The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for 1 in every 10 acres of land in the U.S.
The Fort Sage Off-highway Vehicle Area is located on the California and Nevada border between Susanville, California and Reno, Nevada. The area features 100 miles of OHV trails that cross through the high desert, and visitors can enjoy the beautiful landscape and the opportunity to spot many local wildlife species. The trails also pass through gulches and canyons. The trails are also commonly used by hikers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, and horseback riders.
To find nearby BLM sites like the Fort Sage Off-highway Vehicle Area with camping amenities, search for BLM camping near me.
Located in Doyle, the closest town to the Fort Sage Off-Highway Vehicle Area, this short hike provides stunning views of the area's rock formations.
Length: 0.7 miles
Intensity: Easy
This trail, located in the nearby Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest, provides great exercise and is a wonderful way to view the area's wildflowers.
Length: 8.9 miles
Intensity: Difficult
Located in the nearby Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, this trail offers a beautiful hike through pine forests and high desert landscapes.
Length: 7 miles
Intensity: Easy
This trail offers stunning views, but it can be rocky, slippery, and steep, and the trail is not always well-marked, making it a good challenge for experienced hikers.
Length: 6.6 miles
Intensity: Difficult
This secluded trail is perfect for a quiet hike, and it offers views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Length: 1.2 miles
Intensity: Moderate
Anglers can head to nearby Honey Lake to catch bass and catfish. Lake Davis in the Plumas National Forest is also a great place for boating and fishing. Trout and bass are the most common catches. The Lakes Basin Recreation Area also offers trout and sockeye salmon fishing, and there are several boat launches available.
There are many climbing opportunities in the Fort Sage Mountains. The Diamondback OHV Trailhead offers three bouldering options. The Forever Young and Rock Ridge areas provide about 50 bouldering routes of varying difficulties, and the Outskirts area offers seven bouldering options.
Wild horses are a common sight in the Fort Sage Off-Highway Vehicle Area. Visitors can also often spot bighorn sheep, coyotes, songbirds, hawks, ground squirrels, bobcats, and foxes, and lucky visitors might spot a mountain lion. The area is also home to a wide range of snakes and lizards.
The Lake Davis Dam Picnic Area offers covered picnic tables and vault toilets, and the area provides beautiful views of the lake. The Coot Bay Day Use Area also offers shady picnic tables and toilets.
BLM RV camping and other RV opportunities are available throughout the area around the Fort Sage Off-highway Vehicle Area. The Gold Ranch RV Resort features 105 paved sites with full hookups. There are restrooms, laundry facilities, and a heated pool and Jacuzzi. The Bordertown Casino and RV Resort also offers large, paved sites. The sites are pull-throughs and have full hookups. There is also a dump station, restrooms, and a dog run.
Bureau of Land Management free camping is available at several of the staging areas throughout the Fort Sage Off-highway Vehicle Area. The Diamondback OHV Trailhead offers three sites with fire pits, barbecues, and picnic tables. The Widowmaker OHV Trailhead has a large parking area that can accommodate larger RVs. There are also three lower campsites with fire rings. The Raptor OHV Trailhead offers four sites with picnic tables, barbecues, and fire pits. Amenities at each site are limited, but there are usually vault toilets at each staging area. The Fort Sage OHV Trailhead offers six sites with fire pits, tables, barbecues, and trash cans.
The Fort Sage Off-highway Vehicle Area is ideal for ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles or dirt bikes, and four-wheel-drive vehicles. Vehicles must stay on the marked trails and roads within the area. Each trail or road is marked with signage designating the difficulty of the trail and what vehicles it's recommended for. OHVs can also legally drive on Fort Sage and Summers Roads. All vehicles traveling along the roads must be marked with a green or red sticker. Some trails pass through private land. Stay on the trails and respect private property.
The area around the Fort Sage Off-highway Vehicle Area experiences relatively mild temperatures for most of the year, and during the summer, precipitation is rare. However, from fall to late spring, nights can be chilly, and the area even sees the occasional snowfall. Check the weather before you head out to make sure that riding conditions are ideal. Before you head out on your trip, check out our blog for all you need to know about BLM camping.
Bureau of Land Management campgrounds and OHV areas can always use protection, respect, and care, and Leave No Trace guidelines can help. Be courteous of other riders or anyone else enjoying the trail or the region. If you spot a wild animal, observe it from a distance, and allow plenty of space for all wild animals to cross the trail. If you plan to camp, stay at least 300 yards from any water source. Take all of your trash with you, and never litter on the trail.
From Reno, head north on US Highway 395 for 45 miles. Turn north on Doyle Loop Road and continue for 0.5 miles to Hackstaff Road. Turn east and continue for 2.1 miles. Turn east on Fort Sage Road and continue for one mile to the OHV area.
From Susanville, head south on US Highway 395 for 38 miles. Turn east on Laver Crossing Road and continue for 1.4 miles. Turn south on Hackstaff Road, and after about one mile, turn east on Fort Sage Road.
Ready to visit Fort Sage Off-highway Vehicle Area? An RV rental is a great way to experience your destination. Not only will you be close to all the action, but at the end of a long day of exploring, you'll have your RV to return to for the night, where you'll enjoy a full kitchen, bathroom, and nice soft bed. Not sure about renting an RV? Here’s a step-by-step guide to renting an RV with RVshare.
