If you’re planning a run through the San Gabriel Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle Area, there are some rules you need to know about before you load up the rig. The Angeles National Forest has a standing order in place – effective March 23, 2026 through December 31, 2028 – and if you show up unprepared, you’re going to have a bad day.
Here’s what’s prohibited in the San Gabriel Canyon OHV Area:
- Entering or being in the OHV area when it’s posted as closed – check the closure map and associated documents linked below before you go
- Entering or being in the San Gabriel Reservoir – stay out, full stop
- Parking or leaving a vehicle in violation of posted instructions
- Possessing or using a motorized vehicle without functioning four-wheel drive capability – yes, they mean it, and yes, they check
- Possessing alcoholic beverages as defined by California State Law
That last one on four-wheel drive capability is worth calling out specifically. This isn’t a suggestion. If your rig doesn’t have a functioning 4WD system, you don’t belong in the OHV area – not because the Forest Service is trying to ruin your day, but because a two-wheel drive vehicle in that terrain is a rescue waiting to happen. Nobody wants to be that guy, and nobody wants to be the volunteer who has to come get that guy.
The San Gabriel Canyon OHV Area is one of the more accessible off-road destinations in Southern California – close to Los Angeles, well-known, and heavily used. That’s exactly why these rules matter. High use areas attract people who don’t always know what they’re doing, and a few bad actors ruin access for everyone. I’ve seen it happen. So have you.
Follow the rules, run your rig responsibly, pack out what you pack in, and this place stays open. It’s that simple.
For current closure schedules and maps, contact the Angeles National Forest Supervisor’s Office at (626) 574-1613.
More info: San Gabriel Canyon OHV