King of the Hammers is back. The world’s most extreme off-road race and a week-long desert festival, KOH mixes high-speed desert runs with brutal rock crawling that chews up equipment and separates the finished from the wrecked.The festival runs January 22 through February 7, 2026, with qualifying and tech the week before the main event and a calendar that builds up to the Race of Kings on Saturday, February 7. Expect qualifying and tech February 2–4 (Monday–Wednesday), the UTV Hammers Championship on February 5 (Thursday), the Every Man Challenge on February 6 (Friday), and the Race of Kings — the headline 4400 Unlimited Class showdown — on February 7. Multiple race classes run through the week, so there’s action to watch every day when you’re in Hammertown.
Because the event concentrates high speeds, heavy support traffic, and thousands of people in one place, the Bureau of Land Management will temporarily close roughly 81,000 acres of the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area from January 29 through February 7, 2026. The race is operating under a BLM Special Recreation Permit, and that closed ground will be reserved exclusively for registered race participants, spectators, and officials during the closure window. About 46,000 acres of the recreation area will remain open to the public, and nearby recreation areas — including the Ord-Rodman Limited Use Area and Stoddard Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Area — will stay available if you want to wheel while KOH is on.
Maps and closure details will be posted at the main Johnson Valley entry points and available for viewing at the BLM’s California Desert District Office and the Barstow Field Office; those postings are the authoritative guide to where you can and cannot go.
Take the closure seriously. Anyone found in violation may face fines, imprisonment, or both, and state or local officials may impose additional penalties under California law. If you plan a visit around those dates, adjust your itinerary, use the open nearby areas, or attend in the designated spectator zones if you’re there for the spectacle. The race brings managed spectator areas, pit traffic, and high-risk sections that make an uncontrolled public presence dangerous. Follow the posted maps, park only where directed, and don’t try to sneak into closed zones for a better view.
If you’re coming for the grit and spectacle, come prepared: bring shade, water, a plan for where you’ll park, and patience for traffic. If you’re coming to wheel, check the posted maps first and aim for Ord-Rodman or Stoddard Valley while the big show runs.