Jawbone Canyon OHV Area
Bureau of Land Management Ridgecrest Field Office Ridgecrest, CA 93555
Jawbone Canyon OHV Area
The Jawbone Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle Area provides a wide variety of riding opportunities including cross country play, trail riding, and advanced technical hill climbing opportunities. Jawbone is also a great starting point to begin to explore the hundreds of miles of trail riding opportunities available in the area outside of the OHV Open Area.
STAGING AND CAMPING AREAS: The entire OHV area and surrounding public lands are open to primitive camping. Within Jawbone Canyon, there are a number of excellent primitive camping sites and OHV staging/off-loading areas. Most of the sites within the OHV area are accessible by 2-wheel drive vehicles with trailers.
TRAIL RIDING OUTSIDE THE OHV AREA: Outside of the OHV area and within the Jawbone-Butterbredt Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), motorized vehicle use is restricted to a specific designated road and trail network. All cross-country travel is prohibited in these areas, and the designated routes are marked with brown trail markers. You may only use the designated route network -- all other trails are closed -- even if you do not see a red closed sign.
REGULATION INFORMATION: Either "Green or Red Sticker" OHV registration is mandatory for ALL vehicles that are not "street legal." Visitors from outside the state of California must have a valid permit/registration from an off-highway vehicle program in your home state. If you do not have a valid permit/registration from your home state, you will have to purchase a "Non-Resident OHV Permit" for California. This sticker can be purchased at the Jawbone OHV Station.
Off-Highway Vehicle Use
The following partial list of regulations and tips should help OHV users and other recreationists appreciate and enjoy the use of these public lands.
- OHVs owned by California residents must be registered with the California DMV and must display a valid “Green Sticker” or “Red Sticker”.
- If you are NOT a resident of California and your OHV is not registered in your home state, you are required to have a NON-RESIDENT Green Sticker OHV permit.
- On the ground, motorized vehicles should yield to non-motorized craft and aircraft.
- OHVs must be equipped with an approved muffler, brakes, and spark arrester.
- It is illegal for anyone who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs to operate an OHV.
- It is illegal to bring, dispose of, or possess any glass container, empty or not, within the open area.
- It is illegal to bring, dispose of, or possess any firewood containing nails, screws or other metal hardware within the open area.
- NO PALLETS!
- It is illegal to possess and/or discharge fireworks.
- Persons on an ATV under 14 years of age must be supervised by a parent or guardian.
- All persons, regardless of age, who operate an ATV on Public Lands must wear an approved safety helmet; Carrying passengers is prohibited on ATVs; Remember—Safety First, Every Ride, Every Time!