Billings and Pompeys Pillar National Monument

Resource Management Plan Revision

FACT SHEET: Travel Management

Program Contact: Tim Finger, Outdoor Recreation Specialist (406) 896-5248

The 434,154 acres of BLM public lands within the Billings Field Office provide a variety of 

outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities for many different user groups and interests. 

Recreational opportunities are offered to the public on all BLM administered lands in the 

planning area where legal access exists. About 300,000 visitors use public lands in the planning 

area each year and this number continues to grow. Because access to these BLM public lands, 

for both recreational and commercial use, is equally important, the Billings and Pompeys Pillar 

National Monument Draft RMP/EIS also addresses Travel Management. 

This draft plan provides goals and objectives to manage travel and off-highway vehicle use 

(OHV) in a manner that provides a balanced approach to provide sustainable local economic 

benefits and minimize or mitigate user conflict, safety concerns, and resource impacts, while 

taking into consideration the unique attributes and values of the various travel management 

areas.

Non-motorized recreational trails, including construction and maintenance, would be considered 

during the development of Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) management plans 

and Travel Management Area (TMA) plans. 

Travel Management

Travel management and access is addressed at two levels in this document. Proposed travel 

management is described both at the land-use planning level (allocating open, closed, and limited 

area designations) as well as at the Field Office level (specific route designations) as part of the

decision to be made in the Billings and Pompeys Pillar National Monument Draft RMP/EIS. In 

addition, there are eleven Travel Management Areas (TMA) for which site-specific management 

by individual travel routes is proposed by alternative. Site-specific travel plan decisions for each 

of these eleven areas will be made separately from the RMP level decisions as implementation 

level decisions.

The Billings and Pompeys Pillar National Monument Draft RMP/EIS addresses a range of 

alternatives for establishing Travel Management Areas (TMA). Specific management objectives 

were defined for each TMA, consistent with the overall desired outcomes for travel management. 

Within these TMAs, a range of alternatives to address route-specific designations were proposed 

by alternative. However these route-specific designations would be implementation-level 

decisions. Upon finalization of the RMP, the decision for each of the TMAs will be considered to 

be separate decisions. Travel management outside of the 11 TMAs would continue to be limited 

to existing roads and trails and in accordance with the RMP Record of Decision (ROD) until 

higher planning priorities are completed, and then these areas would be addressed.
Travel Management Areas

The Billings and Pompeys Pillar National Monument Draft RMP/EIS proposes to establish 11 

Travel Management Areas (TMAs) in order to minimize impacts and provide a spectrum of 

motorized and non- motorized recreational opportunities. 

 Within each TMA, route specific travel planning has been completed as part of this 

planning process. 

 Motorized travel in the TMAs would be limited to designated roads and trails, except in 

designated open areas (ex. South Hills OHV Area). 

 Motorized travel on BLM-administered land, outside of established TMAs, would be 

limited to existing roads and trails. 

The following table identifies Travel Management Area Designations by Alternative

Billings and PPNM Draft RMP/EIS

Travel Management 

Alt A

(No Action)

Alt B Alt C Alt D

(Preferred)

Travel 

Management 

Areas

(TMAs)

No established TMAs Establish 11 Travel Management Areas

Travel 

Management 

Area 

Designations

Off highway vehicle 

use limited to existing 

roads and trails (844.1 

miles) except in the 

Pryors, Acton, 

Shepherd Ah-Nei, and 

Horsethief where it 

would be restricted to 

designated routes.

Open: 348.1 miles

Closed: 391.5 miles

Open: 831.1 miles

Closed: 5.6 miles

Open: 616.7 miles

Closed:59.9 miles

Gage Dome/

Colony Road 

TMA

Motorized travel 

limited to existing 

roads and trails – 96 

miles 

(Map 107)

Open*: 31 miles

Admin use only: 45 

miles

Closed: 20 miles

(Map 108)

Open: 75 miles

Open*: 15 miles

Admin use only: 6 

miles

(Map 109)

Open*: 67 miles

Admin use only: 29 

miles

(Map 110)

Horsethief 

TMA

Motorized use allowed 

on designed roads: 36 

miles (Map 111)

Open*: 10 miles

Admin use only: 14 

miles

Closed: 13 miles

Non-motorized use only: 

1 mile

(Map 112)

Open: 32 miles

Open*: 3.4 miles

Admin use only: 1 mile

Closed: 0.1 mile

(Map 113)

Open: 8.4 miles

Open*: 14 miles

Admin use only: 14 

miles

Closed: 0.1 mile

(Map 114)

Acton TMA

Motorized use allowed 

on designated roads 

7.1 miles

Closed: 1.5 miles

(Map 115)

Open**: 5.1 miles

Closed: 3.5 miles

(Map 116)

Open*: 8.6 miles

(Map 117)

Open**: 6.8 miles

Admin use only: 1 mile

Closed: 0.8 miles

(Map 118)

Shepherd 

Ah-Nei TMA

Area I: 53 miles

(limited to motorized 

vehicles less than 50” wide) 

Motorized use limited to 

existing roads and trails

(Map 119)

The following routes would be designated in the Shepherd Ah-Nei Area I: 53 

miles (limited to existing roads and trails (seasonal/conditional restrictions and 

vehicle restrictions (less than 50” wide) apply) (Map 120)

Area II: closed to all 

motorized vehicles

Shepherd Ah-Nei Area II: Admin use only

Area III: limited to 

motorized use (by 

permit only)

Shepherd Ah-Nei Area III: Admin use only
Mill Creek / 

Bundy TMA

Motorized travel 

limited to existing 

roads and trails: 141 

miles 

(Map 123)

Open *: 20 miles

Admin use only: 54 

miles

Closed: 67 miles

(Map 124)

Open: 70 miles

Open*: 37 miles

Admin use only: 32 

miles

Closed: 2 miles

(Map 1250

Open: 8 miles

Open*: 61 miles

Admin use only: 67 

miles

Closed: 5 miles

(Map 126)

South Hills 

TMA

Open to cross country 

travel – motorcycle 

only

1,097 acres 

motorcycle use only

260 acre buffer area –

closed to motorized 

use (adjacent to 

residential area) 

(Map 127)

Closed to motorized use 

1,357 acres

(Map 128)

Open to cross country 

travel

1,296 acres: motorcycle 

use only

61 acre buffer area –

closed to motorized use 

(adjacent to residential 

area) (Map 129)

Open to cross country 

travel

982 acres motorcycle use 

only

375 acre buffer area –

closed to motorized use 

(adjacent to residential 

area) (Map 130)

Tin Can Hill 

TMA

Motorized travel not 

authorized; temporary 

closure in place 

pending RMP analysis

Motorized travel 

limited to existing 

roads and trails 

(Map 131)

Admin use only: 3 miles

(Map 132)

Open*: 2.5 miles

Admin use only: 0.5 

miles 

(Map 133)

Open**: 1.5 miles

Admin use only: 0.5 

miles

Closed: 1 mile

(Map 134)

Cottonwood/ 

Weatherman 

Draw TMA

Weatherman Draw 

ACEC: motorized 

travel limited to admin 

use only. 

No mechanized travel: 

24 miles

Outside of ACEC 

motorized travel 

limited to existing 

roads and trails: 285 

miles 

(Map 135)

Open (motorcycles only): 10 

miles

Open*: 123 miles

Admin use only: 68 

miles

Closed: 108 miles

(Map 136)

Open: 196 miles

Open (motorcycles 

only): 6 miles

Open (vehicles 50” or less): 

10 miles

Open*: 82 miles

Admin use only: 14 

miles

Closed: 1 mile

(Map 137)

Open: 103 miles

Open (motorcycles only): 3 

miles

Open (vehicles 50” or less): 

10 miles

Open*: 104 miles

Admin use only: 75 

miles

Closed: 14 miles

(Map 138)

Warren TMA

Motorized travel 

limited to existing 

roads and trails: 34 

miles

(Map 139)

Admin use only: 18 

miles

Closed: 16 miles

(Map 140)

Open: 29 miles

Open*: 4 miles

Admin use only: 0.5 

miles

Closed: 0.5 miles

(Map 141)

Open: 1 mile

Open*: 9 miles

Admin use only: 23 

miles 

(Map 142)

Pryor 

Mountain 

TMA

Motorized travel 

limited to designated 

roads and trails 

Open: 119 miles

Admin use only: 2.5 

miles

Closed: 103.5 miles

(Map 143)

Open*: 71 miles

Open**: 7 miles

Admin use only: 28.5 

miles

Closed: 118 miles

Non-motorized use only: 

0.5 miles

(Map 144)

Open: 175 miles

Open*: 17 miles

Open**: 1.2 miles

Admin use only: 30.3 

miles

Closed: 1.5 miles

(Map 145)

Open: 39 miles

Open (vehicles 50” or less): 

2.5 miles

Open*: 88 miles

Open**: 0.5 miles

Admin use only: 60 

miles

Closed: 35 miles

(Map 146)

Grove Creek 

TMA

Motorized travel 

limited to existing 

roads and trails: 73 

miles 

(Map 147)

Open*: 18 miles

Admin use only: 9 miles

Closed: 46 miles

(Map 148)

Open: 38 miles

Open*: 32 miles

Admin use only: 2.5 

miles

Closed: 0.5 miles

(Map 149)

Open: 12 miles

Open*: 25 miles

Admin use only: 32 

miles

Closed: 4 miles

(Map 150)

* Open with additional management

** Open with seasonal restrictions/conditional restrictions