Valley Dirt Riders Meetup

West Hills, CA, US

339 members · Public group

Organized by Barry Friedman and 4 others

What we’re about

This Meetup group is for those who enjoy riding 4x4 ATV's and Side-by-Sides (UTV's) in the desert and mountains of Southern California.

This meetup will host both day trips and multi-day camping and riding trips. We also host occasional rides in Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. Rides are rated as intermediate with some upper intermediate sections. We are all about enjoying the BLM and Forest Service trails. We don't ride especially fast and we stay on open trails.

So, if you enjoy the beauty of our great country and want to see areas that cannot be accessed from the highway, join us for a future ride. We are a family friendly group so kids and dogs are welcome. Members are welcome from all of Southern California. If you have any questions, reach out to me by email [barrymfriedman@gmail.com](mailto:barrymfriedman@gmail.com)

Upcoming events (3)

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Fri, Apr 18, 2025, 8:00 AM PDTDove Springs Camp-n-Ride
Dove Spring, California, CA
Our April ride will be back at Dove Springs.

Friday Ride
We will leave camp and ride into the El Paso Mountains and up Opal Canyon. We will ride the ridge and climb into the Mountains before dropping down into Cruise Canyon and over to Garlock Road. We will cross the highway and take some soft wide sand washes over to the Jawbone Canyon Store. After a short break it's up the wash before crossing Jawbone Canyon Road and taking SC123 up onto the ridge above Jawbone and Dove Springs. That will take us to Dove Spring for another short break. Now it's up SC103 and back into the mountains before taking a steep downhill and the winding SC47 trail then up to the hanging rock, down to SC37 and the narrow twisting sand wash before climbing back out on SC50. Then it's back up SC47 and down into the valley. We will cruise across the desert on SC94 and then take a short side trip onto SC129 for a nice view of the Dove Springs Hill Climbs and back to camp.
About 70 miles.

Saturday Ride
We will ride into the El Paso Mountains and make a short stop at the Dutch Cleanser Mine. We will continue past the Holly Ash Mine and the Bonanza Post Office. We will make a stop at Bickle Camp before heading over to EP26. We will take this rocky trail and drop into Goler Gulch and over to Sheep Springs. From there we will follow EP26 until we get to EP1. This is a fast double ride trail that will take us back to Highway 14. We will cross the highway and the LAP road over to the Indian Wells Brewing company for lunch. There is a burger place next door that should be open on Saturday. If time permits, we will travel up Indian Wells Canyon to the Seibert Mine. From there it is back to camp.
About 75 miles.

Sunday Ride
On Sunday we will head over to Randsburg. This ride will only have a few stops to reduce the time it takes to get there and back. It's into the El Paso Mountains and EP15 to EP100 and down to Redrock Randsburg Road. We will follow the train tracks East and cross over and jump onto the highway for about 1/2 mile. Then we will take R43 into the Rand Mountains and onto R20. We will continue on R20 until it drops out of the hills then we turn left onto R77. Next its R30 down and R110 up into Randsburg. Leaving Randsburg we will follow the dirt trail and take Waldemsaddle trail towards JOSBURG. We will cross Highway 395 and follow it North until we can take the tunnel back under 395 and up Iron Canyon. Now we will head over to Hobb Wash and down into Goler Gulch. Once through the Narrows, we will take Benson Canyon down and EP11 up to EP15 and through the mountain pass. We will make a final stop at Bickle Camp before heading down Last Chance Canyon and Competition Hill. Then we will climb up out of the canyon and take Opal Canyon trail back to Highway 14 and camp.
About 89 miles

You can download the GPX file by clicking the link below:

April Rides - Dove Springs

Meetup Liability Disclaimer: The sole function of the organizers in this group is to arrange the theme and time of the event. Each person (including guest members) who signs up "yes" for an event is responsible for his or her own safety. By signing up for an event organized by this group, you and your guest(s) are acknowledging that you are all aware of the risks, dangers and hazards associated with any event and freely accept and fully assume all such risks, dangers and hazards, and further agree to release and discharge this Meetup group & its organizers from and against any and all liability arising from you and your guest(s) participation in any of the group events. Each member of this group is responsible for ensuring that any and all guests they bring to an event have read this Liability Disclaimer and acknowledge it also.
13 attendees+8
Wed, May 28, 2025, 8:00 AM PDTKeyesville Camp-n-Ride
Keyesville SRMA, Lake Isabella, CA
We will be camping at the Keysville Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA). All motorized use is limited to designated roads and trails. A map of the Keysville area can be downloaded by clicking this link.

There are north and south entrances for the Keysville Special Recreation Management Area. We will be camping at the north entrance which has space for OHV staging. This entrance also offers access to the area’s trails. The trails in the area are multi-use. Motorized riders will need to give way to all other trail users, and mountain bikers should yield to pedestrians and horseback riders

These organizers are not professional guides or trained leaders and are not medically trained to handle emergencies. Please carry a personal medical emergency kit and any medications you need. If you require emergency rescue services, the cost of such services are your responsibility. If you want to purchase GEOS SARS 100 $39.95 / year. You must have your own Garmin InReach device or I can add you to my plan. If added to my plan it will only be valid when riding with me. I need 48 hours advance notice to add you to my plan.
(https://files.delorme.com/support/inreachwebdocs/GEOS_Search_and_Rescue.pdf).
Motorized off-road driving/riding is an inherently dangerous activity that can lead to serious injuries including but not limited to slip and fall injuries, fractures, rattlesnake bites, heat exhaustion, poison oak, ticks and frostbite.
By participating in this event/ride, you agree to not hold these organizers liable for any harm that may come to you, your guests, or your property. Always remember to let the event organizer know if you are leaving the group.
4 attendees
Fri, Jun 13, 2025, 9:00 AM PDTThe "Salt Tramway" and Cerro Gordo Ghost Town via the Swansea Grade
Lone Pine California, Lone Pine, AL
We are planning a camp-n-ride in Lone Pine in mid June. Hoping the snow will be passable on the Swansea trail.

We will be camping at Diaz Lake. You can make reservations online at Reserve America. These are dry camping sites (water may be available) and most are $14/night. I will be in spot 112. If you want to camp as a group, sites 44, 45 and 46 are group sites that accommodate 15 people at $35 per night. Many of their sites are in the trees, and some are lake front (check Google Earth or Google Maps Sat View). If you want full hookup's, you can book a site at Boulder Creek RV Resort, or stay in a motel in town. Boulder Creek also has cabins and we will be starting our rides on the dirt road next to the resort. It is about a 10 minute ride from Diaz Lake.

Friday's Ride
This is an historical 4x4 trail to Saline-Owens-Valley Tram and Cerro Gordo Ghost Town via the Swansea Grade. It starts at 3500 feet and climbs up into the Inyo mountains to over 9000 feet.

The Saline Valley cable tramway was constructed between 1910 and 1913 by the Saline Valley Salt Works to transport salt deposits from the salt lake in Saline Valley over the Inyo Mountains to Owens Valley. Gondola cars carrying 800 pounds of salt, traversed the tramway at a rate of 20 tons per hour. A total of 30,000 tons of high grade salt was carried over the tramway on and off through the early 1930’s.

Cerro Gordo was the first major silver strike in Owens Valley. By 1869, the mine was the largest producer of silver and lead in California, yielding ores that assayed at least as high as $300 per ton. Gross production of the Cerro Gordo mine from its early profitable years up until 1938 was about $17 million.

Saturday's Ride
On Saturday we will hit the Reward Mine (which you can drive into. We will then make a stop at the Manzanar National Historic Site then on to the Alabama Hills.

RIDE OPEN TO
Side by Sides

MINIMUM SKILL LEVEL
Intermediate

ROUTE SUMMARY

Leave Diaz Lake Campground

Stage at the Boulder Creek RV Park

Ride across Owens Dry lake on a dirt road

The actual trail starts at Swansea

Back via Cerro Gordo Rd down to Keeler

From Keeler, backtrack across Owens Dry Lake

TRAIL CONDITIONS
I will check as we get closer to the ride date. The last time I was hope there, the trail into Cerro Gordo was unpassable so we went back down and took Cerro Gordo road to the ghost town.

WHERE
The staging area for this ride is next to Boulder Creek but you can get to the staging area from Lake Diaz on a dirt trail; distance is about 2 miles.

Ride staging area coordinates (behind Boulder Creek RV park):

Latitude: 36°32'34.14"N

Longitude: 118° 2'38.31"W

PREREQUISITES:
These rides are approximately 80 miles long. Bring extra fuel if you even think you might need it.

All participants should:

Have experience doing long trail rides

Be comfortable on rocky, sandy, off camber trails

Be comfortable climbing and descending loose rocky trails

Bring food, water and a coat (temp drops as we climb)

These organizers are not professional guides or trained leaders and are not medically trained to handle emergencies. Please carry a personal medical emergency kit and any medications you need.

Motorized off-road driving/riding is an inherently dangerous activity that can lead to serious injuries including but not limited to slip and fall injuries, fractures, rattlesnake bites, heat exhaustion, poison oak, ticks and frostbite.

By participating in this event/ride, you agree to not hold these organizers liable for any harm that may come to you, your guests, or your property. Always remember to let the event organizer know if you are leaving the group. Stay on the trail, never drive/ride alone and use your own common sense.
49 attendees+44