i am abou tto buy a new atv when summer gets out adn i was wondering if anyone knew good places to atv in northern CA in particular i want areas close to san francisco or lake berryesa areas. I go camping a few times in teh summer so if places are near yosemite can you still list them thanks.

 

A great place to go if you like trail riding is Hollister hills. They also have a pretty nice track. It is about an hour and twenty minutes from San Francisco. We are going this weekend, most likely on friday night and camp out, then right all day sat. There is also Metcalf in san jose, and carnigie out near tracy.

 

See off-road.com They have a where to ride section for California, with maps and riding area descriptions.

 

atvcrazy..

where exactly are you from....
like jmac650 said...hollister,carnegie, and metcalf....metcalf is the smallest of the three i dont know which is bigger...carnegie or hollister....hollister is very fun...has plenty of trails for all types of riders some small hill climbs and some big climbs i know carnegie has some hills that most atv's couldnt make it up and if they could the rider most likely wouldnt want to try

i dont know how carnegies tracks are, but hollister has 2 tracks that atvs are allowed on...one is a track only for atvs and 3-wheers...it has 2 jumps you could hit them topped out in 5th gear and go no higher than 2 feet..it is mainly a high speed track w/ big berms on the side...if you like to go fast you will like to get on the brakes when you come into the turns

the other track is used mainly for dirtbikers but it has a few doubles and tabletops and 1 climb

 

Crazy, we've got quite a few good places to ride around here. Hollister is close and has a lot of acreage to ride on. As was mentioned earlyer, their ATV track is a lot of fun.

Be careful about riding at Carnegie. It's extreamly verticle. It's not uncommon to see quads dragged back to camp in pieces after rolling down one of the hills. The ATV track is pathetic, but if you go out early on a week day you can sneak out on the dirt bike only track. It's great.

Both Hollister & Carnegie, as well as Pismo, Hungry Valley, & others are part of the State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA) system. You can get a year pass for $40 that will save you some green if you go to these places a lot.

If you want some big MX thrills, try Club Moto in Livermore. This is the most demanding track in the area. They allow quads on Tues nights, after 8:00 pm, and on Sunday's, after 2:00 pm. It's $20 per quad to get in. They have a web site at www.clubmoto.com.

Stay away from Sand Hill Ranch, in Brentwood. It's over priced, undergrommed, and the operator is a drunken idiot! The last time I was there I payed full boat for my family to ride all day ($70!!) only to be told at 2:00 that they were closing early. When I asked for a partial refund I was told to F@#! off. I live five minute from this place but wouldn't spend another dime there.

Just north of Clear Lake is one of the best trail systems in the state, at Stoney Ford. This place is absolutely awesome! Not only is the riding great, but red sticker bikes can ride here year round.

Near Yosimite, is the Stanislaus National Forest. You can ride on any trail or unimproved road that isn't specifically marked closed. There isn't very much in the way of a challenge here, but if you are looking for easy trail riding or enjoy 60+mph powerslides this is the place. It can get a little boring for EX's and slower machines, but it's great for DS's, Banshee's, Raptors,& 'Zilla's since you can ride for hours at, or near WOT in 5th or 6th gear. The riding here reminds me more of sport road riding (street bike) than other off-raod areas. We camp & ride here all the time. As a matter of fact, we're headed up for Memorial Day weekend. If you want a tour drop me an e-mail. Otherwise, get a map at a ranger station. It's eay to get lost without one.

All of the National Forests in California have some OHV riding oportunites. Pick a forest, a district within that forest, and give the district office a call for specific info on OHV rules.

Hope this helps.

 

I live in Fremont from my housae to carnegie is abotu 40 mins. I plan on getting a eiger 400 not a racing quad which is probably what is found in most tracks like Carnagie and Hollister. I havent bought a quad yet and if i do it will be teh red sticker ones and then ill probably not be able to drive at most svra places.
The trails are what i am planning to drive on mostly i dont want to do jumps alot.

 

You'll have to go north of Sacramento after May through Sept. to ride legally with a Red Sticker on any public land.

 

wow.....im from fremont too...how old are you?

 

i am only 15 turning 16 soon, how old r u?. Where do u live in fremont, i live in the mission san jose area. I wish ther was somewhere close to ride i mean in summer vacation i cant drive a few hours jus to drive my atv then a few hours back home. My dad doesnt ride and he wont let me go ride alone either so everytiem i go i would make him 3waste his day.

 

Try getting in touch with the folks at the NorCal ATV Club. This is a really fun bunch of people, very welcoming and non-clickish. There are all kinds of riders in this group, from from wheelie crazed Raptaholics to mellow trail riding 4x4ers. You can reach them via e-mail at norcalatv@jps.net. They host rides all over the state, from from Stoneyford to Ocotillo Wells, and into Nv. & Or. I know they are planning a trip to Pismo for the 4th of July. Might be a good chance to check them out, plus you can rent several different kinds of quads there which might help you decide what you want before you plunk down the cash.