Hollister Hills

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=404 Hollister Hills offers recreation for motorcyclists, 4-wheelers, picnickers, and campers in the Gabilan Mountains just an hour’s drive from San Jose. Park elevations range from 660 feet to 2,425 feet.

LOWER RANCH MOTORCYCLE & ATV AREA Hollister Hills W Elevations in the park range from 660 to 2,425 feet. The average monthly temperature varies from the low-tomid 90s in summer, to the low 30s to upper 50s in winter. The park Red-shouldered Hawk is open year-round and offers day use and overnight camping opportunities. OHV recreation is permitted from sunrise to sunset. Hollister Hills SVRA offers a variety of educational programs including OHV safety training, nature hikes, school presentations, and community outreach. For more information about these programs, please call the Park Office at 831-637-8186. OHV Lower Ranch: This 3,300-acre area has a network of motorized routes set aside for motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Additional OHV opportunities include a vintage track, two practice motocross tracks, ATV track, TT track, intermediate kids track, beginner area, and a track for bikes and ATVs with an engine size of 90cc or less. Next to Walnut and Lodge Camps there are two children’s areas set aside for smaller motorcycles and ATVs with an engine size under 90cc. Areas within the park can be reserved for special events – everything from family reunions, weddings, poker runs, and trail rides, to group camping and club outings. For more information, or to book a special event, please email HollisterHills.Events@parks.ca.gov or call 831-638-3390. Education Nature Area The Nature Area, located in the Lower Ranch, is available for non-motorized recreational opportunities including hiking, mountain biking and nature viewing. This 280-acre area encompasses a network of scenic trails available for exploration and enjoyment. The entrance to the Nature Area is located at the west end of Madrone Camp. Dogs on leash are welcome. Getting Involved Volunteering: Hollister Hills SVRA offers many opportunities for volunteers. For those interested in joining the team, volunteer opportunities include Trail Patrol, education and outreach, resource management, and Trail Watch. For more information about volunteering, please call the Park Office at 831-637-8186. Cooperating Association: Hollister Hills Off-Road Association (HHORA) is a non-profit organization that supports Hollister Hills SVRA and its mission of providing sustainable OHV recreation. HHORA is dedicated to enhancing and promoting the recreational experience of park visitors. For over 30 years, members have assisted in a wide variety of activities ranging from organizing roadside clean-ups to holding family-oriented special events for club members. To get involved or find out more, please visit www.hhora.org. call 831-637-3874. (See Upper Ranch map for location.) Air Compressor: Air for tire inflation is available at no cost near the Ranger Station and Park Store. Fire/Firewood Restrictions: Firewood may be purchased at the park store in the Lower Ranch. Collection of firewood within the park is not allowed. No ground fires are allowed. Park Store A general store is located at Lodge Camp. The store offers a variety of items for park visitors including motorcycle and ATV parts, riding apparel, camping supplies, ice, drinks, snacks, and packaged food. To contact the general store, please call 831-637-9780. Park History A tribe of the Ohlone people that lived, and still live, in the vicinity of Hollister Hills SVRA are called “Mutsun.” During the late 1700s, Spanish explorers encountered these and other Native Americans in the area. Spain established nearby Mission San Juan Bautista in the late 1790s and forced many of the Ohlone people, along with members of other tribes or bands from the area, to build the mission. In 1822, the Mexican government, which was hostile to the mission system, took back the lands from the church, and in 1839, the land was divided into two Mexican land grants: Rancho San Justo and Rancho Cienega del Gabilan. Today, Hollister Hills SVRA is located on parts of both of these former land grants. Howard Harris created the foundation of what today is known as Hollister Hills SVRA. Howard’s great grandfather, Jesse Whitton, was a civilian surveyor for the John C. Fremont expedition that traveled through the area in 1846. After the expedition, Jesse Whitton returned to the area and successfully purchased 600 acres for $50 per acre. The land was passed on through the family and finally to Howard Harris in 1959, who became the last private owner of the property. In the following years, Howard purchased more of the Facilities Day Use/Camping Day use and camping at Hollister Hills SVRA are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Fees are collected at the Main Entrance Station at the Lower Ranch. Day use is allowed throughout the park, including the designated camping areas. Hook-ups and a dump station are not available. Lower Ranch: There are four campgrounds in the Lower Ranch – Walnut, Lodge, Bee, and Madrone – all with flush toilets. Radio Ridge, a day use area that provides overflow parking for the campgrounds, ha

UPPERFOUR-WHEELED RANCHVEHICLES & HUDNER RANCH ONLY (non-ATVs) Hollister Hills W elcome to Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) – California State Parks’ first SVRA. Located in the Gabilan Mountains, just an hour’s drive from San Jose, this unique SVRA features over 6,800 acres of scenic and varied terrain. Visitors are drawn to the natural beauty of the park’s oak woodlands, rolling hills, lush canyons, seasonal creeks, and the many miles of OHV trails for all vehicle types and skill levels. Elevations in the park range from 660 to 2,425 feet. The average monthly Red-shouldered Hawk temperature varies from the low-to-mid 90s in summer, to the low 30s to upper 50s in winter. The park is open year-round and offers day use and overnight camping opportunities. OHV recreation is permitted from sunrise to sunset. This map focuses on the Upper Ranch and the Hudner Ranch of Hollister Hills SVRA, which are set aside for fourwheeled vehicles with the exception of ATVs. A separate map is available for the Lower Ranch and the Renz Ranch, where opportunities are provided for motorcycle and ATV use. Recreational Opportunities OHV Upper Ranch: The 800+ acre Upper Ranch offers fun on a network of trails and three specialized areas that provide a range of challenges and obstacles. On occasion, the Upper Ranch may be partially or entirely closed for special events. Please check www.ohv.parks.ca.gov/ hollisterhills for a list of special events and corresponding closures. Hudner Ranch: This area provides OHV touring on trails that wind through more than 1,500 acres with panoramic views of the surrounding area. Some trails are suitable for novice drivers; others are for the more experienced. Special Events 156 Salinas 68 7800 Cienega Road • Hollister, CA 95023 • 831.637.3874 Education Hollister Hills SVRA offers a variety of educational programs including OHV safety training, nature hikes, school presentations, and community outreach. For more information about these programs, please call the Park Office at 831-637-8186. Group Campground “Area 5”: This area is a large group campground available for groups and special events. Accommodations include picnic tables, shade ramadas, fire rings, flush toilets, showers, a large barbecue pit, a food prep area, a stage, electricity, air compressor, and parking. For more information, or to book a group or special event, please call 831-638-3390. Lower Ranch: Visitors to the Upper Ranch may camp in the Lower Ranch. Some campgrounds have flush toilets and showers. Nature Area The Nature Area, located in the Lower Ranch, is available for non-motorized recreational opportunities including hiking, mountain biking and nature viewing. This 280 acre area encompasses a network of scenic trails available for exploration and enjoyment. The entrance to the Nature Area is located at the west end of Madrone Camp. Dogs on leash are welcome. Getting Involved Volunteering: Hollister Hills SVRA offers many opportunities for volunteers. For those interested in joining the team, volunteer opportunities include Trail Patrol, education and outreach, resource management, and Trail Watch. For more information about volunteering, please call the Park Office at 831-637-8186. Cooperating Association: Hollister Hills Off-Road Association (HHORA) is a non-profit organization that supports Hollister Hills SVRA and its mission of providing sustainable OHV recreation. HHORA is dedicated to enhancing and promoting the recreational experience of park visitors. For over 30 years, members have assisted in a wide variety of activities ranging from organizing roadside cleanups to holding family-oriented special events for club members. To get involved or find out more, please visit www.hhora.org. Park Resources Air Compressor: Air for tire inflation is available at no cost near the Ranger Station. Fire/Firewood Restrictions: Firewood may be purchased at the park store in the Lower Ranch. Collection of firewood within the park is not allowed. No ground fires are allowed. Park Store A general store is located at Lodge Camp in the Lower Ranch. The store offers a variety of items for park visitors including motorcycle and ATV parts, riding apparel, camping supplies, ice, drinks, snacks, and packaged food. To contact the general store, please call 831-637-9780. Park History A tribe of the Ohlone people that lived, and still live, in the vicinity of Hollister Hills SVRA are called “Mutsun.” During the late 1700s, Spanish explorers encountered these and other Native Americans in the area. Spain established nearby Mission San Juan Bautista in the late 1790s and forced many of the Ohlone people, along with members of other tribes or bands from the area, to build the mission. Facilities Day Use/Camping Day use and camping at Hollister Hills SVRA are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Fees are collected at the Main Entrance Station at the Lower Ranch. Day use is allowed throughout the park,

Mudstone Ranch at Hollister Hills SVRA To Hollister Important Information • • • • • Open- sunrise to sunset Be careful for ticks, Day use only- $5.00 per day rattlesnakes, and No motorized vehicles Dogs must be on aPoison leash Oak. No Smoking or fires Mudstone Ranch at Hollister Hills SVRA is located in the eastern foothills of the Gabilan Mountains, seven miles south of Hollister. Mudstone Ranch features non-motorized multi-use trails. All trails at Mudstone Ranch are shared by equestrian, hikers and mountain bikers alike. Trails vary in difficulty to appeal to many experience levels and interests. The Mudstone Ranch Story Mudstone Ranch was set aside as a buffer area to address Off-highway vehicle impact concerns to neighbors. After listening to the local community the result was to utilize this buffer area for nonmotorized multi-use trails. Furhermore, staff would continue to manage these lands through grazing. Physical Web Access a digital map of Mudstone Ranch. Content is open and accessible to anyone. To access Physical Web Beacons at Mudstone Ranch on Android or iOS: • Ensure Bluetooth is turned on • Use a Physical Web enabled browser such as Chrome or Physical Web • Adjust notification settings to receive alerts of the nearby beacons • Open it and have access to a whole new level of information about the world around you Grazing At certain times of the year there may be cattle grazing within Mudstone Ranch. Grazing has been a historical use of this land for generations. Today, Hollister Hills staff utilizes grazing as a tool to sustainbly manage the Oak Woodland and grassland habitats. Future Plans More trails are planned at Mudstone Ranch. A pump track near the parking lot is also slated to be built. Furthermore, interpretive panels at points of interest are planned as well as a physical web self-guided tour. Also, be on the look out for guided tours of Mudstone Ranch. Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area 7800 Cienega Rd Hollister CA 95023 (831) 637-8186 ohv.parks.ca.gov/hollisterhills Mudstone Ranch at Hollister Hills SVRA