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 MVUM and OpenStreetMap, 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 · 10 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 on the MVUM.

Sticker rules & the 2026 e-bike law (SB 586)

Electric bikes are OHVs now: under California's SB 586, off-road electric motorcycles count as OHVs. A Sur-Ron or a race-bred Stark Varg (MX) needs a green sticker, a helmet, and visible ID — and like any green-sticker bike, it's restricted to OHV-designated areas. So they follow the same green-sticker access shown on each route, and they can't be plated.

The exception is the road-going Stark Varg EX: it's fully road-homologated in the US (lights, indicators, foot rear brake), so it registers and plates like a street-legal dual-sport — and can ride every route here, including plate-only roads.

Sticker note: since Jan 1 2025, red and green stickers are treated as equally valid year-round in OHV-designated areas; model-year 2022+ non-compliant gas bikes use the new tan sticker. Always carry current registration and a working spark arrestor.

Where can I ride?

San Bernardino National Forest MVUM

Every legal motorized road and trail in the Big Bear area, straight from the Forest Service's Motor Vehicle Use Map. 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

~38mi

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 green-sticker-open segments.

Van Dusen Canyon RoadHolcomb Valley LoopCoxey Road Connector

East-Side OHV Sampler

~10mi

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

Start from Cactus Flat off Highway 18, warm up on Smarts Ranch Rd (3N03), then session the Pinyon/Vista OHV trails (2E20) — the closest thing to real singletrack in the area and fully green-sticker. A good half-day for green-sticker bikes or anyone wanting trail tread over fire road; pair it with Gold Mountain or John Bull nearby if you want to add teeth.

Cactus Flat OHV AreaPinyon & Vista OHV Trails

The Routes

10 rides
GPX Track↑ 226 ft↓ 308 ft
6,007 ft6,230 ft

Pinyon & Vista OHV Trails

No. 2E20
Green sticker OK
Distance
2.2mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, these are designated OHV trails open to wheeled OHVs under 50 inches wide, year-round, green-sticker (and red-sticker, in season) dirt bikes welcome. Registration + spark arrestor required. The singletrack option, not a fire road.

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

Big Bear's beginner-friendly OHV singletrack, the trails, not a fire road.

A well-marked network of designated OHV trails (Pinyon, Vista, Joshua Loop) running from the Cactus Flat staging area through pinyon and juniper. Easy-to-moderate 'terra trail' tread that's genuinely fun on a dirt bike, the closest thing here to true singletrack.

Elevation
6,100–6,400 ft
Best season
April–November
Surface
Narrow OHV tread (≤50 in.), sandy with rocky sections
  • Real OHV singletrack, not a fire road
  • Well-marked and beginner-friendly
  • Loops straight from the Cactus Flat staging area
GPX Track↑ 2,812 ft↓ 2,894 ft
5,512 ft7,657 ft

Holcomb Valley Loop

No. 3N16
Green sticker: partial
Distance
22.6mi
Difficulty
Easy

Per the MVUM, 3N16 is mostly highway-legal-only, but one segment (around the Crab Flats / 3N34 area) is open to all vehicles, so green-sticker bikes are allowed on that portion only, not the stretches toward Green Valley Lake, Big Bear, or Fawnskin. 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
7,000–7,400 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↑ 1,562 ft↓ 925 ft
6,732 ft8,202 ft

Gold Mountain / Dishpan Springs

No. 3N69
Street-legal plate only
Distance
4.0mi
Difficulty
Difficult

Per the MVUM, 3N69 is open to highway-legal vehicles only, plated bikes only; green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes are not permitted. A technical, high-clearance climb.

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
6,900–8,200 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↑ 390 ft↓ 1,138 ft
5,883 ft6,791 ft

Cactus Flat OHV Area

No. 3N03
Green sticker: partial
Distance
7.2mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, Smarts Ranch Rd (3N03) is part highway-legal-only and part open-to-all-vehicles, so green-sticker access is segment-by-segment, but the staging area's OHV trails (Pinyon/Vista, 2E20) are fully green-sticker. Registration + spark arrestor required.

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

East-side OHV staging hub feeding the area's trail 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) and the Pinyon/Vista trail network through pinyon and juniper. Terrain ranges from easy dirt road to looser, sandier routes.

Elevation
6,400–7,000 ft
Best season
April–November
Surface
Mixed dirt and sandy tread with rocky sections
  • Established OHV staging and parking
  • Gateway to the Pinyon/Vista trail network
  • High-desert transition scenery
GPX Track↑ 758 ft↓ 2,785 ft
5,177 ft7,211 ft

Coxey Road Connector

No. 3N14
Green sticker: partial
Distance
13.4mi
Difficulty
Easy

Per the MVUM, 3N14 is part highway-legal-only and part open-to-all-vehicles, so green-sticker bikes are allowed on the open-to-all segment (north toward the forest boundary), not the lower stretch from Fawnskin. Registration + spark arrestor required.

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

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

Coxey Road runs about 13 miles 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
6,700–7,300 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↑ 725 ft↓ 187 ft
6,841 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 highway-legal vehicles only, plated bikes only; green-sticker bikes are not permitted. A gentle, scenic connector to Holcomb Valley.

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
6,800–7,400 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↑ 2,083 ft↓ 1,119 ft
5,801 ft7,113 ft

Arrastre Creek Road

No. 2N02
Green sticker: partial
Distance
11.3mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, most of 2N02 is highway-legal-only, but a ~3.8-mile middle segment is open to all vehicles, so green-sticker bikes are allowed on that stretch only. Registration + spark arrestor required.

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

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

Arrastre Creek Road runs about 11 miles from Baldwin Lake Road east to the forest boundary, climbing through Jeffrey pine and high-desert transition. A scenic, moderate ride, mostly plate-only, with one segment open to OHVs.

Elevation
6,800–7,500 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↑ 1,027 ft↓ 889 ft
7,326 ft8,153 ft

John Bull Trail

No. 3N10
Street-legal plate only
Distance
5.2mi
Difficulty
Expert

Despite its OHV-trail reputation, the MVUM lists 3N10 and its spurs as open to highway-legal vehicles only, a plated, street-legal bike route, not a green-sticker one. Expert rock; never ride it alone.

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
7,200–7,800 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
GPX Track↑ 194 ft↓ 784 ft
6,775 ft7,510 ft

Burnt Flat Road

No. 3N02
Street-legal plate only
Distance
2.5mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, 3N02 is open to highway-legal vehicles only, plated bikes only; green-sticker bikes are not permitted, even though it heads toward the John Bull area.

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

Moderate road into John Bull country, camp or get the wheels dirty.

Burnt Flat Road climbs through pinyon and Jeffrey pine east of Big Bear toward the John Bull area, linking to the 'Little John Bull' connector. A moderate ride with dispersed camping and access to rockier trails nearby.

Elevation
7,000–7,600 ft
Best season
May–October
Surface
Dirt road with rocky, rutted sections
  • Gateway to the John Bull area
  • Dispersed camping
  • Pinyon and Jeffrey pine
GPX Track↑ 151 ft↓ 174 ft
7,349 ft7,418 ft

Van Dusen Creek Road

No. 3N07
Street-legal plate only
Distance
1.7mi
Difficulty
Easy

Per the MVUM, 3N07 is open to highway-legal vehicles only, plated bikes only; green-sticker bikes are not permitted. A quiet, easy forest road.

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

Quiet, easy forest road behind the Holcomb Valley meadows.

A simple, smooth dirt road winding behind the meadows of Holcomb Valley near Coyote Crag, beneath a canopy of pines. Mellow and scenic, with quiet dispersed campsites along the way.

Elevation
7,300–7,600 ft
Best season
May–October
Surface
Smooth graded dirt
  • Quiet pine-canopy cruising
  • Dispersed campsites
  • Behind the Holcomb Valley meadows