Olancha Dunes OHV Area

Located at the south end of the Owens Valley, Olancha Dunes OHV Recreation Area offers a diverse landscape for off-highway vehicle recreation. It is characterized by wide, rolling dunes framed between the towering Sierra Nevada and the Coso Range. The riding area is about 1,000 acres of short, gentle sloped dunes that peak at a height of 75 ft.

Most area visitors ride motorcycles or ATV/UTVs, or tour the area in four-wheel drive vehicles. STAGING AND CAMPING AREAS: The entire OHV area and surrounding public lands are open to primitive camping. Within the dune area, there are a number of excellent primitive camping sites and OHV staging/off-loading areas.

Know Before You Go Out of State Vehicles: OHV users must comply with all California rules and regulations governing Off-Highway vehicles. Please see below for a partial list of key regulation and visit the California OHV Page for more information. Weather: The area is hot and arid, with summer high temperatures ranging from 100 to 120 degrees F.

Winter low temperatures may drop below freezing with highs in the 70's. Winds are frequent and strong, and humidity is generally low. 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.