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Cleveland National Forest Open Roads

Part of ATV and Overland Trails, our guide to ATV, OHV and overland riding in San Diego County.

Forest roads in the Cleveland National Forest are limited to street-legal vehicles only. On 2026-10-23 the Forest Service listed nine San Diego County roads Open, subject to closure for wet weather or fire danger, and several Closed. Statuses change fast, so check the closure page and the Motor Vehicle Use Map.Checked October 23, 2026.

Street-legalvehicles only on forest roads
9county roads listed Open
14 dayscamping limit outside campgrounds
Oct 19closure page updated
RuleForest roads are limited to street legal vehicles only; an OHV needs a USFS-approved spark arrester
DistrictsDescanso and Palomar Ranger Districts; Supervisor’s Office 858-673-6180
CampingOutside a developed campground, limited to 14 days in a calendar year (alert summary)
PassesAdventure Pass or National Recreation Pass at fee sites; whether the roads themselves charge is not stated (see official site)
Who it suitsAdults and families in street-legal 4×4 or AWD vehicles
Official pagesClosures; Motor Vehicle Use Maps

Listed Open 2026-10-23

All subject to closure based on wet weather or fire danger: Deer Park Road (14S04, also subject to additional seasonal closures), Fred Canyon Road (16S08), La Posta Road (15S05), Miners Road (15S21), Pine Creek Road (14S05), Sheephead Mountain Road (15S18), Thing Valley (15S08), Wooded Hill Road (15S10) and Upper Santa Ysabel East and West (12S07).

Listed Closed 2026-10-23

Pine Mountain Road (14S02, unsafe conditions); Westside Truck Trail (13S10, no motorized vehicle access); Los Pinos Road and Skye Valley Road inside Corral Canyon OHV Area. Kitchen Creek Road (15S17) was listed open in its upper section, closed in the middle and open in the lower, with some sections noted as permanently closed. Cedar Spur Road (13S11, Palomar) says “High Clearance Recommended.”

Maps

The Motor Vehicle Use Map shows routes designated open to motorized travel, with vehicle class and seasonal allowances. Avenza downloads: Descanso and Palomar South, Palomar North. We did not open the map itself.

Nearby on This Site

See Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (it has its own vehicle rules, which we did not read), Laguna Mountain Visitor Center and Pine Valley County Park.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Pine Valley, Corte Madera and Hauser routes are not named on any Forest Service page we read, so no route is claimed here.
  • The Motor Vehicle Use Map itself was not opened. The Forest Service can confirm which roads are open to your vehicle class.
  • Whether the roads themselves charge a fee is not confirmed.
  • Road statuses were read on 2026-10-23 and change quickly; the Forest Service can confirm today’s status.

More in ATV and Overland Trails

FAQ

Can I ride an ATV on forest roads?

No. Forest roads are limited to street-legal vehicles. OHVs are limited to designated OHV areas such as Corral Canyon.

Where do I check closures?

The Forest Service road and trail closure page, linked above.

Sources

  1. Cleveland NF: road and trail closures
  2. Cleveland NF: OHV
  3. Cleveland NF: maps and publications
  4. Cleveland NF: alerts

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.