Gabbs Valley OHV Area
The Gabbs Valley OHV riding area is a vast expanse of open-desert BLM land in Nye and Mineral counties in central Nevada, centered on the broad playa and alluvial fan terrain between the Clan Alpine Range to the north, the Shoshone Mountains to the east, and the Gabbs Valley Range to the west, remote Great Basin desert riding at its most expansive and uncrowded. The area sees a fraction of the traffic of the Las Vegas-area BLM riding zones, making it the destination for Nevada riders who want isolation, space, and the kind of high-desert cross-country riding that has no parallel in the more densely visited southern Nevada systems. The terrain is characteristic Great Basin: dry lake bed playas that provide naturally hard, fast surfaces for high-speed desert running; alluvial fans studded with desert scrub (shadscale, rabbitbrush, saltbush) that offer natural obstacle courses; rocky volcanic ridges along the mountain flanks that produce technical single-track character; and the wide open basin floor where sight lines extend 20 miles in every direction. ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes, and 4x4 trucks are all permitted on the open BLM desert. No designated trails or fee collection, this is primitive open-desert riding on public land. Dispersed camping is permitted throughout the area under standard BLM 14-night limits. The spring and fall seasons are optimal; summer temperatures regularly exceed 100°F in the basin, and winter can bring snow to the surrounding ranges. BLM Battle Mountain District (775-635-4000) covers the northern section; BLM Tonopah Field Office (775-482-7800) covers the southern.