On the 

Right 

Track:

A Guide to Riding

Off-Highway

Vehicles on BLM

and Forest Service

Lands in Montana

and the Dakotas

Plan Ahead

Know what you need to ride safely and legally.

Follow state registration requirements for your 

vehicle.

Know where you can ride.

Know road and trail restrictions, including 

vehicle width requirements. 

Get information from local BLM and USFS 

offices; many have travel maps available online.

Educate Yourself

Learn about route 

designations:

Roads and trails where OHV use is 

allowed are designated as “open,” 

and roads and trails where OHV 

use is not allowed are designated 

as “closed.” In general, you should 

stay on designated open routes. 

Designated open routes may be 

restricted to use by specific types of 

vehicles based upon their width. 

The BLM also has designated management areas:

Open areas: OHV use and crosscountry travel are allowed. Crosscountry travel means driving your 

vehicle off a designated open road or 

trail.

Limited areas: OHV use is allowed 

but limited to designated open routes 

and by regulations and seasonal 

restrictions. Cross-country travel 

is not allowed in order to minimize 

user conflicts and protect fragile 

soils, riparian areas, vegetation, and 

wildlife.

Closed areas: Off-highway vehicle 

use is not allowed.

Understand the signs:

Signs are used to show route 

designations and the types of 

vehicles allowed on each route. 

They are also used to show 

seasonal and other restrictions. 

Not all routes are signed,

so carry a Motor Vehicle

Use Map and/or check

with the local BLM or

USFS office. 

For More 

Information

BLM Offices

www.blm.gov/mt/st/

en.html

Montana State Office

Billings, MT

406-896-5000

Billings Field Office

406-896-5013

Butte Field Office 

406-533-7600

Dillon Field Office

406-683-8000

Glasgow Field Office

406-228-3750

Havre Field Office

406-262-2820

Lewistown Field Office

406-538-1900

Malta Field Office

406-654-5100

Miles City Field Office

406-233-2800

Missoula Field Office

406-329-3914

North Dakota Field Office

Dickinson, ND 

701-227-7700

South Dakota Field Office

Belle Fourche, SD 

605-892-7000

BLM/MT/GI-13/003+8340

U.S. Forest Service 

Offices

www.fs.usda.gov/

goto/r1/offices

Beaverhead-Deerlodge 

National Forest

Dillon, MT

406-683-3900

Bitterroot National 

Forest

Hamilton, MT

406-363-7100

Custer National Forest

Billings, MT

406-255-1400

Dakota Prairie 

Grasslands

Bismarck, ND

701-683-4342

Flathead National Forest

Kalispell, MT 

406-758-5200

Gallatin National Forest

Bozeman, MT

406-587-6701

Helena National Forest

Helena, MT

406-449-5201

Kootenai National Forest

Libby, MT

406-293-6211

Lewis and Clark National 

Forest

Great Falls, MT

406-791-7700

Lolo National Forest

Missoula, MT

406-329-3750

ENTERING MOTOR VEHICLE

RESTRICTION AREA

STAY ON DESIGNATED ROUTES

To protect wildlife habitat area

To prevent damage to roads

To prevent damage to vegetation

MOTOR VEHICLES

ACCEPTED 8/16 - 4/31

NO MOTOR VEHICLES

5/1 – 8/15

For further information, refer to

Bearclaw Ranger District Motor Vehicle 

Use Map or call XXX- XXX-XXXX

ROAD RESTRICTION TRAIL RESTRICTION

For further information, refer to the

Bearclaw Ranger District

Motor Vehicle Use Map 

or call xxx-xxx-xxxx

greater than

50 inches in width

YEARLONG

NO 

MOTOR VEHICLES

Stay on designated routes

AREA RESTRICTION

For further information, contact the

Bearclaw Ranger Station, Phone: XXX-XXXX

TO PROTECT

RESOURCES

NO MOTORIZED

CROSS-COUNTRY

TRAVEL

YEARLONG

NONMOTORIZED USE

ACCEPTED

More Americans than ever are using 

off-highway vehicles (OHVs) to enjoy 

the outdoors. In the right places, motorized 

vehicles are a great way to experience Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) 

lands in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. 

However, if not operated appropriately, these vehicles 

can damage both the land and the resources that 

visitors come to enjoy. So follow a few ground rules—

plan ahead, educate yourself, find places to ride, and 

ride responsibly—and then enjoy the ride!

STAY ON

DESIGNATED ROUTES

FS
Know what you can and can’t do: Know Where to Ride

On national forests and 

national grasslands:

Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs) are 

the official record of designated routes 

and areas on USFS lands:

Roads or trails 

that appear 

on the MVUM 

are open to 

motorized use.

Any road or trail 

that is not on the 

MVUM is closed 

to motorized use.

Free printed MVUMs are generally available

at the local USFS office or online at

www.fs.usda.gov/r1.

On BLM-managed lands:

Visit a local BLM office or 

www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/prog/

recreation/ohv.html to get 

information and maps (if available) for the area 

where you’d like to ride. Many BLM areas and their 

designations are listed below:

Open (cross-country travel is only allowed

in these areas):

Fresno OHV area near Havre

Glasgow OHV area

Glendive OHV area

Radersburg OHV area

South Hills area near Billings (dirt bikes only)

Terry OHV area

Limited:

Upper Missouri River Breaks National 

Monument

All areas within the Dillon Field Office’s 

jurisdiction

Shepherd Ah Nei Recreation Area near Billings 

(fee area) (call 406-896-5014 for status)

The following travel management areas 

in the Butte Field Office’s jurisdiction

(call 406-533-7600 for details)

Pipestone OHV Area

Clancy OHV Area

Elkhorns

Sleeping Giant

Lewis and Clark County

Helena

East Helena 

Boulder/Jefferson City 

Upper Big Hole

Closed:

Pompeys Pillar National Monument

Scratchgravel Hills near Helena

Sweetgrass Hills

Ride Responsibly

In addition to obtaining maps and current travel 

information, staying on designated open roads and 

trails, and obeying all restrictions, riders should:

Think safety—for yourself and those around you.

Share the trail—yield to horseback riders, hikers, 

and bikers.

Stop the spread of weeds—clean your vehicles 

often. 

Avoid all riparian areas and wetlands—they are 

closed to motorized use except along designated 

open trails or roads.

Protect and respect cultural resources such as 

old cabins, historic mining sites, fossil areas, and 

traditional cultural properties.

Respect private property—obtain permission to 

cross private land and leave gates as you find 

them.

Follow the principles of Tread Lightly!®:

Travel and recreate with minimum impact.

Respect the environment and the rights of others.

Educate yourself; plan and prepare before you go.

Allow for future use of the outdoors; leave it

better than you found it.

Discover the rewards of responsible recreation.

By riding responsibly, you can improve the condition 

of roads and trails and help to keep them open. 

Riding responsibly enhances the recreational 

experience for all users. 

Your cooperation is essential. Please remember 

that motorized travel on public lands is a privilege, 

not a right. 

What is OK:

Driving on 

designated open 

roads or trails

that are wider 

than your

vehicle. 

Riding 

motorcycles on 

designated open 

single-track

trails. 

What is NOT OK:

Driving off of 

designated open 

roads or trails,

as designated

by an MVUM 

or signs, even

for game

retrieval.

Breaking new 

trail by driving 

on undisturbed 

ground and 

crushing 

vegetation.

Driving a

vehicle that is 

wider than the 

designated width 

of the open road 

or trail.

Driving on 

livestock or

game trails.