Field GuideSan Bernardino N.F.

Big Bear
Dirt Bike Routes

A field guide to the best OHV rides around Big Bear, with real route maps and elevation pulled from the Forest Service's official travel maps and public terrain data, the details that matter, and exactly where you need a street-legal plate versus where green-sticker bikes are allowed.

Big Bear, California · San Bernardino National Forest · 8 routes

Plated street-legal bikes are fine on every route here. The badges below show where green-sticker (non-street-legal) OHVs are allowed; that's the part that varies, sometimes segment by segment.

Green sticker OK

Non-street-legal (green-sticker) OHVs allowed on the route.

Green sticker: partial

Green-sticker allowed on some segments only; read the note.

Street-legal plate only

Street-legal, plated vehicles only; no green-sticker OHVs.

Access unverified

Couldn't verify green-sticker access; confirm with the managing agency.

New to this, or riding an electric or 2022-plus bike? The sticker & access guide covers green, red, and tan stickers, street-legal plates, electric bikes (SB 586), spark arresters, the Adventure Pass, and the penalties, all sourced from California government pages.

Where can I ride?

San Bernardino National Forest travel map

Every legal motorized road and trail in the Big Bear area, straight from the Forest Service's Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). Most numbered roads are open to street-legal plated bikes only; the green routes are the comparatively few where a green-sticker (non-street-legal) bike is allowed. Hover any line for its road number and access.

What can ride here

  • Green-sticker OHV allowed
  • Street-legal plate only
  • Dashed = seasonal access
Loading area map…

Make a day of it

2 suggested loops

Ways to string these routes into a full ride instead of a single road. Mileage is a rough composite; segments overlap and connect, so plan time and fuel with a margin.

Holcomb Valley Big Day

~36mi↓ GPX

The classic plated-bike day: climb out of town, loop the gold-rush basin, drop out the back.

Climb the old stage route up Van Dusen Canyon (3N09) out of Big Bear City, loop the historic Holcomb Valley basin (3N16) with stops at Belleville and the Hangman's Tree, then run Coxey Road (3N14) north toward the forest boundary to close it out. Mostly smooth graded dirt with long sight lines. A relaxed full day, not a technical one. Plan around five to six hours with stops; most of it is plate-legal, with only short stretches open to green-sticker bikes.

Van Dusen Canyon RoadHolcomb Valley LoopCoxey Road Connector

East-Side OHV Sampler

~14mi↓ GPX

A shorter green-sticker half-day from the Cactus Flat side.

Start from Cactus Flat off Highway 18, warm up on Smarts Ranch Rd (3N03), then session the Cactus Flat OHV singletrack (the 2E20 trails off its upper end), the closest thing to real trail tread in the area and fully green-sticker. A good half-day for green-sticker bikes or anyone wanting trail over fire road. Gold Mountain and John Bull are right next door if you want to add teeth, but both are open to street-legal vehicles only, so they're a plated-bike detour, not part of the green-sticker day.

Cactus Flat OHV AreaCactus Flat OHV Singletrack

The Routes

8 rides
GPX Track↑ 696 ft↓ 781 ft
6,017 ft6,312 ft

Cactus Flat OHV Singletrack

No. 2E20.1, 2E20.2, 2E20.3, 2E20.4, 2E20.5
Green sticker OK
Distance
6.4mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, trail 2E20.1 is a designated OHV trail open to motorcycles, so green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes are allowed. Being narrow-gauge singletrack, it's a true OHV trail, not a road. Registration + spark arrestor required.

Source: USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), 2026

Big Bear's designated OHV trail tread, narrow-gauge, not a fire road.

The 2E20 system is the designated OHV trail network off the upper Cactus Flat / Smarts Ranch road (3N03), in the pinyon and juniper north of Baldwin Lake. Narrow, wheeled-OHV tread under 50 inches, sandy with rocky sections, the closest thing in the area to true singletrack and the one featured ride here that's open to green-sticker dirt bikes the whole way.

Elevation
6,000–6,300 ft
Best season
April–November
Surface
Narrow OHV tread (≤50 in.), sandy with rocky sections
  • Designated OHV trail, not a fire road
  • Fully green-sticker (wheeled OHV under 50 inches)
  • Pinyon-and-juniper country north of Baldwin Lake
GPX Track↑ 1,906 ft↓ 2,864 ft
5,522 ft7,654 ft

Holcomb Valley Loop

No. 3N16
Green sticker: partial
Distance
21.9mi
Difficulty
Easy

Per the MVUM, Holcomb Valley Loop is mixed: some segments are open to all vehicles (green-sticker OK) and others are open to street-legal vehicles only, so access goes segment by segment. Read the signs at each junction; registration + spark arrestor required.

Source: USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), 2026

Historic gold-rush basin with mellow, flowing dirt road riding.

Looping through the old Holcomb Valley mining district north of Big Bear Lake, this is mostly wide, graded forest road with gentle grades and pine-shaded meadows. A great warm-up or family-friendly route with plenty of historic stops like Belleville and the Hangman's Tree.

Elevation
5,500–7,650 ft
Best season
May–October
Surface
Graded dirt road with occasional washboard
  • Historic gold-mining sites and interpretive markers
  • Open meadows and easy navigation
  • Connects to many other Big Bear backcountry roads
GPX Track↑ 892 ft↓ 1,535 ft
6,749 ft8,192 ft

Gold Mountain / Dishpan Springs

No. 3N69
Street-legal plate only
Distance
4.5mi
Difficulty
Difficult

Per the MVUM, 3N69 is open to street-legal vehicles only: plated bikes, no green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes.

Source: USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), 2026

Scenic climb past old mines to wide high-desert overlooks.

A technical climb up the flanks of Gold Mountain with mixed dirt and rocky pitches, passing relics of the area's mining past. The upper sections open to sweeping views across Baldwin Lake and the high desert toward Lucerne Valley.

Elevation
6,750–8,200 ft
Best season
May–October
Surface
Dirt road with loose rock and rutted climbs
  • Big views over Baldwin Lake and the desert
  • Historic mine sites
  • Links the John Bull area
GPX Track↑ 1,106 ft↓ 358 ft
5,886 ft6,791 ft

Cactus Flat OHV Area

No. 3N03
Green sticker: partial
Distance
7.3mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, Cactus Flat OHV Area is mixed: some segments are open to all vehicles (green-sticker OK) and others are open to street-legal vehicles only, so access goes segment by segment. Read the signs at each junction; registration + spark arrestor required.

Source: USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), 2026

East-side OHV staging hub feeding the area's road network.

Off Highway 18 north of Big Bear, Cactus Flat is a designated OHV staging area (vault toilet, parking, signage) feeding Smarts Ranch Rd (3N03) through pinyon and juniper. Terrain ranges from easy dirt road to looser, sandier routes.

Elevation
5,900–6,800 ft
Best season
April–November
Surface
Mixed dirt and sandy tread with rocky sections
  • Established OHV staging and parking
  • Green-sticker access on part of the road
  • High-desert transition scenery
GPX Track↑ 541 ft↓ 1,995 ft
5,640 ft7,208 ft

Coxey Road Connector

No. 3N14
Green sticker: partial
Distance
10.5mi
Difficulty
Easy

Per the MVUM, Coxey Road Connector is mixed: some segments are open to all vehicles (green-sticker OK) and others are open to street-legal vehicles only, so access goes segment by segment. Read the signs at each junction; registration + spark arrestor required.

Source: USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), 2026

Long, mellow graded road, the backbone of the backcountry.

Coxey Road runs from Fawnskin toward the northern forest boundary. Smooth and beginner-friendly with long sight lines, it's ideal for building seat time or covering ground between trail systems.

Elevation
5,650–7,200 ft
Best season
April–November
Surface
Wide graded dirt, generally smooth
  • Great for beginners and warm-ups
  • Central connector to the northern road network
  • Forest and meadow scenery
GPX Track↑ 646 ft↓ 112 ft
6,850 ft7,388 ft

Van Dusen Canyon Road

No. 3N09
Street-legal plate only
Distance
3.5mi
Difficulty
Easy

Per the MVUM, 3N09 is open to street-legal vehicles only: plated bikes, no green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes.

Source: USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), 2026

Historic stage road, an easy, scenic climb from town toward Holcomb Valley.

A wide, smooth dirt road following the old Van Dusen Canyon stage route from Big Bear City up to Holcomb Valley. Gentle and beginner-friendly under a canopy of pines, one of the most accessible ways into the backcountry.

Elevation
6,850–7,400 ft
Best season
April–November
Surface
Wide, smooth graded dirt
  • Historic Van Dusen stage route
  • Gentle, beginner-friendly grade
  • Direct line into Holcomb Valley
GPX Track↑ 1,047 ft↓ 1,532 ft
6,283 ft7,119 ft

Arrastre Creek Road

No. 2N02
Green sticker: partial
Distance
10.5mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, Arrastre Creek Road is mixed: some segments are open to all vehicles (green-sticker OK) and others are open to street-legal vehicles only, so access goes segment by segment. Read the signs at each junction; registration + spark arrestor required.

Source: USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), 2026

Long east-side graded road with one green-sticker stretch.

Arrastre Creek Road runs from Baldwin Lake Road east toward the forest boundary, climbing through Jeffrey pine and high-desert transition. A scenic, moderate ride, mostly plate-only, with one segment open to all vehicles.

Elevation
6,300–7,100 ft
Best season
May–October
Surface
Graded dirt with rocky, rutted sections
  • Long, scenic east-side mileage
  • Jeffrey pine and high-desert transition
  • Quieter than the OHV staging areas
GPX Track↑ 873 ft↓ 1,017 ft
7,323 ft8,153 ft

John Bull Trail

No. 3N10
Street-legal plate only
Distance
5.6mi
Difficulty
Expert

Per the MVUM, 3N10 is open to street-legal vehicles only: plated bikes, no green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes.

Source: USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), 2026

Big Bear's most famous trail, a brutal experts-only rock crawl that's more bragging rights than flow on a bike.

One of the most famous technical trails in Southern California, John Bull is a relentless field of granite boulders and step-ups. The Forest Service rates it black-diamond / most difficult. On a dirt bike it demands expert balance, line choice, and clutch control, and most riders find it more punishing than fun. Ranked low here because it's plate-only and a sufferfest on two wheels, not because it isn't famous. Never ride it alone.

Elevation
7,300–8,150 ft
Best season
June–September
Surface
Large granite boulders and rock ledges
  • Iconic technical rock obstacles
  • Big payoff views from the high desert edge
  • Connects to the Gold Mountain network