South Cow Mountain ride area
-South Cow Mountain OHV Recreation Area emphasizes off-highway vehicle use. Over 120 miles of vehicle trails interweave 23,000 acres, and offer challenges to motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, and four-wheel drive enthusiasts alike.
Non-motorized recreation is also welcome. There are two developed campgrounds and two OHV staging areas to help make your visit enjoyable.
Directions:
From Ukiah, take State Highway 101 to the Talmage Road exit. Go east on Talmage Road about 1.5 miles. Turn right at Old River Road. and proceed 0.3 miles to Mill Creek Road. Turn left on Mill Creek Road and continue east 6 miles to entrance to South Cow Mountain.
From Lakeport, take State Highway 29 to the 11th street exit. Go west on 11th street (which becomes Scotts Valley Road) 0.5 miles. Turn left on Riggs Road and continue west and south 0.75 miles to Scotts Creek Road. Turn right and proceed west on Scotts Creek Road 2 miles.
The South Cow Mountain area is subject to closure during periods of wet weather. During the rainy season, call (707)468-4000 24 hours a day for current conditions before you come.
More to know before you go:
The best times to visit are fall, winter, and spring. On South Cow Mountain, there are about 125 miles of off-highway vehicle trails and roads. The access from Scotts Creek Road is a rugged, unimproved dirt road, which is impassable during the winter because of high water at a creek crossing.
Before exploring the Cow Mountain Recreation area, obtain a free map at the BLM office in Ukiah. All roads are steep and winding and not recommended for recreational vehicles. There is no potable water at most site campgrounds.
Have not ridden here yet but coming from the lakeport direction (south) the road is super tight, only wide enough for 1. If you are towing a trailer it better be short and hope not to see anyone coming the other way. Mountain on 1 side and creek on other.
Also, the wet weather closure policy is:
No action would be taken until the annual total precipitation exceeds 4 inches. The rain year would be the same as that used by the national weather service and rainfall data would be from the California Water Resources Board, nearest available rain gauge.
Beginning October 1 each year, once 4 inches of precipitation has been exceeded, the following would apply:
Additional rainfall exceeding 1/2 inch within a 24 hour period, or 1 inch within a 72 hour period will result in a temporary closure to all motorized vehicles. Once the closure has been implemented, a 3-day drying period will begin after no measurable precipitation is recorded. Once the area has been closed, a field inspection will be completed prior to reopening, and daily thereafter to determine suitability of road conditions. When recorded field observations show that road and trail surfaces have not dried sufficiently to allow traffic without damage to the surface, the area shall remain closed. Closure criteria may be amended or refined as results of area closures are evaluated. Specific criteria may be developed for other areas as needed.
These closures and restrictions are under the authority of 43 CFR 8364.1 and 43 CFR 8341.2.
Persons violating this closure shall be subject to the penalties provided in 43 CFR 8360.0-7 and 8340.0-7, including a fine not to exceed $100,000 and/or imprisonment not to exceed 12 months.
Parties exempt from the closure action shall be responsible for mitigating any resource damage caused by entering the closed area. Waivers can be granted for emergency circumstances; however, in the event an emergency is caused by a negligent action, the responsible party would then be responsible for the mitigation.
