Cell coverage is decent this close to town. Tell someone your plan anyway.
Permit required — BLM lists no entrance fee, no use fee and no camping fee for Grand Valley. 🔴 That does not mean you can ride without paperwork, as Colorado requires an OHV permit on public land.
Mancos shale turns to slick, sticky clay when wet and will strand a vehicle a long way from the road. Check the forecast and do not ride it after rain or snowmelt.
Guide
About this area
• Roughly 15 square miles of desert-like terrain on the northeast edge of Grand Junction • Barren Mancos shale hills — challenging riding for all vehicle types and all skill levels • Open cross-country riding, not a marked trail system • Bounded by 27¼ Road on the west, the 32 Road alignment on the east, and the Little…
Camping
• Camping available at the open area
• 14 day limit
Facilities
• 🔴 NOTHING ON SITE — no restrooms, no potable water, no trash service, no shade
• No developed parking or unloading area — you stage off the access roads
• BLM has identified parking, signage, restrooms and campsites as future opportunities here, but they do not exist today
• Pack it in, pack it out — there is nowhere to leave anything
• Grand Junction is minutes away for fuel, food, parts and lodging
Full agency description
Grand Valley Open OHV Area is roughly 15 square miles of Mancos shale badlands on the northeast edge of Grand Junction — barren, wildly eroded clay hills that ride like nothing else in Colorado. It is open cross-country to every kind of vehicle and every skill level, from mellow double-track to steep, chalky hill climbs. There is no gate, no fee and no facilities of any kind: it is BLM open desert twenty minutes from a regional airport, which is exactly what makes it useful and exactly what makes it easy to underestimate.
At a glance
Quick facts
Camping limit
Primitive dispersed camping is allowed with a 14-day limit. There is no water, no toilet and no trash service — everything you bring comes back out with you.
Managing agency
Bureau of Land Management
Access
Getting there
Grand Valley OHV Recreation Area — 27 1/4 RdEntrance
From I-70 take exit 31 for Horizon Dr, then H Rd west to 27 1/4 Rd and north to the area.
Common equipment, registration and trail-use rules still apply.
Ride to the highest safety standard, not the legal minimum. A helmet, eye protection, a flag and proper gear are what get you home.
Pack it in, pack it out, as there is no trash service.
Check the law yourself as rules change and you are responsible for compliance.
🗺️ Take an offline map. BLM publish free georeferenced PDF maps that show your live GPS position with no cell service.
Permits
Permits & registration
Permit and registration details
BLM lists no entrance fee, no use fee and no camping fee for Grand Valley. 🔴 That does not mean you can ride without paperwork, as Colorado requires an OHV permit on public land.
State residents
Colorado residents must register your OHV with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Registration is $25.25, which includes a $1.25 Search and Rescue surcharge.
Out-of-state riders
🔴 Colorado requires a Colorado OHV permit for every vehicle, including plated street-legal vehicles, on any designated OHV trail. Non-residents must buy the permit for $25.25.
Permit and registration rules change. Confirm current requirements with the managing agency before you ride.
Trip support
Fuel, food & local help
Local fuel notes (3)
��️ It closes at 11PM, so if you are rolling out before dawn fuel the night before — Love's on 22 Road, Pilot on Hwy 6 & 50 and the Maverik on F Road are all 24 hours.
🚚 Towing a toy hauler? Use Love's or Pilot — they are truck stops with pull-through lanes and the height for it.
Once you turn onto H Road there is nothing.
Pump gas & diesel
Exxon — Horizon Drivefuel
I-70 Exit 31 (Horizon Drive) — last services on the way in · 722 Horizon Dr · (970) 242-0202 · ⚠️ closes 11PM — not a pre-dawn option. Right on the route as you come off I-70.More
I-70 Exit 31 (Horizon Drive) — last services on the way in · 722 Horizon Dr · (970) 242-0202 · ⚠️ closes 11PM — not a pre-dawn option. Right on the route as you come off I-70.
I-70 west side — 24 hours, trailer-friendly · 748 22 Rd · (970) 241-3337 · Open 24 hours. Truck stop — pull-through lanes and height for a toy hauler. Travel center — hot food as well as fuel, and room to park a rig.More
I-70 west side — 24 hours, trailer-friendly · 748 22 Rd · (970) 241-3337 · Open 24 hours. Truck stop — pull-through lanes and height for a toy hauler. Travel center — hot food as well as fuel, and room to park a rig.
Open year-round. Summer afternoons are extremely hot on bare shale with no shade. Wet weather turns the clay greasy and impassable — the ground condition matters more here than the temperature.
Area information is informational only and may be inaccurate or out of date. Verify access, weather, closures, permits and hazards before and during any trip. See Terms.
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