By Jon Crowley
How 2,200 Miles of Court-Ordered Trail Closures Could Affect Randsburg and One of California’s Most Iconic Off-Road Destinations
On most holiday weekends, the quiet streets of Randsburg, California, come alive with the sound of off-road adventure.
UTVs line the dirt streets outside the Randsburg General Store. Dirt bikes, Jeeps, and adventure motorcycles fill the parking areas as riders grab lunch, fuel up, and trade stories before heading back into the Mojave Desert.
For decades, that has been part of the Southern California off-road tradition.
Today, that tradition faces one of its biggest challenges in decades.
In January 2026, a federal court ordered the closure of approximately 2,200 additional miles of designated off-road routes across California’s Western Mojave. The ruling represents another major reduction in one of the state’s most historic public trail systems, leaving riders wondering what remains open and what the future holds for communities built around off-road recreation.
For many enthusiasts, this isn’t simply a story about miles of trail.
It’s about preserving the places, history, and traditions that those trails connect.
Off-road riders gather in Randsburg on a holiday weekend
Randsburg: More Than a Stop Along the Trail
Founded during California’s gold rush in 1895, Randsburg has become much more than a historic mining town.
For generations, it has been one of Southern California’s favorite places to stop during a day of exploring the Western Mojave.
Owner of the Randsburg General Store, Brad Myers, says visitors aren’t just looking for lunch.
They’re looking for an experience.
“Typically, 90 percent of our business is off-roaders, and much of that business is usually done on major holiday weekends. The people just come into town, and they’re looking for a destination and something fun to do and hear a good joke. Have a laugh. Have a beer and have a good burger, so we try to provide all that. People enjoy telling stories and want somebody to listen, so we’re good at doing all that here in Randsburg.”
The General Store now operates from the historic Vault building, once used to store dynamite during the town’s mining days.
“We have always been the Randsburg General Store. We just moved to the Vault building. It’s where they used to store the dynamite for the mine. The Vault is up the street from the original old store, so the name is still the Randsburg General Store doing business at The Vault.”
For many riders, stopping in Randsburg has become just as much a tradition as the ride itself.
Like many mining towns across the West, Randsburg has continually adapted to survive. After the gold boom faded, the community reinvented itself as a historic destination, welcoming visitors interested in its Old West character and rich mining heritage. Over the past several decades, off-road recreation has become the town’s newest lifeline, bringing thousands of visitors who stop for food, fuel, shopping, and hospitality while exploring the Western Mojave. That ability to evolve has kept Randsburg alive through mining declines, economic downturns, earthquakes, and even the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, many residents worry the latest trail closures present one of the community’s greatest challenges yet.
What Happened?
On January 23, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ordered the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to close approximately 2,200 additional miles of designated routes within the Western Mojave Route Network Project while the agency prepares another environmental analysis and revised travel management plan.
The Western Mojave planning area covers approximately 9.4 million acres, including roughly 3.1 million acres managed by the BLM.
The latest ruling reduces the historic route network from approximately 16,000 inventoried miles to an estimated 3,800 designated miles, representing a reduction of roughly 76 percent.
Western Mojave Trail Closure Map
How We Got Here
The Western Mojave has been the subject of litigation for nearly twenty years.
Following an earlier court ruling, the Bureau of Land Management spent years reevaluating the route network, conducting environmental studies, reviewing thousands of public comments, and preparing a revised Travel Management Plan.
When the revised plan was adopted in 2019, it had already reduced the route network from approximately 16,000 miles to about 6,000 miles of designated routes.
Environmental organizations challenged that plan, arguing it still did not satisfy federal requirements for minimizing impacts to sensitive habitat.
In January 2026, the court agreed that additional analysis was required and ordered that another 2,200 miles of routes be closed while the planning process begins again.
Why Recreation Groups Are Concerned
For organizations like CORVA and the BlueRibbon Coalition, this case represents much more than another travel management decision.
The issue is not whether the desert tortoise should be protected. Most responsible recreation groups support protecting sensitive habitat and recognize the importance of conserving threatened species. The disagreement is over whether closing another 2,200 miles of designated routes—after years of planning, environmental review, and previous closures—is the appropriate solution.
The routes affected by the court order were not unauthorized trails. They had been analyzed, mapped, designated, and managed through years of formal planning by the Bureau of Land Management.
For many longtime off-road enthusiasts, the Western Mojave ruling feels familiar. The same environmental organization that successfully challenged motorized access at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area more than two decades ago once again prevailed before Judge Susan Illston, resulting in another sweeping reduction in public motorized access. Recreation groups see that pattern as one reason this case has attracted national attention.
Despite nearly a decade of environmental review, public meetings, route-by-route analysis, and thousands of public comments, a single federal judge concluded the Bureau of Land Management had not adequately demonstrated compliance with federal environmental requirements and ordered another 2,200 miles of designated routes closed while the agency prepares yet another planning process.
Many recreation organizations believe the broader concern is precedent. If years of collaborative planning can ultimately be overturned through litigation, they question how much certainty future travel management plans can provide—not only for off-highway vehicles, but for all forms of recreation on public lands.
Supporters of the ruling, however, argue judicial review is an important part of ensuring federal agencies comply with environmental laws enacted by Congress.
Bickel Camp
More Than Trails
Several years ago, I spent three days exploring the Western Mojave while creating UTVGuide’s Ride Spot: Randsburg, California.
The goal wasn’t simply to log miles.
It was to experience the places that make this part of California unique.
Over three days we visited the Trona Pinnacles, Fish Head Rocks, the X-15 Crash Site, The Narrows, Burro Schmidt Tunnel, Bickel Camp, Last Chance Canyon, Jurassic Town, the Husky Memorial, Inscription Canyon, and Cuddeback Dry Lake.
Every location told a different story.
Some celebrated military aviation history.
Others preserved California’s mining heritage.
Some honored members of the off-road community.
Others showcased geological formations found nowhere else on Earth.
Throughout the trip, Randsburg served as our home base.
We stopped there for meals, fuel, supplies, and the opportunity to slow down before heading back into the desert.
Looking back, what stands out isn’t how many miles we rode.
It’s how many remarkable places were connected by the Western Mojave trail network.
If you’ve never explored the area, our Ride Spot: Randsburg, California guide offers a closer look at many of the destinations that have made this region one of Southern California’s premier adventure riding areas.
Husky Memorial
The Husky Memorial
Perhaps no place better illustrates the impact of the recent closures than the Husky Memorial.
For decades, riders have made the journey to this remote memorial to honor members of the off-road community who are no longer with us.
It’s a tradition shared by generations of riders.
Based on the current court-ordered closure maps, the designated motorized routes that historically provided access to the memorial now appear to fall within the closed route network.
For many enthusiasts, that’s when the numbers become personal.
This isn’t simply about losing miles of trail.
It’s about losing access to places that have become part of Southern California’s off-road heritage.
What This Means for Randsburg
For Randsburg, the biggest concern may not be the trail closures themselves.
It’s the possibility that riders will assume the entire area is closed and choose another destination.
According to local business owners, approximately 90 of the town’s tourism-related economy comes from off-road visitors, with major holiday weekends providing much of the revenue that helps sustain businesses throughout the year.
The timing couldn’t be more difficult.
In September 2025, severe flooding damaged one of the primary roads into Randsburg and forced the cancellation of the town’s annual Old West Days celebration—one of its largest events of the year. Many businesses were still recovering when the latest trail closures took effect.
Despite those setbacks, Randsburg has proven remarkably resilient throughout its 130-year history.
After the gold boom faded, the town reinvented itself as a destination where visitors could experience California’s mining heritage. Over the past several decades, off-road recreation has become another vital part of that story, bringing thousands of riders who stop for meals, fuel, shopping, and the chance to experience one of the state’s most authentic Old West communities.
Unlike many historic mining towns that have become little more than museums, Randsburg remains a living community. Its restaurants, businesses, museums, and historic buildings survive because people make the decision to turn off Highway 395 and spend part of their day in town before heading back into the desert.
That’s why local business owners are encouraging riders not to write off the Western Mojave.
Randsburg is still open.
Many of the region’s iconic destinations remain accessible, even as portions of the trail network have changed. Continuing to visit Randsburg, support its local businesses, and explore the routes that remain open is one way the off-road community can help preserve a place that has been part of California’s riding culture for generations.
The Fight Isn’t Over
Although the court-ordered closures remain in effect, the legal battle over the Western Mojave is far from over.
The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management and other federal defendants, has appealed the January 2026 order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
BlueRibbon Coalition has also filed a motion seeking permission to intervene in the appeal, arguing that while the federal government will defend the BLM’s administrative process, no party in the case is specifically representing the interests of off-highway vehicle users, local communities, and small businesses that depend on continued public access.
According to BlueRibbon Coalition Executive Director Ben Burr:
“The federal government’s appeal is important, but it does not solve the representation problem. BLM’s lawyers will defend the agency’s administrative process. They are not in a position to stand up for the riders, the families, the veterans, and the small business owners who lost access to the West Mojave because of this order. That is our job.”
If the court grants BlueRibbon Coalition’s motion to intervene, the organization would become a party to the appeal and be able to raise legal arguments focused specifically on recreation access—issues it believes the federal government is unlikely to emphasize.
For riders, that means the story is still unfolding. While the closures remain in place today, the Ninth Circuit appeal could shape the future of motorized recreation in the Western Mojave for years to come.
Final Thoughts
Brad Myers said something during our conversation that perfectly captures why this story matters.
“The people just come into town, and they’re looking for a destination.”
He’s right.
The Western Mojave has never been just a network of trails.
It’s a collection of places that have become part of California’s off-road heritage—historic mining towns like Randsburg, scenic overlooks, memorials like the Husky Memorial that honor members of the off-road community we’ve lost, and iconic landmarks like the X-15 Crash Site, Bickel Camp, and Burro Schmidt Tunnel. It’s home to abandoned mines, forgotten cabins, old stage routes, and countless pieces of California history that can only truly be experienced by venturing into the Mojave Desert. It’s where families gather for holiday weekends, where lifelong friendships begin over burgers and trail maps, and where every ride has the opportunity to become an adventure.
Only time will tell what the final Western Mojave travel network looks like.
In the meantime, the trails that remain open deserve to be ridden responsibly, and towns like Randsburg deserve our continued support.
Because in the end, preserving access isn’t just about protecting trails.
It’s about protecting the places those trails lead us.
What Riders Need to Know Right Now
Whether you’re planning your first trip to the Western Mojave or you’ve been riding these trails for decades, one thing is clear: don’t assume the routes you rode last season are still open.
Before heading to the area, riders should:
- Review the latest BLM travel maps and route designations.
- Stay on designated open routes.
- Respect all posted closures and barriers.
- Verify routes before organizing group rides or events.
- Understand that many long-established loops may no longer be possible.
Perhaps most importantly, don’t assume that Randsburg itself is closed.
The town remains open and continues to welcome visitors. Its restaurants, businesses, historic attractions, lodging, and museums are still serving guests, even though access to portions of the surrounding trail network has changed.
For many riders, spending a day in Randsburg can still be part of an unforgettable trip.
See more of UTV Guide’s California OHV access and land-use coverage, including trail closures, lawsuits and public-comment opportunities.
Editor’s Note:
UTVGuide contacted the Bureau of Land Management seeking comment on the implementation of the Western Mojave closures. Because the matter remains under active litigation, the agency declined to comment.
