Operating vehicles outside designated roads and trails damages the forest

Whether you drive a car, a four-wheeler, a side-by-side, a dirt bike, an e-bike, a monster truck, or anything in between, you need to know the rules on how and where motorized vehicles can be driven on Mark Twain National Forest. Those rules are important to follow because they protect the forests from damage and erosion that unregulated cross-forest travel can cause.

Vehicles licensed for highway use need to stay on open “national forest system roads” when traveling on Mark Twain National Forest. Just because you see tracks going into the woods, does not mean you should follow. Check the official motor vehicle use map (MVUM) for that part of the Forest to ensure your visit stays legal. MVUMs are available online and at our offices.

Before taking a trail-ready vehicle off designated roads and onto a trail, it is important to remember that the only authorized, motorized trails on Mark Twain National Forest are within the Chadwick and the Sutton Bluff motorized trail systems. These trails were created under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which authorizes collection and retention of fees for specialized trail systems to improve maintenance and better serve the customers. For more information about OHV riding opportunities on our Forest.

Anyone riding an ATV, UTV, motorcycle, or mountain bike on these trails is required to purchase and display a current Mark Twain National Forest annual ATV/UTV/motorcycle or mountain bike sticker or daily use tag. All ATVs and UTVs must be under 50" in width to use the trails. The annual (season) pass costs $45 and the daily use tag is $10 for ATVs and motorcycles. For mountain biking, the season pass is $20 and the daily use tag is $3. For information on obtaining permits visit our website at www.fs.usda.gov/mtnf and go to Passes and Permits.

For the purposes of riding on Mark Twain National Forest, the term OHV includes: ATVs (all-terrain vehicles, also known as four-wheelers); UTVs, (utility type vehicles, sometimes called side-by-sides); and off-road motorcycles (a.k.a., dirt bikes). If you drive your off-highway vehicle (OHV) onto some random old track you see branching off a forest or county road, you might be breaking the law. You also may damage the Forest if that path is not part of the official motorized trail systems.).

Why is this important? Once one person rides cross-country, they have made the first pass of a user-created trail. If someone else follows, then another, and another will. Soon this user-made trail looks like a regular trail and will continue to attract riders. User-created trails cause increased soil erosion, especially when crossing steep terrain. Soil compaction can halt native vegetation growth. Invasive plant seeds get spread much further into the forest., Negative impacts to stream channels and aquatic organisms are also likely, especially when the illegal paths cross through streams and creeks.

The Mark Twain National Forest allows OHVs on open and numbered Forest Service Roads, in compliance with state and county laws. Use the Mark Twain National Forest’s Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs) to ensure you are riding on designated routes. Remember, these roads are also open to highway legal vehicles and visitors should share the road.

You may ride on these Forest Service roads in counties where ATV or UTV county permits are issued, providing you abide by Missouri State motor vehicle regulations (MSMVR).

• Have the appropriate county permit
• Have a valid driver’s license.
• Persons under 18 years of age must wear a motorcycle helmet on ATVs; and everyone must wear seatbelts on UTVs
• ATVs in Missouri must be registered with a state registration decal attached to the right front fork or frame.
• No operator of an ATV/UTV is allowed to carry passengers unless the vehicle was designed by the manufacturer to carry passengers.
• ATVs and UTVs cannot be operated in streams or rivers, except at designated crossings.
• ATVs must have appropriate muffler system and a Forest Service approved spark arrester, a good operating brake system, a slow-moving equipment emblem at least two feet above the roadway, a safety flag attached to the rear of the vehicle extending at least seven feet above the ground, lighted headlamp, and a lighted taillamp.
• UTVs require a rollbar, lighted headlamp, and lighted taillamp.

Law Enforcement Officers will be focused on enforcing these rules for rider safety, and stopping illegal off-road operation, especially in areas experiencing significant resource damage.

A printable brochure of Forest OHV ATV rule and regulation is available on the website. Do an internet search for “OHV Mark Twain National Forest” and the Off Highway Vehicle Handout - USDA Forest Service will show up (pdf). This also includes information on acquiring county permits for each county on the Forest. The County Sheriff is also a great place to get information about OHV regulations for a particular county

Have more questions, visit the web site at www.fs.usda.gov/mtnf for information. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marktwainnationalforest. Please do your part to take care of the Forest by staying on the road and not riding cross country!