It ain't Montana, either, where I grew up. The obvious weather issue is one. Lack of organized areas is another. The landowner issue is another.
When I came to California in the mid 1980's, I felt closed in, since my immediate vicinity was paved over with freeways and tract homes. And I carried with me the time honored mid-western theory that California was full of nuts, and everybody was a drug adict, welfare recipient or criminal. Boy, was I mistaken.
California has areas to ride bigger than some eastern states (not that big of an exaggeration). California has the "culture" of motorcycles, particularly SoCal (I've lived almost 10 years in each end of the state of California). MX tracks everywhere, shops everywhere, all the major manufacturers are in SoCal (even KTM, in San Diego), including many of the aftermarket manufacturers (Acerbis is right down the street from me). You can actually get a job in the industry here, if you want. Try that in some of the another nominee states!
There are more AMA Pro races in California than a great many of states added together. While many parts of the country are freezing their tails off, we're watching 5 of the first 6 rounds of AMA supercross.
Many of the best riders in the world live here, and those that want to compete in the U.S. from other countries tend to move to California. Just going to a local MX track midweek gives you a good chance of bumping into somebody who's name you'd recognize. A bunch of guys were here from the Candadian Pro MX circuit about a month ago, practicing out at Lake Elsinore at the same time my son and I were riding. I've ridden on the track with Nate Ramsey, Mike LaRocco, Greg Albertyn, no name a few. How often is that happening in Colorado?
A tradition of time honored races and venues that many have read about in the various magazines are right here in California, like the Lake Elsinore Gran Prix, Carlsbad Raceway, Mammoth Mountain MX, Barstow to Vegas (desert race). Not to mention, many of the Off-road / MX type magazines are right here in SoCal.
As a bonus, from San Diego, we have Baja, Mexico, right next door. 1000 miles to the southern tip of Baja, and you can do it all off road. I've ridden from Tecate (right on the U.S. / San Diego County border with Mexico) to a beach town in Baja called San Felipe, crossing over mountains in pine forests, with frozen water in the mud puddles, to dry lake beds at 90 degrees (while going 90mph), all in the same ride in the same day. Got that in Michigan?
There's certainly more varied riding areas in California than perhaps any place on the earth, from the world famous Glamis dunes, to riding on the beach as Pismo dunes, with terrain from the highest peak in the lower 48 states at Mount Whitney (over 14,000 feet) to the lowest at Death Valley at about 200 feet below sea level. Some of the largest trees in the world (redwoods), to bushes trying to survive with no water.
Sure, I like riding in other places, but overall, I think California ranks number one.
JUST DO NOT MOVE HERE!!! WE HAVE PLENTY !!!!