zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Unpaved
/
Bureau Of Land Management Rules Off-Roading Is Ruining Moab, Permanently Closes 317 Miles Of Trails
Bureau Of Land Management Rules Off-Roading Is Ruining Moab, Permanently Closes 317 Miles Of Trails-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:11

Image for article titled Bureau Of Land Management Rules Off-Roading Is Ruining Moab, Permanently Closes 317 Miles Of Trails

is arguably the most important venue in American off roading, and this month the federal Bureau of Land Management . , October 28, closing ORV trails to the thousands of off-roaders who frequent the park. The closure is the punctuation on years of fighting between environmental protection groups, off-roaders, and federal employees, marking a solid victory for those hoping to protect the fragile desert ecosystem.

The Labyrinth Rims Gemini Bridges Travel Management Area is made up of about 300,000 acres of protected public land in Grand County, Utah. Some trails are marked for mixed use, while others are specifically off-highway vehicle trails, bike-only, and hike-only. Some of the OHV trails are designated only for smaller non-truck vehicles like side-by-sides as well. Below you can see that shows which trails will be closed, marked in red.

Image for article titled Bureau Of Land Management Rules Off-Roading Is Ruining Moab, Permanently Closes 317 Miles Of Trails

According to the Bureau of Land Management, it did its best to minimize impact to resources and conflicts with land users. The trails remaining open are prioritized , choosing routes that are “generally well used and defined, and due to frequent or long-standing uses, additional impacts to natural and cultural resources, as well as user conflicts, were determined unlikely to occur.”

Some off-roaders have bemoaned the loss of their playgrounds, however. , a non-profit advocacy group for trail driving. When the ruling was announced in September, he took to Facebook to voice his displeasure and .

There’s no other way to say this. This travel plan is the worst defeat motorized recreation has suffered in decades. SUWA [the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance] won. Moab is lost. Almost every major trail west of Moab is closed, including Day Canyon Point, Hey Joe Canyon, Mashed Potatoes, Ten Mile Canyon, Hell Roaring Canyon, Mineral Canyon, Hidden Canyon, 7-Up, two of the three overlooks on Deadman Point, and many more. Poison Spider, Golden Spike, 7 Mile Rim, 3D, Buttes and Towers, Hell Roaring Rim, and Metal Masher will stay open but that’s about it.

Who even wants to go to Moab if you can’t drive Hey Joe Canyon or Mashed Potatoes? I guess at least Metal Masher is still open.

For its part, the BLM release claims that 96 percent of the trails used for Easter Jeep Safari remain open and available for off-highway vehicle use. Largely the fight has been over the fragility of the Green River basin, as off roading has grown in popularity over the last few years. This new map of allowed trails significantly reduces the number of allowed river crossings, and trails within 100 yards of the river itself.

What will the off-road community become without access to Hell Roaring Canyon?

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Unpaved
Ineos Is Readying Its Dealer Network to Sell the Grenadier SUV in the U.S.
Ineos Is Readying Its Dealer Network to Sell the Grenadier SUV in the U.S.
, the $60 billion British chemical company, surprised the automotive world its off-brand Land Rover Defender-like Grenadier on everyone. Now, two years after its debut, spoke with the company’s executive vice president for North America to get a status update on the company’s dealer and production plans for the...
Nov 2, 2025
Chevrolet Unveils the Silverado ZR2 Bison To Challenge Off-Road Competitors
Chevrolet Unveils the Silverado ZR2 Bison To Challenge Off-Road Competitors
Chevrolet has unveiled its latest challenger in the premium off-road truck market against Dodge and Ford, the Silverado ZR2 Bison. This special edition model is undoubtedly a step up However, it might not look as impressive compared to its direct rivals, the Ram 1500 TRX and Ford F-150 Raptor....
Nov 2, 2025
The Latest Hummer EV Competitor is its Chinese Copy, the Mengshi M-Terrain
The Latest Hummer EV Competitor is its Chinese Copy, the Mengshi M-Terrain
Chinese carmaker Dongfeng is making good on its promise to produce not just one , but an entire lineup. As a followup to the , the Chinese carmaker has debuted the Mengshi M-Terrain EV under a new brand. And the Mengshi M-Terrain borrows both the looks of the Hummer...
Nov 2, 2025
Take Your 911 Camping With a Porsche Brand Rooftop Tent
Take Your 911 Camping With a Porsche Brand Rooftop Tent
Porsche makes a lot of stuff. Sure, it has a decent range of six different models, but this pales in comparison to the sheer quantity of other branded stuff it sells. From and , to , and , the German company has it all. And now, it’s adding roof...
Nov 2, 2025
GFC's Camper Makes the Ford Maverick Into an Affordable Adventure Machine
GFC's Camper Makes the Ford Maverick Into an Affordable Adventure Machine
The is a sensible return to . Something alike to the small, short height trucks of yore from Chevrolet, Mazda, Toyota and Nissan. While the sadly doesn’t come in a single cab, long bed configuration, it’s still a practical vehicle. Now, Go Fast Campers wants to make the even...
Nov 2, 2025
VW Tests the IDea of Off-Roading EVs With ID.XTREME Concept
VW Tests the IDea of Off-Roading EVs With ID.XTREME Concept
It may take a while for off-roading fans to warm up to the idea of taking an all-electric vehicle on the trails, but it hasn’t stopped brands like and Volkswagen to getting a head start on making that vehicle. VW adds to the EV off-roading potential, with a newly...
Nov 2, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved