E-Bikes in National Forests and Public Land: 2026 Rules

Quick Answer

Can you ride an e-bike in a national forest? Yes, on the roads and trails its Motor Vehicle Use Map shows open to your bike, because the Forest Service counts every e-bike as a motor vehicle. On BLM land it is an off-road vehicle until a manager decides otherwise; parks and refuges allow it only where designated; wilderness, never.

Whether any of this applies to your bike comes down to its motor and its class.

The Park Service defines an electric bicycle as "a two- or three-wheeled cycle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of not more than 750 watts that meets the requirements of one of the following three classes" (36 CFR § 1.4), and the BLM's definition uses the same words. A bike over that line is an off-road vehicle on BLM ground, and in a park a question the rules leave open.

In this guide

• Can you ride an e-bike on public land? Agency by agency
• Can you ride an e-bike in a national forest?
  • How much forest trail is open to e-bikes
  • How to find and read your forest's map
  • Hunters: the big-game retrieval allowance
• BLM land: an off-road vehicle until a manager decides otherwise
• National parks: only where the superintendent says
• National wildlife refuges: 8 of 482 name e-bikes
• Wilderness: closed to every e-bike
• Reservoirs and Army Corps lakes
• The 750-watt line, and what your bike becomes above it
• Before you buy a bike for federal land
• Which class opens the most federal ground
• What the AI answers get wrong about public land
• Fines and penalties for riding where e-bikes are not allowed
• If an officer stops you on federal land
• A pre-ride checklist for federal land
• Which rule applies to you
• Riding with a disability
• What changed in 2026
• Where to read next
• The bottom line
• Frequently asked questions

How we verified this guide

Every provision quoted here was read in the current Code of Federal Regulations through the eCFR's own service, and every Federal Register document at the Government Publishing Office. The refuge count reads all 482 refuge units that 50 CFR § 32.7 lists as open to hunting or fishing against their own rules in the same part.

The forest-unit count reads every trail segment in the Forest Service's national Motor Vehicle Use Map data. The national mileage is the agency's own statement, quoted with the date its page was read.

Every provision on this page was last verified September 24, 2026, by Milad Ghobadibeygvand, BScN (Western University, 2014). Corrections: support@redtailebikes.com.

Can you ride an e-bike on public land? Agency by agency

Three federal rulemakings that reach e-bike riders moved between August 24 and September 11, 2026: the Forest Service opened a rewrite of its travel rule, the Park Service proposed a new bicycle rule, and its powered micromobility rule took effect. Riding the wrong route is a federal misdemeanor on the land of all 6 federal agencies below, so name the agency first, then check the bike.

Where you can ride: on a route the agency that manages the ground has opened to e-bikes. On a national forest that is the Motor Vehicle Use Map, which the rule defines as "A map reflecting designated roads, trails, and areas on an administrative unit or a Ranger District of the National Forest System" (36 CFR § 212.1).

On BLM land it is the field office's land-use and travel decisions; in a park, the superintendent's designation; on a refuge, the refuge manager's.

Where you cannot ride: in designated wilderness, on any agency's land, and on any road or trail the managing agency has not opened to your e-bike. A trail open to bicycles is not automatically open to an e-bike.

How to find a legal route: name the agency, then get its designation: the forest's map, the field office's plan, the park's compendium, the refuge's rules or the Corps project's designated locations.

State land, including wildlife management areas and state forests, runs on each state's own rule. Start from your state's page in our state-by-state e-bike law guide.

Can you ride an e-bike in a national forest?

Yes: ride only the roads and trails your forest's Motor Vehicle Use Map shows open to your vehicle class, in the season shown. The Forest Service counts every e-bike as a motor vehicle, and 36 CFR § 261.13 prohibits riding a motor vehicle there other than as the map designates.

The Travel Management Rule defines a motor vehicle as "Any vehicle which is self-propelled, other than: (1) A vehicle operated on rails; and (2) Any wheelchair or mobility device, including one that is battery-powered, that is designed solely for use by a mobility-impaired person for locomotion, and that is suitable for use in an indoor pedestrian area." (36 CFR § 212.1).

There is no e-bike exception in that definition, and no section of 36 CFR part 212 mentions an electric bicycle.

The designation itself is 36 CFR § 212.51(a): motor vehicle use "shall be designated by vehicle class and, if appropriate, by time of year by the responsible official on administrative units or Ranger Districts of the National Forest System".

Under 36 CFR § 261.13, once those designations "have been identified on a motor vehicle use map, it is prohibited to possess or operate a motor vehicle on National Forest System lands in that administrative unit or Ranger District other than in accordance with those designations".

Three documents decide your ride on a national forest, and only two of them bind you:

The Forest Service's own directives, which are guidance rather than regulation, also call an e-bike a motor vehicle. The Forest Service Manual's travel management chapter, amended effective March 31, 2022, defines an e-bike as "a type of motor vehicle with two or three wheels, fully operable pedals, and an electric motor of not more than 750 watts that meets the requirements of one of the following three classes" (FSM 7705, Amendment 7700-2022-1).

Its travel planning chapter gives the map an e-bike category: "Trails Open to E-Bikes Only. Specify the class or classes of electrical bicycles (e-bikes) allowed (Class 1, 2, and/or 3)." (FSM 7711.3, Amendment 7700-2022-2).

It also tells a forest weighing a bicycle trail on National Forest System (NFS) land to "Consider designating a class or classes of e-bike use, as appropriate, on NFS trails managed for bicycle use or where bicycle use is allowed, where effects from e-bike use would be comparable to effects from bicycle use." (FSM 7715.5).

That chapter also closes long-distance trails: "E-bikes are not allowed on a National Scenic Trail unless a regulatory exception authorized by the National Trails System Act is met or there is an exception in the enabling legislation for the trail." (FSM 7715.5). The National Scenic Trails include the Appalachian, the Pacific Crest and the Continental Divide trails (16 U.S.C. § 1244(a)).

How much forest trail is open to e-bikes

The agency's answer, on a page last updated July 2, 2026, and read September 24, 2026, is that "Today, more than 60,000 miles of trails and thousands of miles of roads on national forests and grasslands are currently open to e-bike use." (Forest Service).

It also says where: "Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes are allowed on motorized trails and roads on national forests and grasslands." It adds that "several year-round resorts operating under a special use permit have established e-bike use within their permit boundary." (Forest Service).

Forests have written e-bikes into their maps almost everywhere. In the agency's national Motor Vehicle Use Map trail data, published September 22, 2026, 103 of the 105 forest administrative units mark trail open to e-bikes. The other two, the Kootenai National Forest and the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, leave the e-bike fields blank in that data, so read that forest's own map before you ride (Forest Service trail data).

How to find and read your forest's map

Download the free map for the forest you will ride. The Forest Service asks riders to pick it up or download it "from the forest or grassland before heading out", and it warns (Forest Service maps):

"A route or area not listed on the motor vehicle use maps is not open to motorized travel—even if it appears usable."

Under 36 CFR § 212.56, "Designated roads, trails, and areas shall be identified on a motor vehicle use map." The map is made available at the forest's offices and, "as soon as practicable," on its website, and it "shall specify the classes of vehicles and, if appropriate, the times of year for which use is designated."

Three things trip riders up. Read both the general motorized designations and any e-bike designation for the trail you want. A route's season can close it for part of the year. And the map is the record, whatever the trail looks like: its designations are what § 261.13 enforces.

For the wilderness line, use the agency's online map. The Forest Service describes its Interactive Visitor Map as "an online application that provides information on Forest Service roads, trails, recreation sites, wilderness areas, and wild and scenic rivers across our national forests and grasslands" (Forest Service maps).

Hunters: the big-game retrieval allowance

Look on your forest's Motor Vehicle Use Map for a big-game retrieval allowance before you plan to leave a route with a downed animal.

Under 36 CFR § 212.51(b), the responsible official "may include in the designation the limited use of motor vehicles within a specified distance of certain forest roads or trails where motor vehicle use is allowed ... solely for the purposes of dispersed camping or retrieval of a downed big game animal by an individual who has legally taken that animal."

It is a may rather than a right: the allowance exists only where the forest wrote it into its designation, within the distance and dates it set. Our hunting e-bike guide covers how much the bike and a trailer can carry once you are there.

BLM land: an off-road vehicle until a manager decides otherwise

On Bureau of Land Management ground your e-bike starts out as an off-road vehicle, so ride where an ATV or a dirt bike may until a manager decides otherwise. Under 43 CFR § 8341.1, off-road vehicle use "is permitted on those areas and trails designated as open to off-road vehicle use" and "is prohibited on those areas and trails closed to off-road vehicle use".

The definition in 43 CFR § 8340.0-5(a) takes a bike out of that category two ways. Paragraph (a)(3) excludes "Any vehicle whose use is expressly authorized by the authorized officer, or otherwise officially approved". Paragraph (a)(5) excludes e-bikes only when all three of its conditions hold:

1. "(i) While being used on roads and trails upon which mechanized, non-motorized use is allowed;"
2. "(ii) That are being used in a manner where the motor is not exclusively propelling the e-bike for an extended period of time; and"
3. "(iii) Where the authorized officer has expressly determined, as part of a land-use planning or implementation-level decision, that e-bikes should be treated the same as non-motorized bicycles"

The BLM's own e-bike page tells riders to "Search for an Open OHV area or motorized trail to ride your e-bike" (an OHV is an off-highway vehicle), and it says "BLM offices also have the authority to identify which non-motorized trails could be used for e-bike use" (BLM).

If a manager has made that decision for your route, the rule spells out what follows for you. Under 43 CFR § 8342.2(d)(1), "Authorized officers may allow, as part of a land-use planning or implementation-level decision, e-bikes, or certain classes of e-bikes, whose motorized features are not being used exclusively to propel the e-bike for an extended period of time on roads and trails upon which mechanized, non-motorized use is allowed".

And under (d)(2), "If the authorized officer allows e-bikes in accordance with this paragraph (d), an e-bike user shall be afforded all the rights and privileges, and be subject to all of the duties, of a user of a non-motorized bicycle." (§ 8342.2). The BLM's 2020 rule "does not, by itself, open any non-motorized trails to e-bike use" (BLM).

The BLM's definition in § 8340.0-5(j) uses the Park Service's words and adds "(1 h.p.)" after "750 watts".

The agency added in its 2020 rule that "The BLM does not require any sort of label on e-bikes" and that a bike modified after purchase "may not qualify as a Class 1, 2, or 3 e-bike and would therefore be managed as an ORV", an off-road vehicle (85 FR 69206).

National parks: only where the superintendent says

In a national park, your e-bike is not a motor vehicle, and it still goes nowhere until the park says so. The Park Service's definitions exclude it by name: a motor vehicle "means every vehicle that is self-propelled and every vehicle that is propelled by electric power, but not operated on rails or water, except an electric bicycle, a snowmobile, a powered micromobility device, and a motorized wheelchair" (36 CFR § 1.4).

The permission is 36 CFR § 4.30(i): "(1) The use of an electric bicycle may be allowed on park roads, parking areas, and administrative roads and trails that are otherwise open to bicycles. The Superintendent will designate the areas open to electric bicycles, or specific classes of electric bicycles, and notify the public pursuant to 36 CFR 1.7."

Paragraph (2) closes every other door to you: "The use of an electric bicycle is prohibited in locations not designated by the Superintendent under paragraph (i)(1) of this section." (36 CFR § 4.30(i)).

Two more paragraphs of § 4.30(i) change how you ride, and a third brings in your state's law. Paragraph (3) bars using the motor alone "for an extended period of time without pedaling" except where the public may drive, and paragraph (4) bars even possessing an e-bike in statutory wilderness.

Paragraph (6) reads: "Except as specified in this chapter, the use of an electric bicycle is governed by State law, which is adopted and made a part of this section." (36 CFR § 4.30(i)). A state rule you break inside a park is a federal violation there, so read your state's page in our state-by-state e-bike law guide before you ride.

Section 4.30(i)(7) names the compendium among the places a superintendent announces them, and the Park Service describes it as "a written compilation of management actions about visitor use in a System unit that must be made available to the public" (91 FR 52024).

Its guidance adds: "Superintendents may manage particular classes of e-bikes differently. For example, a superintendent may open a particular road or trail to Class-1 e-bikes only, or may allow Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes but not Class 3." (NPS, updated September 4, 2025).

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area in California shows that pattern. The Park Service's 2026 rule for the unit describes current practice there: its public roads, administrative roads and trails "that are open to traditional bicycles are also open to Class 1 electric bicycles", while "Class 2 and 3 electric bicycles are not allowed on trails or administrative roads within the recreation area; however, they are allowed on roads that are open to public motor vehicle use." (91 FR 5669).

That access rests on the superintendent's designation. The same rule says "This rule does not authorize the use of e-bikes on any trails within the recreation area" (91 FR 5669).

National wildlife refuges: 8 of 482 name e-bikes

Before you hunt a refuge, find its own entry in 50 CFR part 32, the Fish and Wildlife Service's hunting and fishing rules. Across the 482 refuge units that § 32.7 lists as open to hunting or fishing, 8 refuges name e-bikes in their own rules: five in Arkansas, one in Kentucky and two in Texas.

On every refuge the default is closed to you, and the refuge manager holds the key. 50 CFR § 27.31 opens with the rule for every vehicle: "Travel in or use of any motorized or other vehicles, including those used on air, water, ice, snow, is prohibited on national wildlife refuges except on designated routes of travel, as indicated by the appropriate traffic control signs or signals and in designated areas posted or delineated on maps by the refuge manager".

Paragraph (m) is the e-bike provision: "If the refuge manager determines that electric bicycle (also known as e-bike) use is a compatible use on roads or trails, any person using an e-bike where the motor is not used exclusively to propel the rider for an extended period of time shall be afforded all of the rights and privileges, and be subject to all of the duties, of the operators of nonmotorized bicycles on roads and trails."

That paragraph was added in 2020 (85 FR 69223), with the 750-watt, three-class definition (50 CFR § 27.31(m)).

Most refuges leave e-bikes to § 27.31 and the refuge manager's compatibility finding.

Four of the Arkansas refuges also bar you from leaving an e-bike on the refuge overnight: Big Lake's rule says so outright, and Cache River's, Holla Bend's and Wapanocca's bar leaving one unattended overnight (50 CFR § 32.23).

Seven of the eight lines were in force before this season. Lower Rio Grande Valley's arrived with the 2026–2027 hunting rule, effective August 31, 2026, which also tied Laguna Atascosa's line to the federal definition in § 27.31 (91 FR 56290).

On the other 474, ask the refuge whether its manager has found e-bike use compatible, and on which routes: their rules say nothing about e-bikes, so § 27.31 governs. Read its hunt brochure as well as its entry in the rule, because the Service can set conditions the part 32 text does not print.

Mississippi's Theodore Roosevelt complex is one. Answering commenters who asked that e-bikes be confined to ATV routes, the Service wrote in the 2026–2027 rule that "All traditional bikes and e-bikes (in pedal-assist mode) must stay on maintained roads, trails, turnrows, fire lanes, power lines, pipelines, levees/earthen dams/dikes, or designated ATV/utility-type vehicle (UTV) trails" there, and the complex's entry in part 32 names no bikes at all (91 FR 56290).

Wilderness: closed to every e-bike

Find the wilderness boundary before you follow a trail over a ridge: the Forest Service's Interactive Visitor Map shows wilderness areas, and wilderness sits on national forest, park, BLM and refuge land alike, so the line can cross a route you are already on.

Designated wilderness is closed to your e-bike, whatever its class.

The Wilderness Act provides that, "except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of this chapter (including measures required in emergencies involving the health and safety of persons within the area), there shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation within any such area" (16 U.S.C. § 1133(c)).

The Act does not define "mechanical transport". The Forest Service's wilderness rule does, for its own wilderness: "any contrivance which travels over ground, snow, or water on wheels, tracks, skids, or by floatation and is propelled by a nonliving power source contained or carried on or within the device" (36 CFR § 293.6(a)). An e-bike's motor is a nonliving power source carried on the bike.

The Forest Service's prohibitions rule bars "Possessing or using a motor vehicle, motorboat or motorized equipment except as authorized by Federal Law or regulation" and "Possessing or using a hang glider or bicycle" (36 CFR § 261.18). The Park Service's rule, 36 CFR § 4.30(i)(4), reads: "Possessing an electric bicycle in a wilderness area established by Federal statute is prohibited."

The Fish and Wildlife Service and the BLM said the same when they wrote their 2020 e-bike rules. On refuges, "bicycles and e-bikes are already prohibited in all designated wilderness areas on national wildlife refuges, and a refuge manager cannot deem e-bike use as an appropriate use in designated wilderness areas" (85 FR 69223).

The BLM wrote that its rule "will not allow e-bike use in designated wilderness or other areas where traditional, non-motorized bicycle use is not allowed" (85 FR 69206).

A plain bicycle is barred from wilderness too, except under a special allowance in Alaska's parks. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act "authorizes the use of nonmotorized surface transportation methods for traditional activities and for travel to and from villages and homesites within National Park System units in Alaska", and that allowance "applies in Alaska notwithstanding any other law" (85 FR 69175).

The statute opens "Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or other law" (16 U.S.C. § 3170(a)).

The Interior Department "has interpreted this statutory allowance to include the use of traditional bicycles"; e-bikes "do not fall under this allowance because they have an electric motor" (85 FR 69175). In Alaska's parks, a plain bicycle can go where an e-bike cannot.

The exception federal law makes for your own mobility device is the wheelchair, and an e-bike does not qualify. The Americans with Disabilities Act provides that nothing in the Wilderness Act prohibits "the use of a wheelchair in a wilderness area by an individual whose disability requires use of a wheelchair," (42 U.S.C. § 12207(c)).

It defines a wheelchair as "a device designed solely for use by a mobility-impaired person for locomotion, that is suitable for use in an indoor pedestrian area" (42 U.S.C. § 12207(c)). An e-bike is not designed solely for that use.

Reservoirs and Army Corps lakes

Bureau of Reclamation. On a Reclamation reservoir, ask its office whether the route you want has been opened to e-bikes. Reclamation lands start closed: "Reclamation lands are closed to off-road vehicle use, except for an area or trail specifically opened to use of off-road vehicles in accordance with § 420.21." (43 CFR § 420.2).

The e-bike exclusion in 43 CFR § 420.5(a)(7) mirrors the BLM's. An e-bike is excluded from "off-road vehicle" only "While being used on roads and trails upon which mechanized, non-motorized use is allowed, that are not being used in a manner where the motor is being used exclusively to propel the E-bike for an extended period of time".

And only "where the Regional Director has expressly determined, as part of a land-use planning or implementation-level decision, that E-bikes should be treated the same as non-motorized bicycles." (43 CFR § 420.5(a)(7)).

Where another agency runs a Reclamation reservoir's recreation, its rules apply: Reclamation lands "managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, and other Federal agencies will be administered in accordance with regulations of those agencies" (43 CFR § 420.25).

Reclamation's conduct rules add that a bicycle is a vehicle and that "Operating any vehicle through, around, or beyond a restrictive sign, recognizable barricade, fence, or traffic control barricade, is prohibited" (43 CFR § 423.40(a)).

Army Corps of Engineers. On a Corps lake, stay on the roadway unless the project has designated somewhere else, and ask the project office. The Corps' rule for its lakes and projects, 36 CFR part 327, names no e-bike anywhere in the part, and it treats a bicycle as a vehicle.

§ 327.2(a) "pertains to all vehicles, including, but not limited to, automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, mini-bikes, snowmobiles, dune buggies, all-terrain vehicles, and trailers, campers, bicycles, or any other such equipment". And § 327.2(c) provides that "The operation and/or parking of a vehicle off authorized roadways is prohibited except at locations and times designated by the District Commander." (36 CFR § 327.2).

The 750-watt line, and what your bike becomes above it

Buy a bike whose maker rates its motor at 750 watts or less and states Class 1, 2 or 3. Above 750 watts, the bike is not an "electric bicycle" to the Park Service, the BLM, the Fish and Wildlife Service or Reclamation, and on BLM land it is an off-road vehicle with no path to the bicycle exclusion (43 CFR § 8340.0-5).

The line itself has one wrinkle: federal law puts a motor of exactly 750 watts on different sides of it, depending on which definition you read.

The consumer-product statute, 15 U.S.C. § 2085(b), covers "a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 h.p.), whose maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 20 mph."

The land agencies' definitions, in 36 CFR § 1.4 and 43 CFR § 8340.0-5(j), say "not more than 750 watts". A motor rated at exactly 750 watts is outside the first and inside the second, and the Fish and Wildlife Service and Reclamation use the land agencies' figure (50 CFR § 27.31; 43 CFR § 420.5).

The regulations give one figure and do not say whether it means the motor's rated or peak output. A bike whose maker lists both its rated and its peak output at 750 watts or less clears either reading; one rated at 750 watts with a higher peak clears only the rated one. Keep the maker's page with you.

The class is a test of how the motor behaves. Class 1 assists only while you pedal and stops at 20 miles per hour; Class 2 can move the bike on its own and stops assisting at 20; Class 3 assists only while you pedal and stops at 28 (36 CFR § 1.4).

All three classes require a motor of not more than 750 watts and fully operable pedals.

Above 750 watts, the classes stop applying to your bike (36 CFR § 1.4).

On a national forest the bike was already a motor vehicle, so one thing changes: a route marked open to Class 1, 2 or 3 e-bikes is marked for bikes that meet the Forest Service's own e-bike definition, which also stops at 750 watts (FSM 7705).

In a national park, keep a bike rated above 750 watts off every trail and ask the park before you ride its roads: since September 11, 2026, the rules have left open what it is. The Park Service's powered micromobility rule defines a "powered micromobility device" in 36 CFR § 1.4 as "a human-operated, self-propelled device with a curb weight of less than 150 pounds and without an internal combustion engine."

It adds that "This definition does not include an electric bicycle, motorized wheelchair, snowmobile, vessel, motor vehicle, or coasting device." The rule took those devices out of the definition of a motor vehicle (91 FR 52024), so the motor-vehicle and powered-micromobility definitions each exclude the other.

The rule's preamble says it "does not address traditional and electric bicycles." So the text does not say which category a 90-pound, 1,000-watt fat bike falls in.

If it is a powered micromobility device, 36 CFR § 4.32(a) applies: "Operating a powered micromobility device is prohibited except in designated locations." If it is a motor vehicle, 36 CFR § 4.10(a) confines it to "park roads, in parking areas and on routes and areas designated for off-road motor vehicle use." Neither category reaches a trail designated for electric bicycles.

Before you buy a bike for federal land

Check three things on the maker's own page before you buy for federal ground: a motor of 750 watts or less, a Class 1, 2 or 3 the maker states, and fully operable pedals. Keep that page on your phone; it is your evidence of the class on the trail.

The BLM's point about modified bikes applies everywhere: a bike changed after purchase "may not qualify as a Class 1, 2, or 3 e-bike" (85 FR 69206), so leave the speed settings where the maker shipped them.

Our hunting e-bike guide matches bikes to ground, game and load, and two of our collections sort the shelf by terrain: mountain and off-road e-bikes and fat tire e-bikes. Wherever you start, check the rated motor and the class on the listing before you buy for federal ground.

Which class opens the most federal ground

Class 1, where class matters at all, and on a national forest it barely matters: every class is a motor vehicle there, and the agency says all three are allowed on motorized trails and roads (Forest Service).

Class starts to count when you want a trail built for bicycles. A park superintendent may open a road or trail "to Class-1 e-bikes only," (NPS), and a BLM officer's decision may allow "e-bikes, or certain classes of e-bikes," on bicycle trails (43 CFR § 8342.2(d)(1)).

Three park bicycle rulemakings published in 2026, one final and two proposed, describe each park's current e-bike designations. Whiskeytown's trails are open to Class 1 only (91 FR 5669). At First State, "Class 1 and class 3 electric bicycles are allowed in the same locations where traditional bicycles are allowed" and "Class 2 electric bicycles are not allowed on the trail network" (91 FR 48028).

At Mammoth Cave, trails open to traditional bicycles "also are open to two-wheeled electric bicycles", with no class named (91 FR 5700).

Class 1 is open on the trails at all three parks, Class 3 at two and Class 2 at one. Its motor assists only while you pedal and stops at 20 miles an hour, and it is also the class the Forest Service's August 2026 notice of intent proposes to exempt on trails where bicycles are allowed (91 FR 54686).

What the AI answers get wrong about public land

Some AI answers to riders' public-land questions, retrieved September 23, 2026, say things the regulations above do not support. Each item below states the rule first, then quotes the engine's answer, so you meet the correct rule before the wrong one.

On BLM land an e-bike starts as an off-road vehicle. It is excluded only when its use is expressly authorized or all three conditions of § 8340.0-5(a)(5) hold, the last being an officer's express decision.

Brave, asked whether you can ride an electric bike on public land: "Bureau of Land Management (BLM): E-bikes are treated as non-motorized vehicles, allowing access to Class 1, 2, and 3 bikes on roads and trails open to bicycles." Its next sentence was closer to the rule: "Managers may authorize e-bike use on non-motorized trails through specific land-use decisions."

In a park, an e-bike goes only where the superintendent has designated. Under § 4.30(i)(2), e-bike use is "prohibited in locations not designated by the Superintendent". The change that would open park roads and parking areas without a designation is only proposed, with comments open until November 2, 2026 (91 FR 56095). Brave: "National Park Service (NPS): E-bikes are allowed on roads and trails open to traditional bicycles."

On a national forest, the class barely changes where you can ride. Every class is a motor vehicle held to the same map (36 CFR § 212.1), and the agency allows all three classes on motorized trails and roads. In its national trail data the trail open to Class 1 and the trail open to Classes 2 and 3 differ by less than a tenth of one percent, however the data's repeated segments are counted (Forest Service trail data).

Bing Copilot Search, asked whether e-bikes are allowed in national forests: "Class 1 e-bikes have the most flexible access, while Class 2 and Class 3 are generally restricted to motorized trails."

Fines and penalties for riding where e-bikes are not allowed

Riding where your e-bike is not allowed is a federal misdemeanor on every agency's land in this guide, with up to six months in jail on most of it. If you ride off the map on a national forest, 36 CFR § 261.1b sets the punishment as "imprisonment of not more than six months or a fine in accordance with the applicable provisions of 18 U.S.C. 3571 or both."

A maximum of six months makes an offense a Class B misdemeanor under 18 U.S.C. § 3559(a)(7), and for an individual 18 U.S.C. § 3571(b)(6) caps the fine for "a Class B or C misdemeanor that does not result in death" at $5,000.

In a national park, 36 CFR § 1.3 sends your violation to 18 U.S.C. § 1865: "imprisoned not more than 6 months, fined under this title, or both, and be adjudged to pay all cost of the proceedings."

On Reclamation land, 43 CFR § 423.71 provides "a fine under chapter 227, subchapter C of title 18 United States Code (18 U.S.C. 3571), or can be imprisoned for not more than 6 months, or both". Park and Reclamation offenses carry the same six-month maximum, so the same $5,000 cap applies to an individual's fine.

On a Corps project, 36 CFR § 327.25(a) provides "a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment for not more than six months or both".

On BLM land, the regulation for the off-road vehicle rules in subparts 8341 and 8343 states "a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not longer than 12 months, or both" (43 CFR § 8340.0-7). A 12-month maximum makes the offense a Class A misdemeanor under § 3559(a)(6), for which § 3571(b)(5) caps an individual's fine at $100,000.

Section 3571(e) keeps a lower figure only where the law setting the offense, "by specific reference, exempts the offense from the applicability of the fine otherwise applicable under this section" (18 U.S.C. § 3571(e)). The BLM regulation prints only the $1,000 figure. Either way, the offense is a Class A misdemeanor with up to 12 months in jail.

On a refuge, 50 CFR § 28.31(b) makes a violator liable to "the penalties as prescribed by law." The refuge statute, 16 U.S.C. § 668dd(f), sets up to 1 year for a knowing violation of its regulations and up to 180 days for any other, each with a fine under title 18.

For an individual, a six-month offense carries a fine of up to $5,000 under 18 U.S.C. § 3571(b)(6).

If an officer stops you on federal land

Carry the maker's page that states the rated motor and the class, and a saved copy of the map, compendium or refuge rule for the unit you are riding.

On a national forest the question is the map: does the route you are on carry a designation for your vehicle class and season? Riding "other than in accordance with those designations" is the offense under 36 CFR § 261.13.

On Park Service and BLM ground the bike comes first: a motor of "not more than 750 watts" that meets one of the three classes, under 36 CFR § 1.4 and 43 CFR § 8340.0-5(j), and then the designation. On a Corps project, "Persons designated by the District Commander shall have the authority to issue a citation" (36 CFR § 327.25).

A citation on this ground is a federal misdemeanor, priced in months and federal fines rather than points on a state license.

A pre-ride checklist for federal land

Run these seven checks before you ride federal ground; each uses the agency's own map, plan or rule, and together they cover your bike, your route, the season and the wilderness line:

1. Name the agency. Forest Service, BLM, Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Reclamation or the Army Corps; the rule changes with it.
2. Check your bike against the definition. A motor of 750 watts or less and a Class 1, 2 or 3, on the maker's own page; a peak output at or under 750 watts clears either reading of the rules.
3. Get the designation. The forest's Motor Vehicle Use Map, the BLM field office's travel plan, the park's compendium, the refuge's rule or the Corps project's designated locations.
4. Read the season. A route open in summer can close in winter or during a hunt.
5. Find the wilderness line. The Forest Service's Interactive Visitor Map shows wilderness areas, and a boundary can cross a route you are already riding.
6. Check your state's law. In a park it is adopted as federal law, and state land runs on it entirely; start from our state-by-state e-bike law guide.
7. Hunting? Look for a big-game retrieval allowance on the forest's map, and read the refuge's own entry in 50 CFR part 32.

Which rule applies to you

Find your ride in the left column, then check the right column before you set out. Each row names the provision that decides that ride, so you can read the rule itself before you go.

Riding with a disability

If you need motorized access for a disability, ask the forest, park or field office about a written authorization, and on BLM land ask for a "reasonable modification" under section 504, by that name. The Forest Service's designation rule exempts "Motor vehicle use that is specifically authorized under a written authorization issued under Federal law or regulations" (36 CFR § 212.51(a)(8)).

The BLM's 2023 instruction to field offices covers e-bikes directly. A request from a person with a disability to ride an e-bike as an "other power-driven mobility device" on a trail where off-highway vehicle use is otherwise prohibited is to be handled as a request for a "reasonable modification" under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (BLM IB 2023-050, August 1, 2023).

The bulletin adds that "Compliance with section 504 is not discretionary." The process does not extend to wilderness or wilderness study areas (BLM IB 2023-050).

A wheelchair is treated differently from an e-bike. The Forest Service excludes from "motor vehicle" any "wheelchair or mobility device, including one that is battery-powered, that is designed solely for use by a mobility-impaired person for locomotion, and that is suitable for use in an indoor pedestrian area" (36 CFR § 212.1), and the ADA's wilderness exception uses nearly the same words.

An e-bike, even one used because of a disability, is not "designed solely" for that use.

The Forest Service's August 2026 notice of intent says any new "categorical authorization for low-powered electric mobility devices used by persons with mobility disabilities would be defined by objective criteria in the proposed rule" (91 FR 54686). No rule has been proposed yet.

What changed in 2026

September 11, 2026: the Park Service's powered micromobility rule took effect

Published August 12, 2026, at 91 FR 52024, it added a definition of "powered micromobility device" to 36 CFR § 1.4, removed those devices from the definition of a motor vehicle, and created 36 CFR § 4.32, which bars them "except in designated locations". It left the e-bike rule, § 4.30(i), untouched.

September 1, 2026: the Park Service proposed rewriting its bicycle rule

The proposal, "Bicycle Use in Park Areas" at 91 FR 56095, would provide that "The use of bicycles and electric bicycles is allowed on park roads and in parking areas that are otherwise open for motor vehicle use by the general public."

It keeps the ban on "Possessing a bicycle or an electric bicycle in a wilderness area established by Federal statute" and the bar on using the motor alone to move an e-bike for an extended period where the public may not drive (91 FR 56095). Comments close November 2, 2026. It is a proposal; until it is adopted, § 4.30(i) as quoted above is the rule.

August 31, 2026: the refuge hunting rules for 2026–2027 took effect

The 2026–2027 rule (91 FR 56290) added Lower Rio Grande Valley's line, which reads "We allow hunters to use bicycles or e-bikes on designated routes of travel." They also tied Laguna Atascosa's line to the federal definition in § 27.31.

August 24, 2026: the Forest Service opened a rewrite of its travel rule

The notice of intent, 91 FR 54686, says the proposed action "would exempt class 1 electric bicycles from the motor vehicle use designation requirement in 36 CFR 212.51(a) and the prohibition in 36 CFR 261.13 when operated on an NFS trail where bicycle use is allowed", subject to plan direction, seasons, orders and the site-specific restrictions a forest adopts.

The environmental impact statement would "analyze an alternative retaining class 1 e-bikes as motor vehicles" (91 FR 54686). Comments closed September 23, 2026. No proposed rule text has been published, and on a national forest today your e-bike, whatever its class, is still a motor vehicle.

March 11, 2026: Whiskeytown's bicycle rule took effect

The Park Service's special regulation for Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, 91 FR 5669, allows bicycle use on about 79.8 miles of multi-use trails, and e-bikes on those trails stay with the superintendent under § 4.30(i).

Two park proposals would allow bicycle use on about 37 miles of trail at Mammoth Cave and about 25 miles at First State National Historical Park (91 FR 48028). In the Mammoth Cave proposal, "the superintendent may decide to allow electric bicycles on any of the trails identified in the rule that are open to traditional bicycles" (91 FR 5700).

The policy behind the 2020 rules

All four Interior bureaus' e-bike definitions trace to Secretary's Order 3376 of August 29, 2019, which set the policy that "E-bikes shall be allowed where other types of bicycles are allowed" and "E-bikes shall not be allowed where other types of bicycles are prohibited" (Secretary's Order 3376).

The Order directed the four rules that followed in 2020, and it states that it "will remain in effect until its provisions are implemented and completed, or until it is amended, superseded, or revoked". It also says that where it conflicts with a regulation, "the laws or regulations will control" (Secretary's Order 3376).

The EXPLORE Act of January 4, 2025, mentions electric bicycles once, in its permit-flexibility section: "Nothing in this section affects any authority of, regulation issued by, or decision of the Secretary concerned relating to the use of electric bicycles on Federal recreational lands and waters under any other Federal law" (Pub. L. 118-234, § 313(d)).

Where to read next

These guides pick up where this one stops: the hunting guide for the bike itself, and the state pages for the rules you ride under between home and federal ground.

• The best hunting e-bikes, matched to your ground, game and load
• Electric bike laws by state: the national hub
• Arkansas e-bike laws: five of the eight refuges that name e-bikes are in Arkansas
• Texas e-bike laws and Kentucky e-bike laws: home to the other three
• Nevada e-bike laws, Idaho e-bike laws, Montana e-bike laws and Utah e-bike laws: the state rules you ride under on the way to federal ground
• E-bike trails near me: the 50-state trail atlas

The bottom line

On federal land, the map decides. On a national forest your e-bike is a motor vehicle, and the forest's Motor Vehicle Use Map says where it may go; by the agency's own count that is more than 60,000 miles of trail, plus thousands of miles of road.

On BLM land it starts as an off-road vehicle, in a park and on a refuge it goes only where designated, and in wilderness it never goes at all, in any class.

The bike decides the rest. A motor of 750 watts or less that meets Class 1, 2 or 3 is an electric bicycle to the Park Service, the BLM, the Fish and Wildlife Service and Reclamation.

Above that line, a bike on a national forest is still a motor vehicle but no longer fits a route marked for Class 1, 2 or 3 e-bikes; on BLM ground it is an off-road vehicle with no path to the bicycle exclusion; and in a park its status is unsettled, so keep it off every park trail and ask the park before you ride its roads.

Buy inside the line, then ride the map. Our hunting e-bike guide matches bikes to ground, game and load, and our fat tire e-bikes and mountain and off-road e-bikes collections sort the shelf by terrain.

Not sure a listing clears the line? Email sales@redtailebikes.com with the bike and the forest, park or refuge you plan to ride before you order; we typically answer email within one business day.

Why buy from us:

• Free shipping on every e-bike across the contiguous US.
• Pay your way at checkout: Shop Pay, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
• US support by email, before and after you buy.
• Warranty help: if a bike arrives defective, the manufacturer's warranty covers it and we coordinate the repair or replacement.

Frequently asked questions

Are e-bikes allowed in national forests?

Yes, on the roads and trails the forest's Motor Vehicle Use Map shows open to your vehicle. An e-bike is a motor vehicle under 36 CFR § 212.1. The Forest Service says Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes are allowed on motorized trails and roads, and that more than 60,000 miles of trails are open to e-bike use.

How do I find the Motor Vehicle Use Map for my area?

Get it free from the national forest or grassland you will ride, at its offices or on its website; the Forest Service's maps page lists the options. The agency warns that a route or area not listed on the map is not open to motorized travel, even if it looks usable.

What are the e-bike rules on wildlife management areas?

A state wildlife management area runs on the state's own rule, so start from your state's page in our state-by-state e-bike law guide. On a federal refuge, 50 CFR § 27.31(m) applies where the refuge manager has found e-bike use compatible, and 8 of the 482 refuge units open to hunting or fishing name e-bikes in their own rules.

Can you ride an electric bike on public land?

Yes, but only on routes the managing agency has opened to e-bikes. On national forests an e-bike is a motor vehicle, and on BLM land an off-road vehicle until a manager decides otherwise; parks and wildlife refuges start closed to it; and designated wilderness is closed to every e-bike.

Are e-bikes allowed in wilderness areas?

No. Designated wilderness is closed to every e-bike in every class, on every agency's land. The Park Service's rule prohibits even possessing one there, 36 CFR § 4.30(i)(4). A plain bicycle is barred too, except under a special allowance for traditional activities in Alaska's parks.

Why are e-bikes banned from some trails?

On national forests, because the travel rule counts every e-bike as a motor vehicle; on BLM land, because an e-bike is an off-road vehicle until a manager decides otherwise. In parks and on refuges, because a trail stays closed to them until the superintendent or the refuge manager opens it.

Are e-bikes allowed in national parks?

Only where the park's superintendent has designated roads or trails for them, under 36 CFR § 4.30(i). Designations are announced under 36 CFR 1.7, including in the superintendent's compendium, and some parks open only Class 1 bikes. Your state's e-bike law also applies inside the park as federal law.

Are e-bikes allowed on BLM land?

On areas and trails designated as open to off-road vehicles, yes. On a trail built for bicycles, only where the BLM's authorized officer has decided to allow e-bikes there (43 CFR § 8340.0-5(a)(5) and § 8342.2(d)) or has expressly authorized your use (§ 8340.0-5(a)(3)).

What is not allowed in a national forest?

For an e-bike rider: any road or trail the forest has not designated for your vehicle, riding outside a designated route's season, and riding into designated wilderness. The Motor Vehicle Use Map shows the first two; the Forest Service's Interactive Visitor Map shows wilderness areas.

Can you use e-bikes on public land in Pennsylvania?

Federal ground in Pennsylvania follows the federal rules on this page. State land follows Pennsylvania's own rules, which our Pennsylvania e-bike laws guide sets out: state parks and state forests allow e-bikes on trails already open to bicycles, and state game lands do not.

Is a 1,000-watt e-bike legal on federal land?

It is not an "electric bicycle" there: the Park Service and BLM definitions stop at 750 watts. On national forests and BLM land a 1,000-watt bike goes only on designated motorized routes and in areas open to off-road vehicles. In a park the rules leave open whether it is a motor vehicle or a powered micromobility device, so keep it off every trail and ask the park before you ride its roads.

How we verified this guide, in detail

What this page covers. Federal land managed by the Forest Service, the BLM, the Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers. State land, including wildlife management areas, state forests and state parks, runs on each state's own rules; our state-by-state e-bike law guide is the place to start. It does not cover tribal land, which is governed by each tribe.

The rules. Each section was read in the current Code of Federal Regulations through the eCFR's versioning service on September 24, 2026. Five of the most-quoted sections, 36 CFR §§ 1.4, 4.30, 212.1 and 212.51 and 43 CFR § 8340.0-5, were also compared with the Government Publishing Office's annual editions. A check of the eCFR's amendment history on September 25, 2026, found no change to any section quoted here.

Statutes were read at the GPO's United States Code, the Forest Service directives at the USDA's guidance portal, and every Federal Register document at the GPO's official PDF and in the Federal Register's own text.

Every quotation was checked word for word against an archived copy of the source it cites. Verified September 24, 2026.

The refuges. Every unit 50 CFR § 32.7 lists as open to hunting or fishing, 482 after removing refuges listed under more than one state, was read against its own paragraphs in the part for the words e-bike, e-bikes, electric bicycle and electric bike.

The forest units. The Forest Service's Motor Vehicle Use Map trail layer, published September 22, 2026, was read segment by segment on September 24, 2026, all 62,778 segments, to count the forest administrative units that mark trail open to e-bikes.

The Federal Register. Searched January 1, 2025 to September 24, 2026 for eighteen e-bike terms: 22 documents, 12 of them touching e-bikes on federal land. Ten were read; the other two are proposed refuge hunting rules whose final versions were read.

The AI answers. Seven engines answered the same four public-land questions on September 23, 2026, in a real browser with no account; their answers are listed among the first-party datasets below.

The source register

Every source this page cites, with its tier and the claim it supports; each was read on September 24, 2026, and the numbered references below give the full record.

First-party datasets published with this guide:

• research/public-land-ebike-laws/refuge-ebike-rules_20260924.csv: all 482 refuge units open to hunting or fishing, and whether each one's rules name e-bikes; refuge-ebike-mentions_20260924.csv holds every sentence
• research/public-land-ebike-laws/refuge-ebike-lines-dated_20260924.csv: which refuge e-bike lines were in force before August 31, 2026
• research/public-land-ebike-laws/usfs-mvum-ebike-miles-v2_20260924.json and _by-forest.csv: the Forest Service trail layer read segment by segment, with the duplicate and blank-length counts that rule out a national mileage
• research/public-land-ebike-laws/federal-rules_20260924.md: every provision read, quoted, with its deposit
• research/public-land-ebike-laws/ai-panel_20260924.md: the seven engines' verbatim answers
• research/public-land-ebike-laws/raw/_deposits.csv: 175 retrievals with sha256, status and verdict
• keywords/harvest/public-land-ebike-laws_20260924.csv: the 201-row demand harvest behind this page's questions

Limitations

Eight limits apply to what this page states; each names the gap in the record and the event, such as an agency statement, a new rule or a fresh count, that would close it.

1. The Forest Service's national trail data repeats many trail segments and leaves the digitized length blank on 45% of them, so this page computes no national mileage from it; the forest-unit count (103 of 105) does not depend on how the copies are counted. The 60,000-mile figure is the agency's own statement, and its page does not publish its method. Expires when the agency publishes a deduplicated count.
2. The per-unit designations (each forest's map, each refuge's compatibility finding, each park's compendium) are outside this page's data; the page gives the rule that governs them and the route to each. Expires as each unit's own document is read.
3. The refuge count reads the current text of 50 CFR part 32. The Service can state conditions outside that text, as it did for the Theodore Roosevelt complex in its 2026–2027 rule, so 8 is a floor for the refuges that address e-bikes. Expires each September with the annual hunting rule.
4. The regulations give a single figure, 750 watts, and do not say whether it means rated or peak output; the page gives the advice that holds under either reading. Expires on an agency statement or a court decision.
5. The AI answers were retrieved from a connection outside the United States. Three of the engines offer no logged-out region setting, and 5 of the 28 answers referred to the connection's location; none of those five is quoted on this page.
6. Federal rules change by publication in the Federal Register. The rules on this page were current on September 24, 2026. Expires on the next document amending any section quoted here; the open proceedings are the Forest Service's travel rule rewrite, the Park Service's bicycle proposal and the Mammoth Cave and First State park proposals.
7. Secretary's Order 3376 was read from the copy the Park Service links to. The Interior Department's own document library did not return a listing we could read, so the Order's current status is stated only in its own words. Expires on a Department listing or a revocation notice.
8. The Fish and Wildlife Service's e-bike story page could not be retrieved; nothing on this page depends on it.

References

Every source below was retrieved and read on September 24, 2026, at the publisher of record: the eCFR for current regulations (each title's latest issue date is given in its entry), the Government Publishing Office for the United States Code, the Statutes at Large and every Federal Register document, the USDA guidance portal for Forest Service directives, and each agency's own site for its statements.

1. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 212, Travel Management, § 212.1 (30 FR 5476, Apr. 16, 1965, as amended at 70 FR 68287, Nov. 9, 2005, and 80 FR 4511, Jan. 28, 2015 (eCFR title 36, issued September 11, 2026)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-212/subpart-A/section-212.1 Accessed September 24, 2026.
2. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 212, Travel Management, § 212.51(a), (a)(8), (b) (70 FR 68288, Nov. 9, 2005; 73 FR 74613, Dec. 9, 2008). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-212/subpart-B/section-212.51 Accessed September 24, 2026.
3. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 212, Travel Management, § 212.56 (70 FR 68288, Nov. 9, 2005). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-212/subpart-B/section-212.56 Accessed September 24, 2026.
4. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 261, Prohibitions, § 261.13 (70 FR 68291, Nov. 9, 2005). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-261/subpart-A/section-261.13 Accessed September 24, 2026.
5. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 261, Prohibitions, § 261.18(a)-(b) (42 FR 2957, Jan. 14, 1977, as amended; redesignated 70 FR 68291). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-261/subpart-A/section-261.18 Accessed September 24, 2026.
6. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 261, Prohibitions, § 261.1b (89 FR 92815, Nov. 25, 2024). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-261/subpart-A/section-261.1b Accessed September 24, 2026.
7. U.S. Government Publishing Office. United States Code, 2024 edition, title 18, § 3571(b)(5), (b)(6), (e) (Pub. L. 98-473 as amended (2024 ed.)). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title18/pdf/USCODE-2024-title18-partII-chap227-subchapC-sec3571.pdf Accessed September 24, 2026.
8. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 1, General Provisions, § 1.4 (as amended by 85 FR 69175, Nov. 2, 2020, and 91 FR 52024, Aug. 12, 2026 (eCFR title 36, issued September 11, 2026)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-1/section-1.4 Accessed September 24, 2026.
9. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 4, Vehicles and Traffic Safety, § 4.30(i)(1)-(4), (6) (77 FR 39937, July 6, 2012, as amended at 85 FR 69188, Nov. 2, 2020). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.30 Accessed September 24, 2026.
10. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 4, Vehicles and Traffic Safety, § 4.32(a), (e) (91 FR 52033, Aug. 12, 2026, effective Sept. 11, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.32 Accessed September 24, 2026.
11. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 4, Vehicles and Traffic Safety, § 4.10(a) (52 FR 10683, Apr. 2, 1987, as amended at 80 FR 36476, June 25, 2015). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.10 Accessed September 24, 2026.
12. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 1, General Provisions, § 1.3 (83 FR 26595, June 8, 2018, as amended at 89 FR 96550, Dec. 5, 2024). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-1/section-1.3 Accessed September 24, 2026.
13. U.S. Government Publishing Office. United States Code, 2024 edition, title 18, § 1865(a) (Added Pub. L. 113-287, § 4(a), Dec. 19, 2014 (2024 ed.)). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title18/html/USCODE-2024-title18-partI-chap91-sec1865.htm Accessed September 24, 2026.
14. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 43 CFR part 8340, Off-Road Vehicles, § 8340.0-5(a)(3), (a)(5), (j) (85 FR 69223, Nov. 2, 2020 (eCFR title 43, issued August 12, 2026)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-B/chapter-II/subchapter-H/part-8340/subpart-8340/section-8340.0-5 Accessed September 24, 2026.
15. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 43 CFR part 8340, Off-Road Vehicles, § 8341.1(a)-(c) (44 FR 34836, June 15, 1979; 45 FR 47843, July 17, 1980). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-B/chapter-II/subchapter-H/part-8340/subpart-8341/section-8341.1 Accessed September 24, 2026.
16. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 43 CFR part 8340, Off-Road Vehicles, § 8342.2(d) (53 FR 31003, Aug. 17, 1988; 85 FR 69223, Nov. 2, 2020). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-B/chapter-II/subchapter-H/part-8340/subpart-8342/section-8342.2 Accessed September 24, 2026.
17. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 43 CFR part 8340, Off-Road Vehicles, § 8340.0-7 (44 FR 34836, June 15, 1979 (part source note)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-B/chapter-II/subchapter-H/part-8340/subpart-8340/section-8340.0-7 Accessed September 24, 2026.
18. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 50 CFR part 27, Prohibited Acts, § 27.31 (lead text) and (m) (41 FR 9168, Mar. 3, 1976; 85 FR 69235, Nov. 2, 2020 (eCFR title 50, issued September 15, 2026)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-27/subpart-C/section-27.31 Accessed September 24, 2026.
19. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 50 CFR part 28, Enforcement Provisions, § 28.31(b)(1) (eCFR title 50, issued September 15, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-28/subpart-C/section-28.31 Accessed September 24, 2026.
20. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 43 CFR part 420, Off-Road Vehicle Use, § 420.5(a)(7), (h) (85 FR 67294, Oct. 22, 2020; corrected 86 FR 59039, Oct. 26, 2021). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-420/section-420.5 Accessed September 24, 2026.
21. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 43 CFR part 423, Public Conduct on Bureau of Reclamation Facilities, Lands, and Waterbodies, § 423.40(a), (d); § 423.2 'Vehicle' (88 FR 80987, Nov. 21, 2023). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-423/subpart-C/section-423.40 Accessed September 24, 2026.
22. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 327, Rules and Regulations Governing Public Use of Water Resource Development Projects, § 327.2(a), (c) (65 FR 6899, Feb. 11, 2000 (eCFR title 36, issued September 11, 2026)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-III/part-327/section-327.2 Accessed September 24, 2026.
23. U.S. Government Publishing Office. United States Code, 2024 edition, title 16, § 1133(c) (Pub. L. 88-577, § 4(c), Sept. 3, 1964, 78 Stat. 893). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title16/html/USCODE-2024-title16-chap23-sec1133.htm Accessed September 24, 2026.
24. U.S. Government Publishing Office. United States Code, 2024 edition, title 42, § 12207(c) (Pub. L. 101-336, title V, § 508 (formerly § 507), July 26, 1990, renumbered by Pub. L. 110-325). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title42/html/USCODE-2024-title42-chap126-subchapIV-sec12207.htm Accessed September 24, 2026.
25. U.S. Government Publishing Office. United States Code, 2024 edition, title 15, § 2085(b) (Pub. L. 107-319, § 1, Dec. 4, 2002). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title15/html/USCODE-2024-title15-chap47-sec2085.htm Accessed September 24, 2026.
26. USDA Forest Service. Forest Service Manual 7700, Travel Management: Zero Code (Amendment 7700-2022-1) and Chapter 7710, Travel Planning (Amendment 7700-2022-2), FSM 7705; FSM 7711.3(6)(g); FSM 7715.5(4) (Effective March 31, 2022). https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/guidance-documents/ForestService.Manual%207700%20Zero%20Code.pdf Accessed September 24, 2026.
27. USDA Forest Service. Electric Bicycle Use (fs.usda.gov/visit/e-bikes), 'Forest Service Statement on Electric Bicycle Use' and the FAQ 'Where are e-bikes currently allowed' (Page modified July 2, 2026). https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/e-bikes Accessed September 24, 2026.
28. USDA Forest Service, Enterprise Data Warehouse. Motor Vehicle Use Map: Trails (S_USA.Trans_MVUM_Trail), map service EDW_MVUM_01/MapServer/2, Fields ADMINORG, E_BIKE_CLASS1/2/3, SEG_LENGTH, GIS_MILES; all 62,778 segments; metadata publication date September 22, 2026 (Published Sept. 22, 2026; read Sept. 24, 2026). https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_MVUM_01/MapServer/2 Accessed September 24, 2026.
29. Bureau of Land Management. E-bikes (blm.gov/programs/recreation/e-bikes), 'Where can I ride my E-bike?' and 'Guidance' (Read Sept. 24, 2026). https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/e-bikes Accessed September 24, 2026.
30. Bureau of Land Management. Information Bulletin 2023-050, Considering and Authorizing Reasonable Modification Requests for Use of E-bikes on Non-Motorized Bicycle Trails, Whole bulletin (August 1, 2023). https://www.blm.gov/policy/ib-2023-050 Accessed September 24, 2026.
31. National Park Service. E-bikes (nps.gov/subjects/biking/e-bikes.htm), FAQ 'Are all classes of e-bikes allowed?' (Last updated Sept. 4, 2025). https://www.nps.gov/subjects/biking/e-bikes.htm Accessed September 24, 2026.
32. National Park Service. Whiskeytown Unit, Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area; Bicycling (final rule), 91 FR 5669, 'Bicycle Use in the Recreation Area' and response to comment 5 (Feb. 9, 2026, effective Mar. 11, 2026). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/09/2026-02479/whiskeytown-unit-whiskeytown-shasta-trinity-national-recreation-area-bicycling Accessed September 24, 2026.
33. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Wildlife Refuge System; Use of Electric Bicycles (final rule), 85 FR 69223 (Nov. 2, 2020, effective Dec. 2, 2020). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/11/02/2020-22107/national-wildlife-refuge-system-use-of-electric-bicycles Accessed September 24, 2026.
34. National Park Service. General Provisions; Electric Bicycles (final rule), 85 FR 69175, response to comment 3 (Alaska) (Nov. 2, 2020, effective Dec. 2, 2020). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/11/02/2020-22129/general-provisions-electric-bicycles Accessed September 24, 2026.
35. Bureau of Land Management. Increasing Recreational Opportunities Through the Use of Electric Bikes (final rule), 85 FR 69206, response on national scenic trails and designated wilderness (Nov. 2, 2020, effective Dec. 2, 2020). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/11/02/2020-22239/increasing-recreational-opportunities-through-the-use-of-electric-bikes Accessed September 24, 2026.
36. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Wildlife Refuge System; 2026-2027 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations (final rule), 91 FR 56290; § 32.62 Texas amendments; response on the Theodore Roosevelt NWR Complex (Sept. 1, 2026, effective Aug. 31, 2026). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/01/2026-17895/national-wildlife-refuge-system-2026-2027-station-specific-hunting-and-sport-fishing-regulations Accessed September 24, 2026.
37. National Park Service. Powered Micromobility Devices (final rule), 91 FR 52024, preamble (Aug. 12, 2026, effective Sept. 11, 2026). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/12/2026-16388/powered-micromobility-devices Accessed September 24, 2026.
38. National Park Service. Bicycle Use in Park Areas (proposed rule), 91 FR 56095, proposed § 4.30(a), (d)(2), (d)(6) (Sept. 1, 2026). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/01/2026-17902/bicycle-use-in-park-areas Accessed September 24, 2026.
39. USDA Forest Service. Travel Management; National Forest System Lands (notice of intent to prepare an EIS), 91 FR 54686, 'Proposed Action' (Aug. 24, 2026). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/24/2026-17211/travel-management-national-forest-system-lands Accessed September 24, 2026.
40. National Park Service. Mammoth Cave National Park; Bicycling and Horses (proposed rule) and First State National Historical Park; Bicycling (proposed rule), 91 FR 5700; 91 FR 48028 (Feb. 9, 2026; July 30, 2026). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/09/2026-02510/mammoth-cave-national-park-bicycling-and-horses Accessed September 24, 2026.
41. U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary. Secretary's Order 3376, Increasing Recreational Opportunities through the use of Electric Bikes, Sec. 4(b)-(c), Sec. 5(a), Sec. 6, Sec. 7 (Aug. 29, 2019). https://www.doi.gov/sites/default/files/elips/documents/so_3376_-increasing_recreational_opportunities_through_the_use_of_electric_bikes-508_0.pdf Accessed September 24, 2026.
42. U.S. Government Publishing Office. Public Law 118-234, EXPLORE Act, Sec. 313(d) (16 U.S.C. 8542) (Approved Jan. 4, 2025). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-118publ234/html/PLAW-118publ234.htm Accessed September 24, 2026.
43. USDA Forest Service. Directive Publication Notice, 87 FR 41278, 'Final Directives That Have Been Issued Since April 1, 2022', item 2 (July 12, 2022). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/07/12/2022-14777/directive-publication-notice Accessed September 24, 2026.
44. Redtail eBikes (first party). AI panel: e-bikes on public land (Answers retrieved Sept. 23, 2026). https://redtailebikes.com/blogs/journal/public-land-ebike-laws#ai-errors Accessed September 24, 2026.
45. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 50 CFR part 32, Hunting and Fishing, § 32.7 (the unit list) and the state sections §§ 32.20-32.72 (84 FR 47671, Sept. 10, 2019, as amended through 91 FR 56309, Sept. 1, 2026 (eCFR title 50, issued September 15, 2026)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-32/subpart-A/section-32.7 Accessed September 24, 2026.
46. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 50 CFR part 32, Hunting and Fishing, § 32.23 (Arkansas) (eCFR title 50, issued September 15, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-32/subpart-B/section-32.23 Accessed September 24, 2026.
47. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 50 CFR part 32, Hunting and Fishing, § 32.36 (Kentucky) (eCFR title 50, issued September 15, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-32/subpart-B/section-32.36 Accessed September 24, 2026.
48. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 50 CFR part 32, Hunting and Fishing, § 32.62 (Texas) (eCFR title 50, issued September 15, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-32/subpart-B/section-32.62 Accessed September 24, 2026.
49. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 43 CFR part 420, Off-Road Vehicle Use, § 420.2 (39 FR 26893, July 24, 1974, as amended (eCFR title 43, issued August 12, 2026)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-420/section-420.2 Accessed September 24, 2026.
50. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 43 CFR part 423, Public Conduct on Bureau of Reclamation Facilities, Lands, and Waterbodies, § 423.71 (88 FR 80987, Nov. 21, 2023 (eCFR title 43, issued August 12, 2026)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-423/subpart-F/section-423.71 Accessed September 24, 2026.
51. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 327, Rules and Regulations Governing Public Use of Water Resource Development Projects, § 327.25(a) (65 FR 6903, Feb. 11, 2000 (eCFR title 36, issued September 11, 2026)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-III/part-327/section-327.25 Accessed September 24, 2026.
52. U.S. Government Publishing Office. United States Code, 2024 edition, title 18, § 3559(a)(6), (a)(7) (Added Pub. L. 98-473, title II, § 212(a)(2), Oct. 12, 1984 (2024 ed.)). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title18/html/USCODE-2024-title18-partII-chap227-subchapA-sec3559.htm Accessed September 24, 2026.
53. U.S. Government Publishing Office. United States Code, 2024 edition, title 16, § 668dd(f)(1), (f)(2) (Pub. L. 89-669, § 4, Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 927, as amended (2024 ed.)). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title16/html/USCODE-2024-title16-chap5A-subchapIII-sec668dd.htm Accessed September 24, 2026.
54. USDA Forest Service. Maps (fs.usda.gov/visit/maps), 'Motor Vehicle Use Maps' and 'Interactive Visitor Map' (Page modified Aug. 4, 2026). https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/maps Accessed September 24, 2026.
55. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 43 CFR part 420, Off-Road Vehicle Use, § 420.25 (eCFR title 43, issued August 12, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-420/subpart-B/section-420.25 Accessed September 24, 2026.
56. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 212, Travel Management, part 212 (eCFR title 36, issued September 11, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-212 Accessed September 24, 2026.
57. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR part 293, Wilderness—Primitive Areas, § 293.6(a) (eCFR title 36, issued September 11, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-293/section-293.6 Accessed September 24, 2026.
58. U.S. Government Publishing Office. United States Code, 2024 edition, title 16, § 1244(a) (Pub. L. 90-543, § 5, Oct. 2, 1968, as amended (2024 ed.)). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title16/html/USCODE-2024-title16-chap27-sec1244.htm Accessed September 24, 2026.
59. U.S. Government Publishing Office. United States Code, 2024 edition, title 16, § 3170(a); § 3102(4) (Pub. L. 96-487, §§ 102, 1110, Dec. 2, 1980 (2024 ed.)). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title16/html/USCODE-2024-title16-chap51-subchapIV-sec3170.htm Accessed September 24, 2026.

Image credit: cover photography generated with Nano Banana Pro on Playcut and composited in-house; the scene is Lamoille Canyon in the Ruby Mountains, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, built only from features the Forest Service's own pages confirm.