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Dune weather summary: Aden Hills Off-Highway Vehicle Area, 54°, 3 mph. Alkali Lake OHV Area, 64°, 8 mph. Amargosa Big Dune, 57°, 5 mph. Aurora Open OHV Area, 39°, 3 mph. Bangs Canyon OHV Trails, 45°, 3 mph. Barnwell Mountain Recreational Area, 57°, 0 mph. Blue Creek OHV Area, 61°, 14 mph. Boulders OHV Staging Area, 63°, 0 mph. Buttercup Valley, 70°, 9 mph. Cameo Cliffs/Hook and OHV Ladder Trail System, 54°, 6 mph. Chappie/Shasta Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, 55°, 0 mph. Cinder Hills OHV Area, 42°, 20 mph. Copper Basin Dunes OHV Area, 64°, 6 mph. Coral Pink Sand Dunes, 54°, 5 mph. Crescent Sand Dunes, 37°, 5 mph. Cross Bar Ranch Off-Road Park, 58°, 0 mph. Crossroads OHV Area, 73°, 6 mph. Dove Springs OHV Area, 53°, 0 mph. Dumont Dunes, 64°, 2 mph. Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle Area, 37°, 5 mph. El Mirage OHV Area, 40°, 3 mph. Escondido Draw Recreational Area, 64°, 17 mph. Fort Sage Off-Highway Vehicle Area, 46°, 1 mph, active alert: Lake Wind Advisory. Fossil Creek OHV Trail, 45°, 3 mph. Gemini Bridges, 45°, 0 mph. Glamis / Imperial Sand Dunes, 64°, 8 mph. Glenwood Open OHV Area, 39°, 3 mph. Gordon's Well, 70°, 9 mph. Grand Valley Open OHV Area, 46°, 0 mph. Greater Sand Dunes SRMA, 36°, 6 mph, active alert: High Wind Watch. Hackberry Lake Off-Highway Vehicle Use Area, 64°, 8 mph. Hayfield Draw OHV Area, 63°, 0 mph. Haystack Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle Area, 53°, 7 mph, active alert: Flood Watch. Head Canyon OHV Recreation Area, 37°, 5 mph. Hog Canyon OHV Trail System, 55°, 9 mph. Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area, 72°, 5 mph. Hungry Valley SVRA, 44°, 4 mph. Jawbone Canyon OHV Area, 53°, 0 mph. Johnson Valley OHV Area, 59°, 7 mph. Killpecker Sand Dunes Open Play Area, 36°, 6 mph, active alert: High Wind Watch. Knolls Off-Highway Vehicle Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA), 43°, 3 mph. Little Sahara Recreation Area, 45°, 0 mph. Little Sahara State Park, 61°, 8 mph. McCullough Peaks OHV Area, 48°, 0 mph. Mescalero Sands North Dune Off-Highway Vehicle Area, 63°, 11 mph, active alert: Flood Watch. Millican Valley OHV Trail System, 45°, 6 mph. Moon Rocks OHV Area, 47°, 1 mph, active alert: Lake Wind Advisory. Nellis Dunes OHV Area, 59°, 5 mph. North Sand Hills OHV Area, 37°, 8 mph. Northwest OHV Park, 64°, 0 mph. Oceano Dunes / Pismo Beach, 55°, 0 mph, active alert: Coastal Flood Advisory. Ocotillo Wells SVRA, 72°, 12 mph. Pipestone OHV Area, 36°, 1 mph, active alert: Dense Fog Advisory. Poison Spider / Gold Bar, 45°, 0 mph. Rabbit Creek OHV Trail, 52°, 9 mph. Radar Hill OHV Area, 36°, 0 mph. Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area, 57°, 7 mph. Red Sands Off-Highway Vehicle Area, 63°, 5 mph. Rice Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle Area, 46°, 2 mph, active alert: Lake Wind Advisory. Robledo Mountains OHV Trail System, 63°, 5 mph. Rosita Flats OHV Area, 61°, 14 mph. Samoa Dunes, 55°, 9 mph, active alert: Coastal Flood Advisory. Sand Flats Recreation Area, 45°, 0 mph. Sand Mountain Open Off-Highway Vehicle Area, 39°, 0 mph. Sand Mountain Pipeline Designated Dispersed Camping Area, 54°, 5 mph. Sand Mountain Recreation Area, 50°, 4 mph, active alert: Lake Wind Advisory. Seep Springs OHV Area, 46°, 3 mph. Shoshone OHV Trail System, 39°, 0 mph. Shotgun Creek OHV Staging Area, 39°, 0 mph. Silver Lake ORV Area, 55°, 3 mph. South Cow Mountain OHV Management Area, 46°, 0 mph, active alert: Frost Advisory. St. Anthony Sand Dunes, 36°, 3 mph. St. Helen Motorsport Area, 48°, 6 mph. Standard Wash OHV Area, 64°, 6 mph. Stoddard Valley OHV Area, 53°, 5 mph. Table Mesa Recreation Area, 63°, 0 mph. Virtue Flat Off-Highway Vehicle Area, 45°, 6 mph. Weiser Dunes, 45°, 3 mph. Whitewash Sand Dunes Open OHV Area and Trail System, 45°, 0 mph. Winnemucca Sand Dunes, 37°, 7 mph.

ⓘ
Aden Hills Off-Highway… 54° 3 mph Alkali Lake OHV Area 64° 8 mph Amargosa Big Dune 57° 5 mph Aurora Open OHV Area 39° 3 mph Bangs Canyon OHV Trails 45° 3 mph Barnwell Mountain… 57° 0 mph Blue Creek OHV Area 61° 14 mph Boulders OHV Staging Area 63° 0 mph Buttercup Valley 70° 9 mph Cameo Cliffs/Hook and OHV… 54° 6 mph Chappie/Shasta Off-Highway… 55° 0 mph Cinder Hills OHV Area 42° 20 mph Copper Basin Dunes OHV Area 64° 6 mph Coral Pink Sand Dunes 54° 5 mph Crescent Sand Dunes 37° 5 mph Cross Bar Ranch Off-Road Park 58° 0 mph Crossroads OHV Area 73° 6 mph Dove Springs OHV Area 53° 0 mph Dumont Dunes 64° 2 mph Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle Area 37° 5 mph El Mirage OHV Area 40° 3 mph Escondido Draw Recreational… 64° 17 mph Fort Sage Off-Highway… 46° 1 mph Fossil Creek OHV Trail 45° 3 mph Gemini Bridges 45° 0 mph Glamis / Imperial Sand Dunes 64° 8 mph Glenwood Open OHV Area 39° 3 mph Gordon's Well 70° 9 mph Grand Valley Open OHV Area 46° 0 mph Greater Sand Dunes SRMA 36° 6 mph Hackberry Lake Off-Highway… 64° 8 mph Hayfield Draw OHV Area 63° 0 mph Haystack Mountain… 53° 7 mph Head Canyon OHV Recreation… 37° 5 mph Hog Canyon OHV Trail System 55° 9 mph Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area 72° 5 mph Hungry Valley SVRA 44° 4 mph Jawbone Canyon OHV Area 53° 0 mph Johnson Valley OHV Area 59° 7 mph Killpecker Sand Dunes Open… 36° 6 mph Knolls Off-Highway Vehicle… 43° 3 mph Little Sahara Recreation Area 45° 0 mph Little Sahara State Park 61° 8 mph McCullough Peaks OHV Area 48° 0 mph Mescalero Sands North Dune… 63° 11 mph Millican Valley OHV Trail… 45° 6 mph Moon Rocks OHV Area 47° 1 mph Nellis Dunes OHV Area 59° 5 mph North Sand Hills OHV Area 37° 8 mph Northwest OHV Park 64° 0 mph Oceano Dunes / Pismo Beach 55° 0 mph Ocotillo Wells SVRA 72° 12 mph Pipestone OHV Area 36° 1 mph Poison Spider / Gold Bar 45° 0 mph Rabbit Creek OHV Trail 52° 9 mph Radar Hill OHV Area 36° 0 mph Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area 57° 7 mph Red Sands Off-Highway… 63° 5 mph Rice Canyon Off-Highway… 46° 2 mph Robledo Mountains OHV Trail… 63° 5 mph Rosita Flats OHV Area 61° 14 mph Samoa Dunes 55° 9 mph Sand Flats Recreation Area 45° 0 mph Sand Mountain Open… 39° 0 mph Sand Mountain Pipeline… 54° 5 mph Sand Mountain Recreation Area 50° 4 mph Seep Springs OHV Area 46° 3 mph Shoshone OHV Trail System 39° 0 mph Shotgun Creek OHV Staging Area 39° 0 mph Silver Lake ORV Area 55° 3 mph South Cow Mountain OHV… 46° 0 mph St. Anthony Sand Dunes 36° 3 mph St. Helen Motorsport Area 48° 6 mph Standard Wash OHV Area 64° 6 mph Stoddard Valley OHV Area 53° 5 mph Table Mesa Recreation Area 63° 0 mph Virtue Flat Off-Highway… 45° 6 mph Weiser Dunes 45° 3 mph Whitewash Sand Dunes Open… 45° 0 mph Winnemucca Sand Dunes 37° 7 mph

Halloween

Happy Halloween from Full Throttle Trader

Samoa Dunes

Recreational activities for all interests

Locationnear Samoa Dunes Recreation Area
Entry points2 verified
Size300 acres
Conditions55° · 9 mph ⚠

Trip check

Before you go

  • Permit status not confirmed. Check with the managing agency.
  • CAUTION: Large waves can hit the beach and jetty at any time, washing away anything in their path. Never turn your back on the ocean. The jetty is not safe for recreational use. Do not attempt to rescue a dog from the ocean.

Guide

About this area

This 300-acre area offers off-highway vehicle (OHV) riding, hiking, surfing, fishing, sightseeing, beach combing, birdwatching, picnicking, and kayaking. The OHV trails are open to all types of vehicles and include a one-way track, a 4x4 rock crawling course, and the beach strand.

Facilities

unloading ramp, restroom, tables, cooking grills, scenic overlook

Full agency description

Samoa Dunes Recreation AreaWelcome to Samoa Dunes Recreation Area. As a visitor to this 300-acre area, you can enjoy many recreational activities, including hiking, surfing, fishing, sightseeing, beach combing, off-highway vehicle (OHV) riding, birdwatching, picnicking and kayaking. Before you explore, make sure to familiarize yourself with OHV riding areas and respect the rights of other visitors. Those on foot should be cautious while in or around OHV riding areas. Samoa Dunes Recreation Area is open during daylight hours only. Off-Highway Vehicle UseAll riding trails are open to all OHV vehicle types. Facilities include an unloading ramp, restroom, tables, cooking grills and a scenic overlook. . From the staging area, riders have easy access to 140 acres of "open" terrain, containing numerous trails, a one-way track, a 4x4 rock crawling course, and the beach strand. An additional 75-acre riding area known as Eureka Dunes is open to OHV use and extends about 1 mile north of the park. It is unlawful to operate any vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. For the safety of all visitors the use of firearms, bow and arrows, and fireworks are prohibited. Unless your off-highway vehicle (OHV) is designed to carry a passenger, carrying passengers on an OHV is prohibited. All vehicles must be registered and a green or red sticker or license plate must be clearly displayed. OHVs must be equipped with an approved spark arrester and muffler. Flags are required on all OHVs and passenger vehicles operating off highway. Ocean SafetyCAUTION: At any time, the beach and jetty can be hit by large waves that wash away anything in their path. Don’t fall victim to these hazardous conditions. Never turn your back on the ocean. The jetty is not safe for recreational use and is not managed by the BLM. Consult a tide chart and check the weather for optimal conditions. Never attempt to rescue a dog from the ocean. Dogs are better swimmers than us and almost always get out safely on their own.

Access

Getting there

  • ➡️ FROM EUREKA — New Navy Base RoadEntrance

    From U.S. Hwy 101 at Eureka take Hwy 255 across the SAMOA BRIDGE. Turn SOUTH (left) onto New Navy Base Road and drive about four miles to the parking area.

    Pin from the managing agency
  • ⬇️ FROM ARCATA — via Samoa BoulevardEntrance

    From Arcata take Samoa Boulevard west then south until it meets the Samoa Bridge, then follow the Eureka directions — south on New Navy Base Road about four miles.

    Pin from the managing agency

Rules

Rules

Standard OHV rules (11)

Common equipment, registration and trail-use rules still apply.

  • ⭐ RIDE TO THE HIGHEST SAFETY STANDARD, NOT THE LEGAL MINIMUM. What is written below is what the managing agency requires. A helmet, eye protection, a flag and proper gear are what get you home — wear them whether or not the law where you are riding insists on it.
  • All vehicles must be registered. A green or red sticker or license plate must be clearly displayed. OHVs must be equipped with an approved spark arrester and muffler. Flags are required on all OHVs and passenger vehicles operating off highway.
  • 🪖 Side-by-side / UTV (factory-built, steering wheel, bucket seats, under 1,000cc, does over 30 mph): helmets on the driver and every passenger, and seat belts or a harness fastened whenever it is moving. That is California law on public land.
  • 🪖 Sand car, sand rail, dune buggy, Jeep, or anything home-built or over 1,000cc: no helmet or seat-belt law applies. Wear them anyway — State Parks recommend it, and so do we.
  • 🪖 Quads and ATVs: helmet on every rider, any age. Dirt bikes: helmet required under 18.
  • ⚠️ Tuned it past 30 mph? A machine built for 30 or under that now goes faster is treated like a side-by-side — helmet and belt rules apply.
  • 👶 A child seat does not replace a helmet. In a side-by-side, a child in a car seat still wears one.
  • Source: California Vehicle Code §500, §38505, §38601–38602 — checked Aug 2026.
  • 🪖 Any helmet the law requires must meet FMVSS 218 and carry a DOT label — CVC 27802.
  • 📖 CHECK THE LAW YOURSELF — these requirements come from California State Parks OHMVR — Laws & Safety. Rules change, and you are responsible for compliance: ohv.parks.ca.gov
  • 🗺️ NO SIGNAL? TAKE AN OFFLINE MAP. BLM publish free GEOREFERENCED PDF maps that show your live GPS position with no cell service, in the Avenza Maps app or similar. Download the map for this area BEFORE you leave tarmac: www.blm.gov

Permits

Permits & registration

Permit and registration details
State residents
California residents: OHV must display a current Green Sticker or Red Sticker registration from the CA DMV.
Out-of-state riders
Out-of-state riders: a California Nonresident OHV Use Permit is required unless your OHV carries current registration from your home state. $30 ($31.95 online), valid from purchase through December 31 of that year.
Bureau of Land Management official page (current closures & alerts)

Permit and registration rules change. Confirm current requirements with the managing agency before you ride — you are responsible for compliance.

Trip support

Fuel, food & local help

Pump gas & diesel

  • Services can be found in Eureka, CAfuel

    ACROSS THE SAMOA BRIDGE · Everything you need just across the bridge. Nothing out on New Navy Base Road.

  • Arcata, CA — northern approachfuel

    IF YOU ARE COMING DOWN FROM THE NORTH · Fill here rather than assuming there is something on the peninsula.

Marketplace

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