Field GuideLos Padres N.F.

Santa Barbara
Dirt Bike Routes

The Santa Ynez and San Rafael backcountry behind Santa Barbara takes in the Camuesa OHV area, the East Camino Cielo crest, and remote green-sticker roads, plus quieter plated routes. Route geometry and elevation come from the Forest Service MVUM and SRTM. Many roads here close in wet weather — storm-driven rather than calendar-based, so expect closures during and after winter and spring rains (roughly November–April) until the tread dries out.

Santa Barbara, California · Los Padres National Forest · 7 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?

Los Padres National Forest MVUM

Every legal motorized road and trail in the Santa Barbara 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…

The Routes

7 rides
GPX Track↑ 1,562 ft↓ 2,169 ft
1,237 ft2,789 ft

Camuesa Road (Romero–Camuesa)

No. 5N15.2
Green sticker OK
Distance
11.8mi
Difficulty
Difficult

Per the MVUM, 5N15.2 is designated open to all vehicles, so green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes are allowed. Registration + spark arrestor required. This route has a seasonal (wet-weather) closure, so confirm it's open before you go.

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

The backbone of Santa Barbara's Camuesa OHV area, green-sticker riding.

The Romero–Camuesa road (5N15) is the spine of the Camuesa OHV area in the Santa Ynez backcountry, with segment 5N15.2 designated open to all vehicles. It's a rugged, remote backcountry road through chaparral and oak, the heart of the only real green-sticker network near Santa Barbara, with seasonal wet-weather closures.

Elevation
1,250–2,800 ft
Best season
Late spring–fall (closed when wet)
Surface
Rugged backcountry dirt with rocky, eroded sections
  • Core of the Camuesa OHV area
  • Designated green-sticker (open to all vehicles)
  • Remote Santa Ynez backcountry
GPX Track↑ 1,309 ft↓ 3,094 ft
2,759 ft4,603 ft

East Camino Cielo (OHV segment)

No. 5N12.1
Green sticker OK
Distance
11.9mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, 5N12.1 is designated open to all vehicles, so green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes are allowed. Registration + spark arrestor required.

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

The legendary ridge road above Santa Barbara, its OHV-open stretch.

East Camino Cielo rides the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains directly above Santa Barbara, with the 5N12.1 segment designated open to all vehicles. Expect knife-edge ocean-and-backcountry views, sandstone outcrops, and a mix of graded and rougher tread along one of the most scenic ridgelines in the county.

Elevation
2,750–4,600 ft
Best season
Spring–fall (seasonal closures when wet)
Surface
Mixed graded dirt and rocky sandstone tread
  • Crest-of-the-range ocean and backcountry views
  • Sandstone outcrops along the ridge
  • Green-sticker-open ridge segment
GPX Track↑ 876 ft↓ 2,792 ft
2,782 ft4,728 ft

Buckhorn Road

No. 9N11.4
Green sticker OK
Distance
10.1mi
Difficulty
Difficult

Per the MVUM, 9N11.4 is designated open to all vehicles, so green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes are allowed. Registration + spark arrestor required. This route has a seasonal (wet-weather) closure, so confirm it's open before you go.

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

Remote green-sticker road into the San Rafael backcountry.

9N11.4 (Buckhorn) pushes into the remote San Rafael / upper Santa Ynez backcountry as a designated open-to-all-vehicles road. It's a long, rugged, lightly-traveled high-clearance route through chaparral and pine, proper green-sticker backcountry with seasonal closures, so go prepared and self-sufficient.

Elevation
2,800–4,750 ft
Best season
Late spring–fall (closed when wet)
Surface
Rugged high-clearance dirt; rough and remote
  • Deep San Rafael backcountry
  • Designated green-sticker road
  • Quiet, remote, and rugged
GPX Track↑ 1,575 ft↓ 1,601 ft
3,442 ft4,186 ft

Zaca Ridge OHV Road

No. 8N02
Green sticker: partial
Distance
7.6mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, Zaca Ridge OHV Road is mixed: some segments are open to all vehicles (green-sticker OK) and others are highway-legal-only, so access goes segment by segment. Read the signs at each junction; registration + spark arrestor required. This route has a seasonal (wet-weather) closure, so confirm it's open before you go.

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

Ridge road in the Zaca Peak OHV area, green-sticker on part of it.

8N02 climbs to Zaca Ridge in the Zaca Peak OHV area north of the Santa Ynez Valley. Rolling chaparral ridgetops, oak woodland, and big views over the wine-country valleys make it one of the more approachable rides in the forest. Part of the road is open to all vehicles, so green-sticker access is segment-by-segment, and it's open seasonally.

Elevation
3,450–4,200 ft
Best season
Spring–fall (seasonal)
Surface
Graded-to-rocky ridge road
  • Green-sticker access on part of the road (seasonal)
  • Chaparral ridgetops and oak woodland
  • Views over the Santa Ynez wine country
GPX Track↑ 2,848 ft↓ 308 ft
3,248 ft5,804 ft

West Dry Canyon Road

No. 8N19
Street-legal plate only
Distance
7.9mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, 8N19 is open to highway-legal vehicles only: plated, street-legal bikes only, no green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes. This route has a seasonal (wet-weather) closure, so confirm it's open before you go.

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

Quiet plated backcountry road in the Sunset Valley area.

8N19 runs through the West Dry Canyon / Sunset Valley country as a highway-legal-only road. It's a quiet, scenic plated dual-sport ride through oak and chaparral with creek crossings, a good way to link the area's backcountry without the technical demands of the OHV roads.

Elevation
3,250–5,800 ft
Best season
Spring–fall
Surface
Graded dirt with creek crossings
  • Quiet oak-and-chaparral backcountry
  • Seasonal creek crossings
  • Scenic plated dual-sport route
GPX Track↑ 256 ft↓ 1,516 ft
1,804 ft3,110 ft

Sunset Valley Road

No. 8N09
Street-legal plate only
Distance
5.7mi
Difficulty
Easy

Per the MVUM, 8N09 is open to highway-legal vehicles only: plated, street-legal bikes only, no green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes.

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

Mellow plated road into the Sunset Valley backcountry.

8N09 is a gentler graded road into the Sunset Valley area, a relaxed plated ride good for building seat time and reaching trailheads and dispersed camps. Oak woodland, open valley, and easy navigation. Highway-legal-only, so plated bikes only.

Elevation
1,800–3,100 ft
Best season
Spring–fall
Surface
Wide graded dirt, generally smooth
  • Easy, beginner-friendly grade
  • Oak woodland and open valley
  • Access to dispersed camping (plated only)
GPX Track↑ 2,323 ft↓ 1,667 ft
2,451 ft4,455 ft

Happy Canyon Road

No. 7N07.2
Street-legal plate only
Distance
9.8mi
Difficulty
Moderate

Per the MVUM, 7N07.2 is open to highway-legal vehicles only: plated, street-legal bikes only, no green-sticker (non-street-legal) bikes. This route has a seasonal (wet-weather) closure, so confirm it's open before you go.

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

Scenic plated road from the Santa Ynez Valley into the forest.

Happy Canyon (7N07) climbs from the Santa Ynez Valley up into the Los Padres backcountry, transitioning from oak-dotted ranch country to chaparral forest. A long, scenic, highway-legal-only road, a classic plated dual-sport climb toward Figueroa Mountain country.

Elevation
2,450–4,450 ft
Best season
Spring–fall
Surface
Graded dirt, smooth lower, rougher up high
  • Santa Ynez Valley to forest transition
  • Toward Figueroa Mountain country
  • Long scenic plated climb