Victor Valley, CA, Offers Plenty of Outdoor Activities

It’s easy to embrace adventure throughout the Victor Valley.

By Kevin Litwin on September 21, 2023

Eric Reed

Adrenaline junkies, rejoice. The outdoors is not only eye-catching in Victor Valley, CA, but it also provides residents with many recreation options. Choices range from mild to wild, with adventures like fishing, hunting, snow skiing and zip lining. Here are some activity suggestions for this beautiful, fun-filled region.

Walk or bike Mojave Riverwalk in Victorville

Only open since 2019, Mojave Riverwalk is a Class I trail ideal for walking or biking. The Riverwalk stretches 3.9 miles one way and connects to a seven-mile loop of Class II bike lanes and bike routes that travel throughout central and Old Town Victorville. Mojave Riverwalk starts at Victor Valley College and continues under the Yucca Loma Bridge and into Mojave Narrows Regional Park.

Go mountain biking on the Pack Memorial MTB Trail in Apple Valley

For a great mountain bike workout on a highly rated trail/fire road, this is an ideal place for such an adventure. Park Memorial spans 12.6 miles, and 15% of that distance features a singletrack that reaches an elevation of 4,825 feet at its apex. A popular designated spot on the course is a 14% incline that stretches nearly 3 miles.

Play foot golf at Green Tree Golf Course in Victorville

Golf meets soccer at Green Tree Golf Course, where foot golf can be played by ultimately kicking a soccer ball into a 21-inch ground ring on 18 holes. Golf rules and etiquette remain the same, including that foot golf players aim to kick the ball into each hole using the least strokes possible. The yardage in foot golf is smaller, and players can rent motorized carts if they don’t want to walk the course. The cost is $6 for 18 holes, and carts are an additional $10.

Eric Reed

Hit the links in Apple Valley, Victorville and Hesperia

If you like golf, you’ll like the courses in Victor Valley. Apple Valley Golf, once played by golf superstars Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, bills itself as having the best greens in the High Desert. In Victorville, Bear Valley Country Club is an 18-hole course designed and built by the world-renowned golf architecture team of Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Robert Trent Jones Jr. The course features many views of a beautiful lake and the surrounding mountains. And make a point to play Hesperia Golf & Country Club, which is a former stop on the PGA Tour. This 18-hole championship course has 2,000 mature trees lining the fairways, and green fees are only $49 on weekends and $42 on weekdays.

Go off-roading on the El Mirage Dry Lake Bed in Adelanto

Rev your engine and attack the El Mirage OHV Recreation Area, known for the hard riding of ATVs, trucks, cars, motorcycles and other off-highway vehicles across a dry lakebed and several Mojave Desert trails. Drivers have access to more than 27,275 acres, and overnight and weekend stays are encouraged, thanks to a dozen designated campgrounds.

Eric Reed

Explore Hesperia Civic Plaza Park

For a high-tech exercise experience, head to Hesperia Civic Plaza Park and use its QR Fit Trail. Participants visit a variety of fitness stations along the trail and can choose new workout routines by scanning any of the stations’ QR codes on their smartphones. Also at Plaza Park is a large playground, an amphitheater and well-manicured bocce ball courts.

Eric Reed

Go swimming at Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area in Hesperia

Grab your swimsuit and take a refreshing dip at Silverwood Lake Swim Beach, then enjoy the sandy beach to play volleyball and frisbee or just catch some rays. Other activities include water skiing, boating and fishing, and a full snack bar and a small store are available for purchasing food, goggles, floaties, ice and more. Silverwood Lake sits along the Pacific Crest Trail, so going for a hike is another entertaining option.

Camp throughout Victor Valley

Love camping? Consider spending the night at one of these nature-packed getaways.

• Oak Springs Campground & Venue in Apple Valley: The High Desert landscape offers visitors and residents a unique yet beautiful camping experience at Oak Springs, which has an outdoor kitchen along with plenty of natural spring water. Surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest, rental cabins are $50 per night, and activities include horseback riding, guided nature trail excursions and relaxing at Deep Creek Hot Springs.

• Mojave River Forks Regional Park in Hesperia: Open Thursdays through Mondays, the park is located in the Summit Valley area of Hesperia at the beginning of the Pacific Crest Trail. The park offers plenty of RV hookups and tent campsites and provides access to boating and fishing on Silverwood Lake. Mojave River Forks is dog friendly. Other activities include horseback riding and mountain biking.

• Hesperia Lake Park: Fishing, wildlife sightings, biking and hiking are some of the activities available to visitors at Hesperia Lake Park, where several sites can accommodate RVs and tent campers. Every campsite features a picnic table and fire pit, and all RVs have access to electricity and water. Rates are $40 per night, and restrooms and showers are available at no charge.

• Mojave Narrows Regional Park in Victorville: This nearly 900-acre park is highlighted by multiple hiking and equestrian trails, and several hookups for RVs are near Horseshoe Lake. Tent camping is allowed along the shores of both Horseshoe Lake and Pelican Lake. More than 250 species of birds have been documented at Mojave Narrows, and attractions include year-round fishing, a disc golf course, a playground, rock climbing and a splash pad.

• Other Campgrounds: Besides the aforementioned sites, other top camping destinations throughout the High Desert include Adelanto RV Park, Barstow-Calico KOA, Shady Oasis Campground in Victorville, Lone Wolf Colony in Apple Valley, Happy Camper Campground in Apple Valley, and Desert Willow RV Resort in Hesperia.

Ziplines at Pacific Crest