- In this video, Todd Riffey of Rancho Cucamonga says what he enjoys about off-roading in California City.
- An estimated 35,000 people are expected to be off-roading in Cal City this week, up 25% from last year.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It’s that time of year again, a holiday tradition that has been "roaring" away from the Thanksgiving table for the desert near Cal City.
Visitors from all over the state, and even nation, off-roading fanatics, rolled into the desert this week!
“I just like the freedom. You can go anywhere you want. There’s thousands of miles of desert out here," said Todd Riffey, a Rancho Cucamonga resident.
Todd Riffey first came to Cal City 50 years ago -- and has continued off-roading each year since.
He’s here with family and friends, lost in a sea of an estimated 35,000 adventurers expected to show up during Thanksgiving week.
Cal City OHV manager Inge Elmes says that number is up 25% from last year, but half the number from 2021 when there were massive crowds after the pandemic.
“This is absolutely our busiest time of the year. Thanksgiving pulls thousands and thousands of visitors to California City,” Elmes said.
Todd met his friend Mike Jangaard from Templeton 20 years ago in Cal City, and their families now like to vacation together as well as celebrate Thanksgiving with each other.
“It’s just awesome that you would have a friend that’s as close as a brother. That you would be able to be just yourself," Jangaard said.
Cal City is the third largest city in the state when it comes to land mass and has miles upon miles of desert for off-roaders to roam.
James Loftus from Ventura loves to bring his family to Cal City.
“Cal City is good because when you have young kids like this, you’ve got a lot of flat trails, you’ve got a lot of open territory, so that the kids can go out on the easier trails and on the flat roads. You can do a lot of what we call road riding, which is kind of nice because it helps get them experience in the off-road world,” Loftus said.
Elmes said the OHV permit program brought in roughly $20,000 in revenue this month, which helps to fund that department.
Elmes welcomed families to Cal City and the open desert areas, and she stressed for everyone to celebrate safety.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
