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Southern California BDR: Winter-Desert Dual-Sport When the High Country Sleeps

The Southern California Backcountry Discovery Route is BDR's first wintertime route, running from Yuma to Benton through the Mojave and Death Valley. Here's the section breakdown, the 153-mile fuel gap, the park passes and why the calendar matters more here than anywhere.

Trail Roamer Editorial TeamSep 25, 2026 · Updated Nov 1, 2026 · 5 min read
Dirt bike rider climbs a dusty, rocky trail through desert scrub in the Spangler Hills OHV area near Ridgecrest, California - Credit: Craig Beck / Bureau of Land Management (public domain)

When the high-country BDRs are snowed in, there's still one open. Southern California's desert line was built for exactly those months, and it runs straight through the valley that holds the world record for the highest air temperature.

RideBDR's CABDR-South page calls it the ninth BDR and the first wintertime BDR: an 840-mile ride across southeastern California from Yuma, Arizona, to Benton, California, mostly on rugged two-track and remote dirt through canyons, rocky riverbeds and sandy washes. The best window is mid-October to mid-April, and BDR files it in its Difficult tier on the routes overview. The current Butler map is the Second Edition, 2025.

Section by section, Yuma to Benton

BDR splits the route into seven sections: Yuma to Blythe (120 miles), Blythe to Desert Oasis (122), Desert Oasis to Primm, Nevada (101), Primm to Shoshone (70), Shoshone to Beatty, Nevada (141), Beatty to Lone Pine (161) and Lone Pine to Benton (138). Those add up to 853 miles, a little over the 840 on the route page and the 820 shown on BDR's routes overview, so plan on the high number.

The first day doesn't ease you in. BDR warns the sand near Picacho State Recreation Area can be deep depending on the season, with a paved bypass for anyone not ready for it, before a stretch of the historic Bradshaw Trail into Blythe. Section 2 passes the Blythe Intaglios, giant ground figures BDR dates to before 900 AD, then joins Historic Route 66. Section 3 enters the Mojave National Preserve at the Goffs Schoolhouse and runs through the rounded granite of the Granite Mountains.

Death Valley takes up most of Sections 5 and 6. You come in over the Ibex dunes, cross the valley on Harry Wade Road, and can detour to Badwater Basin at 282 feet below sea level. Section 6 opens with one-way Titus Canyon past the ghost town of Leadfield, goes through Teakettle Junction and over Hunter Mountain, and offers the optional Lippincott Pass descent, steep, rocky and off-camber. BDR notes Lippincott is harder north to south because you ride it uphill. The last section rolls through the Alabama Hills below Mt. Whitney and past Manzanar National Historic Site.

The 153-mile problem

Section 6 is 161 miles, and BDR's FAQ says 153 of them have no gas, from Beatty to Lone Pine. It's also the least-traveled part of the route. BDR's advice is to carry extra fuel and never pass up a pump. For comparison, Arizona's worst gap is about 136 miles and Utah's runs to about 165 miles even with the Soldier Summit stop. Most riders cover around 150 miles a day by BDR's estimate, so on this route a single day can cover a whole tank's worth of nothing.

Three desert BDRs, three seasons

BDR rates Arizona, California South, Utah and Washington Difficult, and the three desert routes barely overlap on the calendar. Arizona's best months are May, June, September and October. Utah's are August through October. California South runs mid-October to mid-April. Ride Arizona in spring, Utah in late summer and California South over the holidays, and the hardest desert BDRs fill most of a year.

That winter window isn't only about comfort. The National Park Service's Death Valley weather page records the world's highest air temperature, 134 degrees Fahrenheit at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. It also says summer highs often top 120 in the shade, average rainfall is under 2 inches, and temperatures drop 3 to 5 degrees with every thousand feet you climb. Winter and spring are pleasant down low, with nights that only occasionally freeze, but the high ground on this route can hold snow. BDR warns that winter storms and snowpack may close some sections.

Our sister guides cover the Arizona BDR's permit stack and the Utah BDR's fuel math.

Passes and permits

BDR's FAQ says you need a National Parks pass, or a pass bought on entry, for Death Valley, and that the kiosks aren't on the route, so buy it at the ranger office in Furnace Creek. According to the park's fee page, the motorcycle entrance pass is $25 and lets everyone traveling on two private, non-commercial motorcycles leave and re-enter for 7 days from purchase. It's sold at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, Stovepipe Wells and Grapevine ranger stations, credit or debit only. Seven days covers both Death Valley sections.

The Mojave National Preserve needs no pass. Groups are another matter. BDR's FAQ says groups of seven or more vehicles need a permit, and the preserve's permits page lists group recreation with more than 7 vehicles, or more than 25 people, as a special park use with a $91 non-refundable application fee. If you're organizing a big ride, contact the preserve early.

Water, weather and gear

BDR says there are no water sources along the route, only potable water in towns, and repeats its desert rule: carry twice as much as you think you need. Camping is spread across Yuma, Blythe, Primm, Tecopa, Shoshone, Furnace Creek, Lone Pine, Big Pine, Bishop and Benton Hot Springs, with BLM sites along the Kingston Range road.

Spring brings strong thunderstorms with lightning and flash floods, fast-moving snowstorms can strand you, and high wind and sandstorms are part of the deal. NPS adds that dust storms can blow up suddenly ahead of cold fronts. Our guide to reading desert and mountain weather is worth a look before you go. The GPS tracks are free, and BDR asks for a unit that can handle 15 track logs of at least 1,500 points each, a bigger file load than the Arizona or Utah routes. Check the Route Updates page before you leave.

Pick a cool week, fill every bottle, and fuel in Beatty like it's the last pump for 153 miles. It is.

Sources

FAQ

Do I need a pass for Death Valley on the CABDR-South?
Yes. RideBDR says to buy one at the ranger office in Furnace Creek, because the entrance kiosks aren't on the route. NPS lists the motorcycle entrance pass at $25 for 7 days, covering riders on two private, non-commercial motorcycles.
Where is the longest stretch without gas?
Section 6, Beatty, Nevada, to Lone Pine, California. RideBDR puts the gap at 153 miles and recommends carrying extra fuel.

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