E-Bikes Are Considered Motorized Vehicles On Medicine Bow-Routt Nat’l Forest & Thunder Basin
| All classifications of e-bikes must stay on roads and trails designated for motorized use. |
| (LARAMIE, Wyo.) Sept. 7, 2023 – Hunters may not use e-bikes to access the backcountry behind locked gates and via closed roads or non-motorized trails. That is the message the Medicine Bow Routt-National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland (MBRTB) would like to make clear this fall season, as user conflict regarding this topic continues to increase. Many forest visitors utilize electric bicycles, or e-bikes, to recreate year-round, however recently, local U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service offices have been receiving increasing numbers of complaints from hunters who are witnessing inappropriate use of e-bikes by other hunters on National Forest System land. The MBRTB categorizes all classes of e-bikes as motorized vehicles. As such, e-bikes must stay on motorized roads and trails, which can be found on our Motorized Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs). It is the visitor’s responsibility to know where they are and what types of restrictions there may be when accessing public lands. Additionally, no bikes of any kind, electric or standard, are allowed within designated wilderness area boundaries. A web-based resource page that helps determine where, when, and how e-bikes may be used. This useful page highlights local regulations, safety tips, and national guidance for the popular recreation activity. Visitors with questions about roads and trails on the MBRTB should contact their local Ranger District Office. · Forest Supervisor’s Office & Laramie Ranger District, Laramie, Wyo., (307) 745-2300 · Additional resources are available on our website and social media: @FS_MBRTB on Twitter or @FSMBRTB on Facebook. |