Where to ride
Where to ride in Colorado
Public riding areas, private motocross tracks and the permits Colorado asks for. Public areas are quoted from the managing agency's page, tracks from their own sites, each dated. Places close for fire, weather, seasons, races and repairs, so check the page before you go.
- Public areas
- 6
- Tracks
- 2
- On the map
- 5
- Quoted facts
- 22
- Reviewed
- 2026-09-30
Areas
Public land the managing agency describes for off-highway riding, and privately run tracks and riding parks open to the public. Each card quotes the place’s own page on the riding, vehicles, season, ride days, fees, camping and size; what the page does not print is named on a hatched line. The Forest Service and the BLM publish motor vehicle use maps for public land not listed here.
Show areas whose pages name
Run by
Showing all 8 areas.
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1. North Sand Hills OHV Area
Colorado's only open sand dune area for OHV recreation is situated at the eastern edge of North Park at the toe of the Medicine Bow Mountain Range.
- Riding
- In the quote above
- Vehicles
North Sand Hills provides unique riding opportunities for dirt bike, ATV, side- by-side and sand rail riders.
- Season
The area is seasonally closed to motorized use from December 15 to April 15 annually.
- Camping
A small campground of 13 individual pull-through units with picnic tables and fire rings and other dispersed camping sites are available within the area.
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- Not on the pages we checked: Ride days, Fees, Size
North Sand Hills OHV Area, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Map point: Map pin on the agency page, checked 2026-09-30. Back to the map
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2. Bangs Canyon OHV Trails
This area is close to Grand Junction and offers excellent views and scenery.
- Riding
Opportunities for motorized trail riding from single track motorcycle trails, ATV width trails, rock crawling on the Billings Canyon jeep trail, and 4-wheel drive roads.
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- Not on the pages we checked: Vehicles, Season, Ride days, Fees, Camping, Size
Bangs Canyon OHV Trails, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Map point: Map pin on the agency page, checked 2026-09-30. Back to the map
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3. North Desert
There are multiple long-distance motorized loop opportunities.
- Riding
Travel is limited to designated trails.
- Vehicles
The North Desert provides opportunities to participate in motorized OHV recreation (motorcycles, ATV, UTV, full-sized 4x4 vehicles) on a variety of routes designated for different uses that link the desert terrain on the north side of the Grand Valley from Grand Junction and Fruita to Rabbit Valley and the Utah Rims trails.
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- Not on the pages we checked: Season, Ride days, Fees, Camping, Size
North Desert, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Map point: Map pin on the agency page, checked 2026-09-30. Back to the map
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4. Hartman Rocks
The Gunnison Area includes the very popular Hartman Rocks recreation use area just a few miles SW of Gunnison.
- Riding
Motor sports enthusiasts will enjoy motorcycling on 39 miles of trails and 33 miles of roads, and 4 wheel drive vehicles/ATVs can explore the roads.
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- Not on the pages we checked: Vehicles, Season, Ride days, Fees, Camping, Size
Hartman Rocks, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Map point: Map pin on the agency page, checked 2026-09-30. Back to the map
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5. Peach Valley OHV Staging Area
The Flat Top-Peach Valley OHV Recreation Area (9,700 acres) is managed by the Bureau of Land Management for responsible motorized recreation.
- Vehicles
Off-route travel is allowed ONLY for ATVs and UTVs 50" or less (dirt bikes, mountain bikes, horses and hikers can go off-route as well).
- Fees
Day Use Only (in and out the same day) = $3 per person.
- Camping
Camping is allowed at the Peach Valley Staging Area for 7 days/6 nights.
- Size
The area offers 2,500+ acres of designated open play areas and over 75 miles of multiple use trails.
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- Not on the pages we checked: Riding, Season, Ride days
Peach Valley OHV Staging Area, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Map point: Printed latitude and longitude, checked 2026-09-30. Back to the map
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6. Rampart Range Recreation Area
The Rampart Range Recreation Area provides a unique setting for off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts to enjoy a variety of riding experiences.
- Vehicles
From intermediate to expert riders, ATV or motorcycle, the Rampart has something for everyone.
- Season
Rampart Range Recreation Area roads are closed annually by December 1 and remain closed throughout the winter.
- Fees
$22 fee for overnight camping in designated small campsites.
- Camping
Dispersed camping is available in designated sites only for a fee.
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- Not on the pages we checked: Riding, Ride days, Size
Rampart Range Recreation Area, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
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7. Thunder Valley Motocross Park
Round 3 of the 2026 Pro Motocross Championship at Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood, CO.
- Season
Wednesday thru Friday 10am to dusk
source- Ride days
Race highlights and post-race interviews from Round 20 of the SMX World Championship – Thunder Valley National on June 13, 2026.
- Fees
$30/rider per day
source- —
- Not on the pages we checked: Riding, Vehicles, Camping, Size
Thunder Valley Motocross Park, own sitechecked 2026-09-30
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8. Jewell Motocross
Located East of Aurora, Jewell Motocross has 4 tracks, perfect for Beginners to Pro's
- Season
Friday – Monday 10 AM – Dusk
- Ride days
Join us every weekend for off road excitement, dirt track training and motocross riding.
- Size
Jewell Motocross has 4 tracks, perfect for Beginners to Pro's
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- Not on the pages we checked: Riding, Vehicles, Fees, Camping
Jewell Motocross, own sitechecked 2026-09-30
No area here matches every filter you picked.
Permits and stickers
What the state's own pages say riders need on public land, quoted word for word. Colorado Parks and Wildlife runs the program; its page is below. Private tracks set their own rules, entry forms and gear requirements.
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Residents
Colorado OHV registration card and decals
Resident OHVs must have both a valid OHV Registration card available with the vehicle, and two current OHV Registration decals properly displayed on and affixed to the vehicle.
Official pagechecked 2026-09-30
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Non-residents
Colorado non-resident OHV permit
All Non-Resident OHVs must have one valid OHV Permit properly displayed on and affixed to the vehicle or carry the valid bright green OHV Permit.
Official pagechecked 2026-09-30
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Everyone
Colorado OHV registration or OHV permit
All Off-Highway Vehicles must have either a current or valid Colorado Registration Card and two Decals or one Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Permit to operate in Colorado.
Official pagechecked 2026-09-30
The state program
Off Highway Vehicle Program, run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The Off Highway Vehicle Program provides registration and use permit services for all Colorado and out of state residents who wish to access designated OHV trails on Colorado's public lands.
Off Highway Vehicle Program, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Before you go
Each place's own page has its current status, seasons, fees and which trails take which vehicles. Rules differ between places and change with fire danger, weather and race schedules, so read it on the day. Tracks set their own gear, age and entry rules.
Official maps
Near a state line? The nearest-places finder looks across every state.
Nothing on this page says anyone may ride anywhere: it points to the agencies that decide. A tag such as “Camping” means the quoted page says so, not that we have been there. Reviewed 2026-09-30.