At Kijubi headquarters this year, we decided to forego a lame secret Santa gift exchange and take the whole team out for a holiday party they’d never forget…an ATV ride through the Palm Desert.

Video: Team Kijubi heading out to Palm Desert

Hopping on an ATV is an amazing way to get way off the beaten path and access terrain that you might not otherwise ever get to see.  We’re all for hiking and biking and horseback riding, but there is nothing quite like letting loose on the throttle and bombing down a sand dune at 50 mph.

Video: Team Kijubi Bombing Through the Desert

Kijubi.com currently offers ATV rentals in Anaheim and San Diego, making this a perfect weekend getaway to explore the amazing beauty of Southern California with friends and family.

Our partners at About.com have a very comprehensive list of the best places to go ATVing in Southern California, complete with driving trails, directions and GPS coordinates.

Before you head out, we recommend taking a look at the ATV Safety Institute’s website, where you’ll find a wealth of information and advise ranging from  safety tips to this common sense guide to responsible riding and use of public lands:

• Learn about the area you will ride in. Contact the public land manager or private property owner to ensure that you understand area restrictions and have permission to ride there. Get maps of the area, and stay on trails if they are provided.

• Keep your ATV quiet. ATVs are designed to be relatively quiet while still delivering maximum performance, smooth engine torque and spark suppression. Excessive noise stresses wildlife, and annoys property owners and other recreation users. It also contributes to your own riding fatigue. Less noise means you can ride farther more comfortably.

• Obey trail markers and closure signs. There are many reasons why an area may be closed to ATVs including the existence of fire hazard, refuge to wildlife or plant life and safety hazards for ATV riders. The reasons may not be obvious. If it is posted as closed, stay out.

• Always leave gates and fences the way you found them. This is especially important on private lands where livestock may be kept.

• Leave the area as clean as you found it. If you see litter, pick it up and carry it out on your ATV. Carry a rolled up plastic trash bag and a couple of bungee cords on your ATV. Why not leave the area cleaner than you found it?

• Be courteous to others you may meet on the trail. Always give right-of-way to hikers and horseback riders. Pull off the trail and stop your engine for horses. In most areas, horses are not permitted on trails unless they are accustomed to vehicles, but don’t take a chance. The rider will likely talk soothingly to the horse. It doesn’t hurt for you to do the same to assure the horse you are no threat. Horses respond very positively to a calm, human voice.

• Approach livestock or wildlife on the trail slowly. In some parts of the country, range cattle pass the afternoon under shade trees along a trail. If you startle them, they may run directly into your path. Give them time to react and give them as wide a berth as possible.

• Whenever you talk to a landowner, take your helmet off. The helmet can make you appear to be intimidating and unfriendly. Be friendly and honest in all your discussions with the landowner & you are there as their guest.

Tags: ATV, Southern California