El Mirage Dry Lake OHV Area

El Mirage Dry Lake spreads across 4,000 acres of hard-packed Mojave Desert floor, creating one of California’s premier high-speed OHV playgrounds where drivers can open up their machines across seemingly endless flat terrain. This ancient lakebed, located between Victorville and Lancaster, transforms from a winter mudhole into a concrete-hard racing surface during dry months, hosting everything from land speed records to weekend warrior camp-outs under massive desert skies.

Any vehicle can access the lakebed perimeter, but the real fun requires high-clearance 4x4s or sand-specific setups for ventures into the surrounding washes and hills. The Bureau of Land Management charges day-use fees, and camping is allowed anywhere on the lakebed with basic facilities at the entrance. Winter rains can make the surface impassable, so stick to late spring through fall visits. What you get is unlimited space to run wide open, stellar desert camping, and some of the darkest night skies in Southern California.