Gorman: Off-Roading, Nature, and History

Gorman is home to the North Kiosk & Visitor Center at Hungry Valley SVRA. The park combines motorized recreation with a distinctive landscape and geological history. The development of the area that later became the town of Gorman also gives the destination historical context.

Off-Road Recreation at Hungry Valley SVRA

Hungry Valley SVRA covers 19,000 acres and has more than 130 miles of scenic trails for motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dune buggies, and 4x4 vehicles. These two figures describe different things: the acreage indicates the park’s area, while the miles indicate the length of trails for these types of vehicles. This makes it possible to distinguish the size of the park from its trail network.

There are two ATV trails: one for vehicles under 200 cc and one for vehicles over 200 cc. Engine displacement is the distinguishing factor between the two offerings. Hungry Valley offers ATV safety courses for children ages 6 to 17. Ten geocaches and the free “Agents of Discovery” app add to the activities. The app features challenges about safety, animals, plants, and history, covering different themes from the vehicle-based activities.

Grassland, Wildlife, and Geology

The Hungry Valley SVRA trail network offers opportunities for wildlife viewing in scenic surroundings. Hungry Valley is also home to one of California’s best-preserved examples of native grassland. This grassland is a distinct feature of the park alongside its motorized recreation.

The park is located in the Ridge Basin. Highly deformed rocks document the interplay between the San Andreas Fault and the San Gabriel Fault, which bound the basin and the park. The geology adds another layer of context to the landscape: the rocks are connected to the two faults that bound the basin and the park.

Visiting and Getting Oriented

Hungry Valley SVRA is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Check fire and weather advisories before you travel. Camping in the park is permitted only in designated campgrounds. Motorized recreation in the Native Grasslands Management Area is restricted to designated trails.

The North Kiosk & Visitor Center at Hungry Valley SVRA is located in Gorman, California, at 5301 Ralphs Ranch Road. The road was previously known as Peace Valley Road.

Regional History

Between the Gold Rush of the late 1840s and early 1850s, the establishment of the Indian reservation at the foot of Grapevine Canyon in 1851, and the founding of Fort Tejon at the upper end of Grapevine Canyon in 1854, the area that later became the town of Gorman grew into a popular stop for freight haulers and travelers. The Tataviam village of “Kulshrájek” was located in the area of present-day Gorman.

Accounts describe Spaniards using the native trail in the 18th century. Captain Pedro Fages reported passing a village on a road then known as “El Camino Viejo” (“The Old Way”). This recorded name adds to the area’s later historical milestones without equating the road’s route with the present-day town.

Nearby, Fort Tejon State Historic Park was a frontier fort of the U.S. Army, occupied from 1854 to 1864. The park includes restored adobe buildings from the original fort and a museum with exhibits about soldiers’ lives and regional history. These insights complement the history of Gorman as a stop for travelers and freight haulers, giving the region another point of historical interest.

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