The Bureau of Land Management will temporarily block access to public OHV areas for next weekend’s King of the Hammers off-highway vehicle race. Reporter Heather Clisby has details…
Beginning this weekend and going through Saturday, February 5, the desert will vibrate with the annual King of the Hammers, an off-road race that combines desert racing and rock crawling on the Means Dry Lakebed in Johnson Valley. With concerns around COVID-19, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will temporarily close much of the nearby Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Area for public use. Registered race spectators, participants, and race officials are exempt from this closure.
Within the Johnson Valley OHV Recreation Area, three staging locations will remain open to the public during the temporary closure period. A map of the closed areas can be viewed online.
The temporary closure is out of concern for public safety during the race event, which is authorized by a BLM Special Recreation Permit, and goes beyond current state and county recommendations.
The BLM is asking for public cooperation in assisting race officials and local law enforcement to abide by the closure and all safety measures during the event.
For more info, contact the California Desert District Office at 760-833-7100 or the Barstow Field Office at 760-252-6000.
