California eBike Trails (2026): Where to Ride

Quick Answer: In California, whether you can ride an e-bike on a trail depends on who manages the land, not on which bike you own. California State Parks bans e-bikes in park units except on public roadways and where a Superintendent's Order allows them. The US Forest Service treats e-bikes as motor vehicles, so they're confined to routes on each forest's Motor Vehicle Use Map.

County districts disagree with each other outright — Santa Clara County allows Class 1 and Class 2 on roughly 150 miles of unpaved trail, while neighboring Midpeninsula Regional Open Space bans e-bikes on about 160 miles. Class 3 is shut out of most off-road riding statewide. Verified against agency sources 13 August 2026.

Most guides answer this question with the state law and stop. The wrong answer, because California's statewide rule is only the starting point, and two separate sections of the Vehicle Code let land managers override it in different ways.

This page maps the six land managers that control California trails, what each one allows by class, and the named trails that are open right now.

In this guide

• What's on this page
• The rule that decides everything: who owns the dirt
• What California law actually says — and the two override powers
• The six land managers, and what each allows
• Named California eBike trails open right now
• Charging and range on a California ride
• Where riders get caught out
• The honest ledger
• The bottom line
• Frequently asked questions
• How we verified this

What's on this page

• The rule that decides everything
• What state law actually says
• The six land managers
• Named California eBike trails open right now
• Charging and range
• Where riders get caught out
• The honest ledger
• The bottom line
• FAQ

The rule that decides everything: who owns the dirt

In California, jurisdiction matters more than class. (In Texas it works the other way — the class barely matters and almost every trail is closed.) The same Class 1 e-bike is legal on East Bay Regional natural-surface trails, illegal on Marin County unpaved trails, and a motor vehicle on a Forest Service non-motorized trail — on the same day, in the same state.

That is why "are e-bikes allowed on trails in California" has no single answer. The useful question is narrower: who manages this specific trail, and what has that agency decided?

Six managers control essentially all of it. Work down this list and you will have your answer.

What California law actually says — and the two override powers

Statewide, all three e-bike classes may use bicycle paths by default. Assembly Bill 1909 removed the old Class 3 prohibition effective 1 January 2023, so the path-and-trail ban in California Vehicle Code § 21207.5(a) now reads on "a motorized bicycle" — a moped — rather than on an e-bike.

Watch the date on this one. AB 1909 was an omnibus bill containing a separate provision that took effect 1 January 2024, and sources routinely attach that later date to the Class 3 change. The Class 3 rule changed in 2023.

But two override powers sit on top of that default, and confusing them is where most published advice goes wrong:

Section 21113(g) is the one nobody cites, and it is the most consequential. In its own words, "a public agency... may adopt rules or regulations to restrict, or specify the conditions for, the use of bicycles, motorized bicycles, electric bicycles, skateboards, electrically motorized boards, and roller skates on public property under the jurisdiction of that agency."

That is how Orange County and San Diego County lawfully bar Class 3 from paved bikeways the state default would otherwise leave open.

So "Class 3 is legal on California bike paths" is true of state law and misleading in practice. Two of the largest county park systems in the state have closed their paths to Class 3 anyway.

For the full statutory picture (licensing, helmets, age limits, and the 2026 battery-certification rules) see our California e-bike laws guide.

The six land managers, and what each allows

1. California State Parks — prohibited unless specifically opened

California State Parks is the most restrictive manager in the state, and it operates on a default of no. The published policy reads:

"No person shall operate an e-bike in a park unit of the State Parks System, except on public roadways and in areas allowed through a Superintendent's Order."

What that means by unit type:

Superintendent's Orders are reissued annually. The Auburn Sector order in force when this page was verified is No. 690-054-2026, dated 5 January 2026, and it expressly supersedes the 2025 version. Always check the current order for the unit you're visiting.

2. US Forest Service — e-bikes are motor vehicles

The Forest Service classifies e-bikes as motor vehicles under the Travel Management Rule, whose definitions sit at 36 C.F.R. § 212.1 — "motor vehicle" means "any vehicle which is self-propelled", with carve-outs only for rail vehicles and mobility devices, and a "motor vehicle use map" is "a map reflecting designated roads, trails and areas".

All three classes are allowed on motorized roads and trails. None are allowed on non-motorized trails unless that specific forest has completed environmental analysis and public engagement to open them.

The practical tool is the Motor Vehicle Use Map for the specific forest and ranger district. Access varies between forests, and between districts inside a single forest.

Two California forests have gone further than the default:

• Tahoe National Forest designated roughly 35 miles of non-motorized singletrack specifically for Class 1 e-bikes — a rare step for the agency — alongside 2,000+ miles of roads and 195 miles of OHV trail.
• Eldorado National Forest lists 1,800+ miles of roads and trails designated for motorized use, open to all three classes.

San Bernardino National Forest states the default position plainly: e-bikes are allowed on routes open to all vehicles, on 50-inch OHV routes, and on motorcycle-only routes — and are not permitted on non-motorized trails, including pedal-assist.

3. Bureau of Land Management — the rule that opened nothing

The BLM's 2020 rule defined e-bikes at 43 C.F.R. § 8340.0-5(j) — "a two- or three-wheeled cycle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of not more than 750 watts (1 h.p.)" in three classes — but did not grant access. The agency's own page is explicit:

It says the rule "does not, by itself, open any non-motorized trails to e-bike use," and that "before any on-the-ground changes can occur, an authorized officer must issue a land use planning or implementation-level decision."

So on BLM land, e-bikes ride motorized and OHV-designated routes unless a field office has issued a decision opening something specific. Cross-country travel is limited to areas designated OHV-open under 43 C.F.R. § 8342.1, the designation-criteria rule, which requires the authorized officer to designate all public lands as "open, limited, or closed to off-road vehicles".

4. National Park Service — decided park by park

Superintendents may allow e-bikes where traditional bicycles are allowed, and may treat the classes differently. E-bikes are never permitted in designated Wilderness or anywhere closed to bicycles. California's units diverge sharply:

Golden Gate's throttle rule is the one that catches people out. The bike is fine; using the throttle is not.

5. County and regional districts — where the disagreement is sharpest

This tier covers most of the riding most Californians actually do, and the agencies flatly contradict each other.

Santa Clara County and Midpeninsula share a border and take opposite positions, in their own words. Santa Clara's rules read "Only Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are allowed" with a 15 mph limit on paved and dirt alike; Midpen's read "e-bikes are not allowed on most Midpen trails", with Class 1 and Class 2 permitted only "on limited improved trails at Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve and Ravenswood Open Space Preserve".

Midpen does allow e-bike use by riders with a mobility disability under its Other Power-Driven Mobility Devices policy.

East Bay's opening came from a September 2023 amendment to Ordinance 38: the board voted to allow Class 1 e-bikes "on all trails where regular bikes are allowed, and Class 2 e-bikes on all paved Regional Trails." What that unlocks is mostly fire road. The district's own mountain-bike page describes "over 800 miles of dirt roads and approximately 50 miles of natural surface trails that allow bikes."

Bikes are barred from most narrow natural-surface trails, and the exceptions are listed in Attachment A of Ordinance 38. All e-bikes observe a 15 mph limit, 5 mph when passing.

6. Rail-trails and special authorities — the most reliable tier

Rail-trails are consistently the friendliest category in California, though Class 3 is still commonly excluded.

• American River Parkway / Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail (Sacramento) — 32 paved miles, Class 1 and 2 allowed, Class 3 prohibited, 15 mph.
• Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail (Susanville) — 25.4 miles of former rail corridor through the Susan River Canyon, e-bikes permitted along its length.
• Bayshore Bikeway (San Diego) — a 24-mile circuit through Coronado, Silver Strand, Imperial Beach and Chula Vista. Class 1 and 2 on the separated paths; Class 3 must use the road.

Named California eBike trails open right now

Auburn State Recreation Area carries the state's largest single Superintendent's Order for Class 1 access — 23 named trails and roads, including Olmstead Loop, Confluence Trail, Foresthill Divide Loop, Clementine Trail, Stagecoach, Quarry, Manzanita, Mossy Rock, and Knickerbocker Haul Road. Class 2 and Class 3 are restricted to public roadways there.

Folsom Lake State Recreation Area adds 16 more, including the South Lake Natoma Multi-use and Bike Path, Granite Bay Multi-use (north and south), Darrington, Sweetwater, Doton's Point Multi-use, and the Leidsdorff Trail.

Orange County's nine paved bikeways are open to Class 1 and Class 2 at a 10 mph limit: Aliso Creek (north of Awma Road), Bayview, Coyote Creek, Hicks Canyon, Peters Canyon, Santa Ana River Trail, Salt Creek, San Diego Creek, and San Juan Creek. OC Parks bans every class from its unpaved regional and wilderness park trails.

Angeles National Forest publishes named mountain-bike routes including Ken Burton (3 mi), Kenyon Devore (4 mi), San Gabriel Peak (2.5 mi), Silver Moccasin (14.2 mi), Zion (2.5 mi) and the West Fork Bikeway (7 mi). The forest does not state which of these are motorized, so check the Motor Vehicle Use Map before assuming e-bike access. Silver Fish Trail remains closed from the Bobcat Fire.

Most of the named mileage above — Auburn's fire roads, Tahoe's singletrack, the East Bay natural surface — is dirt, not pavement. Redtail's mountain e-bikes are built for that terrain.

Charging and range on a California ride

There is no public e-bike charging network in California. Searches for e-bike charging stations return electric-car networks — EVgo, ChargePoint, Electrify America — which are no use to you. San Diego's Mobility Master Plan includes micromobility charging in future mobility hubs, and Los Angeles has funding that touches e-bike infrastructure, but neither is a network you can plan a ride around today.

Plan on one battery, out and back. Measured against the rides above, that is usually enough:

• American River Parkway end to end and back is 64 miles — beyond most single batteries. Ride a section.
• Bayshore Bikeway's 24-mile circuit is comfortable for most mid-range e-bikes.
• Bizz Johnson at 25.4 miles one way means a 50-mile day unless you shuttle.
• Monterey's coastal trail at 18 miles is an easy round trip.

Where outlets genuinely exist, they're at campgrounds, RV parks, visitor centers and trailhead cafés — none of them guaranteed. If you regularly ride past one charge, a second battery is a more reliable answer than a charging map. See our electric bike buying guide for how range claims translate to real-world miles.

That dusty-trailhead battery swap above is common on unpaved routes. Redtail's fat-tire e-bikes are built for exactly that kind of riding.

Where riders get caught out

Assuming the class system applies everywhere. Golden Gate NRA regulates the throttle, not the class. Forest Service land regulates whether the route is motorized. Neither cares what sticker is on your frame.

Assuming state law beats local rules. Section 21113(g) means a county can close its paths to Class 3 even though AB 1909 opened them statewide. Orange County and San Diego County have done exactly that.

Assuming a State Park is open because bicycles are. State Parks starts from a prohibition. Bicycle access tells you nothing about e-bike access.

Assuming a long trail has one rule. The San Francisco Bay Trail crosses many jurisdictions and its e-bike rules change segment by segment — some Midpen segments carry posted "No Electric Bikes" signs. Check by segment, not by trail name.

Trusting an undated source. Superintendent's Orders are reissued yearly and county boards revisit these policies often. A rule without a date is a rule you can't rely on.

One live example shows why that matters. The City of Monterey's own page states that all e-bike classes are permitted on Class I multiuse paths such as the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. Other sources say Class 3 is prohibited on the Monterey and Pacific Grove sections.

We could not resolve that conflict against a single authoritative source, so we are not publishing a Class 3 answer for that trail. Call the city before you ride it. A 12 mph limit applies in the Pacific Grove section.

The honest ledger

Green flags for California riding

• Class 1 riders have genuine off-pavement options: ~850 miles at East Bay Regional, ~150 at Santa Clara County, 35 designated singletrack miles in Tahoe National Forest, and 39 named State Parks trails at Auburn and Folsom Lake.
• Rail-trails and paved bikeway networks are extensive and consistently open to Class 1 and 2.
• Several national forests offer thousands of miles of legal motorized routes.
• Statewide law is genuinely permissive as a baseline.

Red flags

• Class 3 is effectively locked out of off-road riding. Almost every manager excludes it — including on paved paths in Orange, San Diego and Sacramento counties.
• Class 2 is excluded far more often than Class 1, including from East Bay's natural-surface network.
• Access is fragmented across at least six managers with no shared map or common rule.
• California State Parks defaults to prohibited, which surprises most riders.
• No public charging infrastructure exists.
• Rules change annually and are rarely announced.

The bottom line

If you ride a Class 1 e-bike in California, you have real options — more than most riders realize. Head for East Bay Regional or Santa Clara County if you want dirt, Auburn or Folsom Lake for State Parks singletrack, or Tahoe National Forest's designated Class 1 trails.

If you ride Class 2, stay on paved bikeways and check first. Santa Clara County is the standout exception that allows throttle bikes on unpaved trail.

If you are choosing the bike rather than the trail, best e-bikes for Los Angeles measures the grade of all 114 City of LA neighborhoods and matches each to a machine that clears § 312.5.

If you ride Class 3, plan on roads and bike lanes. State law is on your side; the agencies that manage the trails largely are not, and § 21113(g) gives them the power to say no.

Buying with California trail access in mind changes what's worth owning here — a Class 1 pedal-assist bike opens far more of this state than a faster one. Our best eBike brands comparison breaks down which brands build genuine Class 1 trail bikes, and if you'd rather test-ride before committing, start with finding an eBike store near you.

And whatever you ride: check the managing agency's current page before you load the bike. In California that single habit will save you more trouble than knowing any rule on this page.

Frequently asked questions

Are e-bikes allowed on trails in California?

It depends entirely on who manages the trail. California State Parks prohibits e-bikes in park units except on public roadways and where a Superintendent's Order allows them. The US Forest Service allows all three classes only on motorized routes. County districts differ from one another — Santa Clara County allows Class 1 and 2 on unpaved trails, while Marin County and OC Parks prohibit all classes on unpaved trails.

Can I ride a Class 3 e-bike on California bike paths?

Under state law, yes — AB 1909 removed the Class 3 prohibition effective 1 January 2023. But California Vehicle Code § 21113(g) lets any public agency restrict e-bike use on property it controls, and several have. Orange County, San Diego County and Sacramento County all bar Class 3 from their paved paths.

Are e-bikes allowed in California State Parks?

Only on public roadways, and on specific trails opened by a Superintendent's Order. In State Recreation Areas those orders cover Class 1 only. State Vehicular Recreation Areas can allow all three classes. Auburn SRA and Folsom Lake SRA have among the most extensive Class 1 trail designations in the state.

Can I ride an e-bike in a California national forest?

Yes, on roads and trails designated for motorized use — check that forest's Motor Vehicle Use Map. The Forest Service classifies e-bikes as motor vehicles, so non-motorized trails are closed to them unless the forest has specifically opened them. Tahoe National Forest has designated about 35 miles of non-motorized singletrack for Class 1.

Which California trails allow Class 2 throttle e-bikes off pavement?

Santa Clara County Parks is the clearest case, permitting Class 1 and Class 2 on its paved and unpaved multi-use trails, roughly 150 miles of it unpaved, since 2017. East Bay Regional Park District allows Class 2 only on paved regional trails, not on natural surface.

Are there e-bike charging stations in California?

There is no public e-bike charging network. Plan on riding out and back on a single charge, or carry a second battery. San Diego and Los Angeles have charging infrastructure in planning, but nothing you can route a ride around today.

Do e-bike trail rules change?

Frequently, and usually without announcement. California State Parks reissues Superintendent's Orders annually — the Auburn order in force at the time of writing is No. 690-054-2026, superseding the 2025 version. County boards revisit their policies regularly too.

How we verified this

Every access rule on this page was taken from the managing agency's own published material, retrieved 12–13 August 2026. That includes the California State Parks e-bike policy page and the Auburn Sector Superintendent's Order No. 690-054-2026 (5 January 2026).

It also includes the National Park Service e-bike subject page, the Bureau of Land Management e-bike program page, US Forest Service pages for Angeles and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, and California Vehicle Code §§ 21207.5, 21113 and 312.5 via the California Legislative Information portal.

Where a rule could not be confirmed against an authoritative source — the Class 3 question on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, and the e-bike policy for the El Dorado Trail — we have said so rather than publish a guess.

This is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for the posted rules at the trailhead. Agencies change these policies without notice. Verify with the managing agency before you ride.

Found something out of date? Tell us and we'll correct it: corrections@redtailebikes.com

Written by Milad Ghobadibeygvand, BScN (Western University, 2014), Redtail eBikes. Verified 13 August 2026.

Nothing on this page is a substitute for the sign at the trailhead. If you want a bike that is welcome almost everywhere California opens to bicycles, buy Class 1 — and if no local shop has the one you want, Redtail ships commuter and city e-bikes and cargo e-bikes free anywhere in the US, with US-based support and warranty behind them.

Limitations

1. One mileage figure on this page was wrong until today, and it mattered. The East Bay Regional row read "~850 mi natural surface under 8 ft". The district publishes two figures, not one: "over 800 miles of dirt roads and approximately 50 miles of natural surface trails that allow bikes" — and the roads are eight feet or wider, which is the opposite of what the page said. A rider planning narrow singletrack on that basis would have found almost none of it open. Corrected against both of the district's own pages.
2. Mileage figures are the managers' own, and none of them was independently measured. Santa Clara's ~150 miles, Midpen's ~160 closed, East Bay's 800-plus and ~50 — every one is quoted from the agency that publishes it. We have not walked or mapped any of them.
3. Superintendent's Orders expire, and this page names one. The Auburn Sector order cited here was in force at verification and expressly supersedes its predecessor. Orders are reissued annually, so the order number on this page will be stale before the policy behind it is.
4. Federal access is decided per forest and per district, and this page cannot list it. The Forest Service position is a default, not a map. The Motor Vehicle Use Map for the specific forest and ranger district is the only thing that settles a route, and two districts inside one forest can differ.
5. The BLM rule opened nothing, which is the whole point of citing it. Section 8340.0-5(j) defines an e-bike; it does not grant access. Any opening requires a field-office decision, and this page does not track those decisions.
6. County coverage is a sample, not a census. Eight districts are tabulated. California has fifty-eight counties, and the ones not listed were not checked — their absence from the table is not a statement that they permit or forbid anything.
7. eCFR moved a URL under us during this pass. The section-level and part-level eCFR pages for 43 C.F.R. § 8342.1 both returned HTTP 404 on the day of verification, so the official GPO text is cited instead. A regulation citation that resolves today can fail tomorrow without the regulation changing.
8. The publisher sells electric bikes. Redtail eBikes is an online retailer. Nothing on this page recommends a class in order to sell one; if anything, the honest reading is that Class 3 is the wrong choice for California dirt, and we say so.

This page expires when any of these change: a land manager revises its e-bike policy or its published mileage; a Superintendent's Order is reissued; a forest amends its Motor Vehicle Use Map; a BLM field office issues an opening decision; or the Legislature amends Veh. Code §§ 21113 or 21207.5.

Source register

parks.sccgov.org returns HTTP 403 to a direct request. That is a bot block, not a dead link: the page was retrieved through a text proxy and its rules are quoted above. No T4 source is relied on for any statement of rule, and no T5 source appears anywhere on this page.

References

1. California Legislative Counsel, Cal. Veh. Code § 21207.5 — leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 343, Sec. 1 (AB 1909), effective January 1, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
2. California Legislative Counsel, Cal. Veh. Code § 21113 — leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
3. California Legislative Counsel, AB 1909 (2021-2022) — leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
4. California Department of Parks and Recreation, E-Bikes in CA State Parks — parks.ca.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
5. US Government Publishing Office, 36 C.F.R. § 212.1 — ecfr.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
6. US Government Publishing Office, 43 C.F.R. § 8340.0-5 — ecfr.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
7. US Government Publishing Office, 43 C.F.R. § 8342.1 — Designation criteria — govinfo.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
8. US Bureau of Land Management, E-Bikes — blm.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
9. County of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation, Bike in County parks — parks.sccgov.org. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
10. Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Biking — openspace.org. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
11. East Bay Regional Park District, Biking — ebparks.org. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
12. East Bay Regional Park District, Mountain Bike Trails — ebparks.org. Retrieved August 27, 2026.