Red Flag Warning Notice -- The OHV is closed to motor vehicles when a RED FLAG WARNING is in effect. It is the users responsibility to know if a Red Flag Warning is in effect. For the latest update visit weather.gov or nevadafireinfo.org.

OHV Trail Map

Know Before You Go

Responsible 4x4 Tips

Overview

The Prison Hill Recreation Area is divided into two sections -- the northern section is designated for non-motorized use only, and the southern section is designated for both non-motorized and motorized use. The southern section is about 900 acres and it is commonly known as the Prison Hill OHV area. Many upgrades and enhancements have taken place in the OHV area in the last few years with a goal of creating a family-friendly recreation area with opportunities for a variety of users with varying skill levels in a sustainable setting for the long term benefit of Carson City residents and guests. Some of the many enhancements include development of a Tot-Lot, a Beginner Area, several new trails, including a fun ride called Toads Loop which passes next to a namesake rock, and designation of three "open ride" areas. There are opportunities for dirt bikes, trials bikes, rock crawlers, jeeps, and ATV's.

Hours

The area is open dawn-to-dusk, year-round, and is free to the public.

Note - During the summer months the area is closed when Red Flag Warnings are in place. Red Flag Warnings are issued by the National Weather Service when atmospheric conditions create extremely high fire danger.

Management

The Prison Hill OHV Area is managed by the Open Space Division of the Carson City Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department. The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) has been a partner in planning and development of improvements, with design assistance from RecConnect. Funding for development and maintenance comes from the Carson City Quality of Life Initiative, from the Recreational Trails Program (administered by Nevada State Parks), from the Nevada Off-Highway Vehicle Program which turns your OHV registration fees into grants for OHV projects, and from Polaris. Many other partners have contributed volunteer time and expertise, including Friends of Prison Hill (facebook.com), Pine Nut Mountains Trails Association (pnmta.org), Komstock Krawlerz (Facebook.com), Sacto-Pits Trials (sactopits.org), Sierra Stompers (Facebook.com), the Nevada 4WD Association (n4wda.org), and Tread Lightly (treadlightly.org).

Ride Right- Properly Equip Your Vehicle

Ride Right is part of our education program to help make riders aware of legal and ethical equipment requirements that will help to keep the Prison Hill OHV Area safe and open. Nevada state law requires that all OHVs used off highways must be registered and display a decal. Here is a link for registration information: https://ohv.nv.gov/register  Spark arrestors are required on all Forest Service and BLM lands. Their use here will reduce the risk of wildfire caused by a faulty exhaust system. Sound requirements of <96 dbA comply with national standards and will help reduce noise impacts to neighboring residents. Less Sound = More Ground. Ride Right/Ride Smart.

The Don’t Crush the Brush campaign is an educational program to encourage riders to stay on the trail, ride responsibly, and protect the natural environment. Erosion and vegetation loss are two huge issues at Prison Hill. Vehicles travelling cross-country are crushing critical vegetation that holds soil, provides wildlife habitat, and adds to our visual enjoyment of the area. Please stay on designated routes and areas.

Trail Signing Protocols

Travel management signs like this are installed at the major access points:

All trails are two-way, so please ride responsibly.

The Staging Area is for loading and unloading. Be aware that there may be beginner riders, families, or groups enjoying a picnic. Ride Responsibly by keeping your speed and dust down. The speed limit in and around the staging area is 5 MPH. 

There are many trails that dead-end at private property and homes. Please observe signage and respect private property by staying out of these areas. 

The Prison Hill Recreation Area is divided into two parts: one motorized and one non-motorized. Ride Right- please respect the fencing and boundary signs.

Some trails are named, and some are numbered. Both named and numbered trails have a prefix indicating the use intended/allowed on that trail. Prefixes are: S = single-track motorcycle; D = double-track which is open to all high clearance 4x4 vehicles; and W = wheeler/crawler. A W trail differs from a D trail in that it has a higher degree of technical difficulty and should be attempted only by skilled drivers with specialized equipment. 

Difficulty will be indicated by the standard decals: Green Circle = Easiest; Blue Square = More Difficult; Black Diamond = Most Difficult; Double Black Diamond = Extreme. For numbered trails, difficulty will also be indicated by the first number in the sequence: 1 = Easiest; 2 = More Difficult; 3 = Most Difficult; 4 = Extreme. Trail D132 will be an Easiest double-track trail. Trail S21 will be a More Difficult, single-track trail. Trail D302 will be a Most Difficult double-track trail

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