Carnegie SVRA
Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area is a 1,479-acre California State Parks OHV facility in the Altamont Hills near Livermore in Alameda County, the closest designated OHV riding area to San Francisco and Oakland, approximately 50 miles east of San Francisco and 15 miles east of Livermore at the junction of I-580 and the Tesla Road corridor. The compact size relative to other SVRAs is offset by the terrain density and the sheer number of Bay Area riders it serves: Carnegie draws more riders per acre than virtually any other OHV facility in California given its position at the epicenter of the Bay Area's 7.5-million-person metro. The Altamont Hills terrain is grassland and chaparral on the interior Coast Range: rolling hills with short-grass meadows on the upper exposures, scrub oak and coyote brush in the draws, and the iron-rich clay soil that produces Carnegie's signature mud season in winter and early spring when the trails are at their most dramatic and their most technically demanding. Dirt bikes and ATVs are the primary vehicles, the compact trail network and tight single-track character suit lighter, more maneuverable machines better than full-size UTVs or trucks. A dedicated motocross track and additional skills practice areas supplement the trail network. California green sticker registration is required. The SVRA does not have overnight camping but offers full day-use facilities including restrooms and parking. Thursday-Monday operating schedule applies; contact Carnegie SVRA directly for current conditions (925-447-9027).