OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) Recreation Guidelines

Where can I ride?

The most current Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) is your guide for where you can ride. It displays National Forest System roads and trails that are open to summer motorized travel. Routes not shown on the MVUM are not open to public motor vehicle travel.

The Forest is home to two designated Off Highway Vehicle trail riding areas. These areas provide trail riding in forested settings.

• Santiam Pass Summer Motorized Recreation Area (area is unavailable)
• Huckleberry Flats OHV Trail

Please remember these important guidelines:

• Some areas are closed for habitat or resource protection reasons. These areas are posted closed or have gates or berms closing them.
• Stay on designated routes. Cross country travel destroys vegetation and displaces soil.
• Mudding is illegal. Driving through wet meadows, streams or lakeshores, or on roads that have not yet dried out from snowmelt damages roadways and sensitive wildlife habitat.
• When fire closures and use restrictions are issued because of high fire danger levels in the woods, off highway vehicle use is prohibited. Check out fire section for closure orders or OHV use restrictions.
• Paved Forest roads are closed to OHV use, unless these vehicles are equipped to be street legal and registered to operate on public roads. Roads that are signed and physically closed to motorized vehicles are also closed to OHV traffic.
• The Forest roads where you can ride are also used by a mixture of vehicles including large trucks used for logging and construction. Most vehicle operators on these Forest roads are not used to sharing the road with OHV traffic, so OHV riders need to drive defensively! Travel these roads cautiously and contact the local Ranger District office ahead of riding to find out if timber sales are currently operating in the area.

Rules for Riding

The State of Oregon establishes and administers OHV permits and regulations. Find operating and operator requirements for ATVs at the Oregon State Parks website or by calling Oregon Parks and Recreation Department information center at 1.800.551.6949.

OHVs are a great way to combine America’s love of motor vehicles with the love of the outdoors. To make your time in the outdoors safe as well as enjoyable, you need to know the laws governing OHV use on public land and etiquette for riding. The cornerstone of any outdoor recreation activity is respect: respect for yourself; respect for others and respect for the environment. See Tread Lightly's tips for responsible ATV riding.

Required to ride:

• A muffler that complies with Oregon's 99db sound limit
• A valid ATV permit sticker affixed to your vehicle.
• A USDA approved spark arrester.
• Don't ever ride while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Proper safety gear