Moab BLM bans electric bikes on non-motorized trails
Under new rules, e-bikes aren’t allowed on Moab’s mountain bike-specific trails like Captain Ahab.
In a move that could prove to be a bellwether for other trail systems across the US, the Moab Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has posted updated guidelines to their web page putting electric-powered bicycles in the same category as gas-powered vehicles, effectively banning them from numerous trails in and around the Utah mountain bike mecca.
While motor assisted bicycles are now not allowed on mountain bike trails, they are permitted on any motorized route open to motorcycles and off-road vehicles. This includes portions of classic trails like Porcupine Rim, where e-bikes are permitted on the “Jeep road” sections, but not the singletrack.
While significant, e-bikes will still have access to hundreds of miles of trails and unpaved roads in the area.
The BLM has published an updated PDF map showing the following trails it lists as “Mountain Bike Trails”:
- Amasa Back Area
- Bartlett/Jedi Slickrock
- Gemini Bridges/Mag 7 Area
- Klondike Bluffs Area
- Klonzo Trails
- Kokopelli Trail
- Lower Monitor and Merrimac
- Moab Brands (Bar M)
- Pipe Dream
- Porcupine Rim
The Moab Bureau of Land Management has classified e-mountain bikes as motorized, limiting their legal access in the area.
In other Moab news, a former unsanctioned trail on the bluffs north of town known as the “Blue Dot Trail” has been formally added to the area’s trail inventory and is now called the Gold Bar Rim Singletrack. Known for it’s difficulty and trials-like demeanor, local trail builders have added “helper lines” to make the route more rideable while maintaining the original’s techy personality. Additionally, the blue dots have been replaced with yellow lines and additional signage is being installed.
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