Mojave Desert trail shutdown: Judge closes 2,200 miles to protect threatened species
mojave desert off-road riders and drivers are waking up to a sweeping court-ordered clampdown that puts thousands of miles of routes off-limits. At 10: 45 a. m. ET on Mar. 12, 2026, the focus is on a federal order directing the Bureau of Land Management to close routes in designated critical habitat to protect the threatened desert tortoise and the Lane Mountain milk-vetch. The ruling is triggering sharply different reactions across the region, from celebration among environmental advocates to frustration from off-highway vehicle users who say access is being cut too far.
What the judge ordered in the Mojave Desert
United States District Judge Susan Illston ordered the Bureau of Land Management to shut down 2, 200 miles of Western Mojave Desert trails to public off-highway vehicle recreation, with the stated goal of preserving the threatened desert tortoise. In the order, the Bureau of Land Management “is ordered to close all (off-highway vehicle) routes in desert tortoise and (Lane Mountain milk-vetch) designated critical habitat and clearly mark such routes as closed with appropriate signage and fencing as needed. ”
The order also carves out specific exceptions. Judge Illston wrote that the Bureau of Land Management “shall keep open designated county roads and highways, as well as any and all routes needed to provide access for established easements, administrative access, emergency access, and other permitted uses (but not public OHV recreational use). ”
The trail network at the center of the dispute stems from the West Mojave Route Network Project. In 2019, the Bureau of Land Management approved 6, 000 miles of off-road trails as part of that plan, covering public lands in San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern, and Inyo counties. The routes span areas from Joshua Tree National Park and Twentynine Palms to Calico, the mountains north of Barstow, and to Ridgecrest near Trona.
Immediate reactions: celebration, anger, and warnings about enforcement
Ed LaRue, a Desert Tortoise Council board member and former Bureau of Land Management biologist, said the closures are necessary as the species faces mounting pressure. “There’s something out of balance out there and we’re losing animals that have been around for millions of years, ” LaRue said.
LaRue also described a problem that complicates route design: riders may treat established paths as guides rather than boundaries. “If we could snap our fingers and everyone could just remain on the existing routes, that would be great. But what happens is the routes provide access for people who are not willing to stay on them, ” he said.
Joan Taylor, chair of the Sierra Club’s California/Nevada Desert Committee, argued the closures still leave extensive recreation space and pressed for stronger protections. “We can balance healthy habitats with outdoor recreation, but we need to rein in the incredible damage being done out here, ” Taylor wrote in an email. She added: “With more than 271, 000 acres for OHV users to enjoy, the least BLM can do is enforce protections for an imperiled species. ”
Off-roading enthusiasts, meanwhile, have described the order as “overreach, ” pointing to the years of planning tied to the West Mojave Route Network Project.
Why this matters: threatened tortoise and a rare plant
Judge Illston’s nine-page order dated Jan. 23 states that “OHV use in the (western Mojave) area is a significant ongoing cause of harm to the desert tortoise, and closures to areas of OHVs is beneficial to desert tortoise survival. ” The desert tortoise, California’s state reptile, has been listed as a threatened species since 1990; it can live up to 80 years, and may take up to 20 years to reach breeding age.
The order also covers habitat for the Lane Mountain milk-vetch, described as the only known home for the plant. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said it is only found in an area north of Barstow.
Separately, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said adult Mojave desert tortoise populations dropped by almost 50% between 2004 and 2014, and more than 67, 000 tortoises were killed during that period.
Quick context
Six environmental groups sued after the Bureau of Land Management’s 2019 trail approval, arguing the agency did not properly consider impacts on threatened species. The current closures are the court’s response to that challenge, reshaping access across a large portion of the Western Mojave.
What’s next for mojave desert access
Attention now shifts to how the Bureau of Land Management will implement signage and fencing, and how clearly closed routes will be marked on the ground. At 10: 45 a. m. ET on Mar. 12, 2026, the practical question remains whether enforcement can keep pace with the scale of the area, while communities and users adapt to a dramatically reduced off-highway network in the mojave desert.
