helicoptered out.... I have never been back there on a quad.. I have ridden with the family on dirt bikes every since..

Nick

 

I had heard Skip was selling the store. Not sure if it happened or not. I've only been once in Jan. '05. For the drive I'd rather hit Hollister. Hollister is only about 6 miles further for me.

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Hey.....

We heard the same thing.... The family still lives in Livermore... He says they-(state) maybe are making it tough for him to sell.. Not sure... A great guy to meet and semi know.... He is so flexible and laid back with parts and ordering stuff for you...Always your best interest at heart...

Hollister is great for the family and camping...Also they have 80 percent or more of 1-way trails.... Perfect for the beginner or little ones..... We used to be about 15 minutes from Carnegie.. Gotta love that... Then when we were in Stockton, it was in the middle of everywhere in that area.. Praire City , Elkins.... Hollister...Carnegie. Some great riding in those areas...

Here in the midwest its quite sparse... Our 4 parks equal 1000 acres total.... So have to look elsewhere for bigger parks... Thats our goal for 06...

Happy Trails to all..

Nick

 

I met Skip last year when I went up there. Some friends went in the store for whatever reason. Either looking for something or just browsing. Unfortunately some dumb@ss ran into a power pole on Tesla/Coral Hollow so it was a bit dark in the store. LOL Put a damper on his sales that morning.

A bit weird camping under the high tension lines in the fog...constant crackling noise.

Closest place for me is an hour away at Miami (north of Oakhurst, south of Yosemite). 2+ to Hollister or Carnegie and 2.5 to Pismo or Hungry Valley. For all the b!tching people do about CA, I believe we have one of the largest and most comprehenzive OHV programs in the country.

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Its true, I was talking to him the last time i was there. Hes sick of dealing with the state. Always a new hoop for him to jump thru. He wil start offering discounts after the hill climb until he sells out . Im going to miss his shop as its by far the best place to spend your money in my area.

As for carnegie I have been riding there since sumer of '74. Its the best place for a dirt bike in my area. Definitely not for the faint of heart or novice though. And I have seen a few quads turned into ***** of steel when they didnt make a hil and bounced back down.

 

It is amazing considering all that has been closed/restricted in the last few years.

Have i ever discussed my dislike for Barbera Boxer?

 

Whenever people discuss vehicles or firearms, eventually the extremely restrictive laws of California come up.
I have lived in 5 different states & 3 different countries. I will always be willing to deal with [not "accept"] the unreasonable laws in California in order to enjoy the recreational opportunities and great weather that is available near the Sacramento area.
I usually ride my street bike 6 days a week year-round, my quad every other day, and can step out in my back yard to target shoot when the desire hits me.
In addition to the large Recreation Parks, I enjoy exploring the logging roads that are abundant in the Sierra foothills.
Life is good!
Ric
Ric's website