All it took was a few jerks to do some dumass stuff and now the Stoddard Wells riding area (southern California) has just gotten smaller. The closure does not affect BLM land, but there was some privately owned land (with some awesome camping and riding) adjacent to it that is now off limits!

The owner did not have any issue with off roaders using it, but a collection of home owners nearby petitioned to have the off roading and camping on that land outlawed! The area begins at the intersection of Stoddard Wells Road and Dale Evans Parkway in Barsow/Apple Valley. Stoddard Wells road is paved for about .5 mile east of that intersection and then becomes a dirt road. About 3 miles down that road is the "official" beginning of the Stoddard Wells OHV area. Apparently some inconsiderate riders weren't satisfied with the acreage of the OHV area and decided that they needed to ride on the .5 paved portion near some homes. A few ruined it for the rest of us!

If this trend keeps going, then maybe some day the BLM lands will be made smaller and smaller. We need to all be considerate or else we won't have any place to ride!!

 

Here in our wonderful communist State of Massachusetts they are working on new ORV trail criteria "rules" that supposively are to be used to determine where and how a new trail can be built.

The only problem is that the "criteria" is so ridiculousy layered with competing interests, other government bureaucracies, agencies, attached statutes, and ludicrous technical land requirements that if the "rules" are applied you could not build a new trail anywhere on the face this particular planet.

In actuality these new rules and criteria are being developed so as to give the government any and all legal written means to shut down any existing public riding area if they so choose and to make it virtually imposible to open a new trail.

Brought to you by the Communist Government of Massachusetts.

 

I planned on going there this weekend will I have any problems taking the dirt road???

 

No. You can still access via the dirt road, but you will see signs posted no camping or OHV riding. At the kart track turn off there is a sign saying camping is 1 mile down the road. We spoke with one of the vendors last weekend who said that the signs went up 2 weeks ago and that it won't be enforced until May 11th. At that time if you camp/ride out side the BLM limits you'll be "cited". The BLM limit is by a large brown sign that is, coincidentally, a mile down past the kart track turn off. However, most, if not all, of the really neat camping areas and kiddie tracks are before BLM land.

We camped just west of the BLM limit (didn't know at the time that the sign was the marker) with no problem. On Saturday we took a ride west on the dirt road and there were tons of people camping in the off limits area. However, in a few weeks they'll be cited.

There are some nice spots farther down the road, but not as many as are on the off limits area and not as easy accessible. We'll have to go deeper and deeper in.

 

Sorry to hear of the loss of riding space. I know their are some people out there that are inconsiderate, and don't think about the what their doing intil it is to late. We have a little issue up here. The DNR said they will close all the trails down if people don't start picking up the trash. These people like to use the earth for their garbage can. So I help out as much as I can, I pick up trash and put it in my backpack when I'm out riding.

We all need to do our part.

Sorry not the same issue. My 2 Cents

 

So its only closed right where you come in.You are talking about the big flat spots that large groups usually camp?I usually go really deep in becasue we shoot.