Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM)

The Black Hills offers over 3,800 miles of roads and trails for motorized vehicles. Over 700 miles of system trails are designated for Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) and available for riding with a valid Motorized Trail Permit. For further information, contact a local Forest Service Office. Also check out the OHV Riding & Camping webpage.

Motorized Vehicle Use Trail Permits

A Motorized Vehicle Use Trail Permit is required for any motor vehicle traveling on motorized use trails in the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota. Motorized Trail permits may be purchased directly from Black Hills National Forest offices, many local vendors, ordered online (permits mailed), or from the Black Hills and Badlands Tourism Association Visitor Center, located off Exit 61 on I-90.

Motorized Trail Permits - In the SD portion of the Forest, you will need to display a valid Black Hills Motorized Trail Permit for the following:

Riding an OHV on designated motorized trails
Riding an unlicensed OHV on a forest road designated as “Open to All Vehicles” (Vehicles with a valid state license plate are not required to display a permit unless they are driving on a designated motorized trail)

Permit sales support maintenance of the Forest’s motorized trail system.

Check out the Ride Responsibly forest brochure

State Law (July 1, 2023) - The Black Hills National Forest collects fees related to motorized trail permits, which allows riding an OHV on designated motorized trails (see above). For Off-Road Vehicle fees and requirements required by the State of South Dakota, please visit the South Dakota Department of Revenue for additional information, guidance, and application instructions.

Motor Vehicle Use Maps

Motor Vehicle Use Maps are available for the 1.2 million acre Black Hills National Forest. Motor Vehicle Use Maps are the official map for designating all roads, trails and areas available for public motorized travel on the National Forest. Visitors should not rely on any other maps for making decisions about motorized travel.

The Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) is a requirement of the 2005 Final Travel Management Rule and is a product of the 1997 revision of the Forest Plan and travel management decisions on each ranger district.

The MVUM is a black and white map with no topographic features. It is a map for legal designations of where you can travel with various motorized vehicles, but for additional reference it is best used in conjunction with a Forest Visitor Map or other detailed map.

A hard copy MVUM is available free to the public from local vendors and/or online (below).

Quick MVUM Packet Guide (SD)

Check out the Off-Highway Vehicle Workshop Collaboration webpage

Motor Vehicle Use Maps and Travel Aids are available in multiple formats:

Paper copies of the black and white Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs) are available free at local offices.

Type of Device	Downloadable Map Content
Computer & Mobile Printing (View and Print .PDFs from home)	Map 1 front 2025 MVUM (Bearlodge) WY .pdf Map 1 back 2025 MVUM (Northern Hills) SD-WY .pdf Map 2 front 2025 MVUM (Hell Canyon) SD-South .pdf Map 2 back 2025 MVUM (Mystic) SD-Central .pdf
Smartphones and Tablets (Android 4.0.3+ or iPhone or iPad Apple iOS 5.0+)	Download the Avenza App for SmartPhone/Mobile Devices (Several Mobile Maps Available) Bundle of all 4 maps (below) - Avenza link Map 1 front 2025 MVUM (Bearlodge) WY - Avenza link Map 1 back 2025 MVUM (Northern Hills) SD-WY - Avenza link Map 2 front 2025 MVUM (Hell Canyon) SD-South - Avenza link Map 2 back 2025 MVUM (Mystic) SD-Central - Avenza link
.KMZ for Google Earth & Other Devices	2025 MVUM (Bearlodge).kmz (Opaque) 2025 MVUM (Northern Hills).kmz 2025 MVUM (Mystic).kmz 2025 MVUM (Hell Canyon).kmz
.TIF Files for viewing and GIS .TFW file	2025 MVUM (Bearlodge).zip 2025 MVUM (Northern Hills).zip 2025 MVUM (Mystic).zip 2025 MVUM (Hell Canyon).zip
Travel Aids	Downloadable Data
Google Earth file with Roads, Motorized Trails, Non-Motorized Trails, Ownership, and More	2024 KMZ File
GIS Shapefiles - Roads, Motorized Trails, and Trailheads	2025 GIS Zip File
MVUM and other USFS GIS data is on the EDW Enterprise Data Warehouse	https://data.fs.usda.gov/geodata/edw/
Maps will be updated annually in January to reflect current information.

The MVUM displays National Forest System (NFS) routes (roads and trails) or areas designated as open to motorized travel. The MVUM also displays allowed uses by vehicle class (ex. highway-legal vehicles, vehicles less than 62 inches wide and motorcycles), seasonal allowances, distance allowances, and provides information on other travel rules and regulations.

Routes not shown on the MVUM are not open to public motor vehicle travel. Routes designated for motorized use may not always be signed on the ground but will be identified on the MVUM. It is your responsibility to reference the MVUM to stay on designated routes for motor vehicle use or follow the terms of the permitted use. The MVUM will be updated annually.

Helpful Links:

Do Your Part - Don't Spread Invasive Species: Help prevent new infestations and avoid spreading invasive species. Clean and wash dirt and seeds from motorized vehicles prior to riding the roads and trails.

For more information on National and Regional Travel Management Policy and Implementation: