 COHVOPS
General Information for Dispersed Riders
Where Can I Ride?
- OHVs may operate on any trail that is signed as open to that
use.
- OHVs may operate cross-country if the area is not signed as
closed to that use and if they do not cause resource damage. Resource
damage is defined by State Law as exposing the soil or damaging
vegetation.
- Non-street legal OHVs may operate on any open road that is not
maintained for passenger cars. On the Deschutes and Ochoco National
Forests, these roads generally have route markers with vertical
numbers.
- Non-street legal OHVs may NOT operate on a road that is maintained
for passenger cars unless the road is signed as a Shared Use Road.
These roads have route markers with horizontal numbers.
- Unless signed otherwise, all County roads are closed to OHVs.
- Under State Law, all paved roads and double lane gravel roads
are closed to OHVs unless signed otherwise.
- It is not legal to "cut cookies" in the roads or to
ride road cutbanks and fillslopes.
- It is not legal for riders to make their own trails.
- It is not legal for parents to allow their kids to make "kiddie
loops" around their camps.
What Are the Equipment, Registration, and License Requirements?
How Can You Tread Lightly?
The future of your riding opportunities depends on YOU! Protect
your right to ride. Respect the land, the wildlife, and the rights
of others. Please ride responsibly and Tread Lightly.
- Use it, but don't abuse it.
- Save any high impact riding for designated play areas.
- Stay out of streams, meadows, and other sensitive areas.
- Make sure your equipment is legal.
- Stay on the open routes.
- Do not hot rod through campgrounds.
- Do not ride through the camps of others.
- Do not ride on private land without permission.
- Do not spook horses, cattle, or wildlife.
- Educate yourself and others about the rules for riding in each
area.
- Leave no trace- pack out what you pack in.
Of the Popular Dispersed Camping/Riding Areas, What is Open and
What is Closed?
-
1801 Play Area
Closed to OHV use. See closure
order for description of closed area.
-
Bessie Butte
Bessie Butte is closed to motorized use.
-
Cline Buttes
BLM is currently planning for this area, to learn more, click here
-
Coyote Butte
Coyote Butte is open to OHV use.
-
Crane Complex
Closed to OHV use. See closure
order for description of closed area.
-
Crooked River National Grassland
Where Can I Ride?
1. Trails:
- OHVs can ride the designated trails at the Henderson Flat
OHV Trail System. Henderson Flat is open from April 1 - November
30 and closed from December 1 - March 31. All other trails
on the Grassland are closed to OHV use.
2. Play Areas:
- OHVs can ride the designated play area at the Henderson
Flat OHV Trail system. There are no other play areas open
to OHVs on the Grassland.
3. Cross-country Use:
- All cross-country (off-road, off-trail) travel by any motorized
vehicle, including OHVs, is prohibited everywhere year-round
at the Grassland.
4. Roads: There are four types of roads on the Grassland:
county roads; public access roads; Forest Service roads that
are maintained for passenger cars; and Forest Service roads
that are not maintained for passenger cars.
- Regardless of the type of road, under State Law, all paved
roads and double-lane gravel roads are closed to non-street
legal OHVs.
- County and public access roads are closed to non-street
legal OHVs year-round. These generally have route markers
with horizontal road numbers.
- Forest Service roads that are maintained for passenger cars
are closed to non-street legal OHVs year-round. These have
route markers with horizontal road numbers.
- Unless signed otherwise, Forest Service roads that are not
maintained for passenger car use are open to OHVs from April
1 - November 30 and closed from December 1 - March 31. These
have route markers with vertical road numbers.
-
East Lake and Paulina Lake
These lakes lie within the Newberry National Volcanic Monument
which is closed to all OHV use, even on roads with vertical
route numbers. Please contact the COHVOPS Coordinator if you
have any further questions about this area. (541) 383-4004.
-
Jack Creek and Canyon Creek, Sisters Ranger District
This area is within the Metolius Heritage Area and is closed
to OHV use except on legal roads. All existing user-created
trails are closed. If you have further questions, please contact
the Sisters Ranger District at (541) 549-7700.
-
Metolius River Campgrounds, Sisters Ranger District
These lie within the Metolius Heritage Area which is the area
around the Metolius River from roughly Green Ridge to Road 12.
The area is closed to OHV use except on legal roads. If you
have further questions, please contact the Sisters Ranger District
at (541) 549-7700.
-
McKay Creek, Lookout Mountain Ranger District
McKay Creek Watershed - Year round closure
Press release with photos
Exhibit A Map
Signed Closure Order: page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4
-
Pine Mountain
Pine Mountain is currently designated open to OHV use. This
designation is likely to change under the Opine Travel Access
EA. Road 2017 from the Pine Mountain Observatory to Highway
20 is maintained for passenger car use and therefore closed
to non-street legal OHV use. There are no maps or signed trails
specifically designated for OHV use. Pine Mountain is directly
adjacent to East Fort Rock OHV Area, but there is no designated
connector between the two. Pine Mountain does receive snow during
the winter which prevents OHV use during winter months. It is
also included in the Fox Butte Travel Management Area (green
dot). This restricts motorized use to roads that are marked
with Green Dots during the general rifle season for deer (generally
portions of September and October.) Please ride sharefully and
be considerate of other users including para-gliders, star gazers,
horseback riders, mountain bikers and campers. If you ride near
the Pine Mountain Campground, please be considerate of those
who sleep during the day and keep your noise to a minimum. Please
contact the COHVOPS Coordinator if you have any further questions
about this area. (541) 383-4004.
-
Skeleton Fire
The Skeleton Fire was caused by lightning in 1996. After the
17,736 acre fire, a vehicle restriction was implemented, which
designated routes for motorized use. No motorized use is allowed
off of designated routes. This motorized use restriction was
put in place to re-establish native plants which provide year-round
habitat for deer, antelope, sage grouse and other species. Maps
of the closure are available at entry points to the Skeleton
Fire Travel Management Area. Stookey Flat Road, within the Travel
Management Area is a county road and therefore closed to OHV's
unless they are street legal (dual-sport motorcycles). While
the Skeleton Fire is directly adjacent to both South Millican
and East Fort Rock OHV Trail Systems, there is no legal access
from Skeleton to either trail system (unless you are riding
a dual sport motorcycle). The Skeleton Fire is generally snow
free throughout the winter but may close to motorized use in
the summer due to extreme fire conditions. Please respect private
property rights and ask permission prior to crossing private
lands. For further information or maps, please call the Prineville
BLM at (541) 416-6700.
-
Wickiup Reservoir
This is a popular place for groups to camp that have boats
and OHVs and the area is generally open. OHVs may operate on
roads with vertical route numbers. The vegetated shoreline and
all wet areas are closed. Please contact the COHVOPS Coordinator
if you have any further questions about this area. (541) 383-4004.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO - - - FIND OUT BEFORE YOU RIDE OUT
- Deschutes National Forest
Supervisors Office
1645 HWY 20 East
Bend, Oregon 97701
(541) 383-5300
- Ochoco National Forest
Supervisors Office
3160 NE Third
Prineville, Oregon 97754
(541) 416-6500
- Bureau of Land Management
Prineville District Office
3050 NE Third
Prineville, Oregon 97754
(541) 416-6700
www.or.blm.gov/Prineville
Bureau of Land Management -
The Deschutes Resource Area of the Prineville District, Bureau of Land Management will work with the public to develop a Recreation Area Design/Environmental Assessment for the Cline Buttes Recreation Area. If you'd like more information, the following link will take you to BLMs website:
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