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Roads


The Forest Service maintains over 265,000 miles of roads that provide access necessary for public use and enjoyment, management, and protection of the nation’s forests and grasslands, 65,000 miles of which are maintained for passenger car use. Only the states of Texas and California manage more total road miles than the Forest Service. This vast transportation system provides access for recreation and wildlife-related visitation for over 155 million people every year. Forest Service roads support the economic and social health of gateway and rural communities through active forest management, fire suppression, grazing, mining and other activities, and is essential for the implementation of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy.

Many other roads that provide access to the national forests and grasslands are maintained and operated by other jurisdictions such as state, local and tribal governments. The Forest Service works closely with these agencies, as well as the Federal Highway Administration, to manage and maintain roads.

A dirt road running up a canyon with a green meadow on the right , few trees, and hillside.  On the left, the road borders the side of the valley.  A majestic snow-capped mountain range and peak looms in the distance.
McCoy Creek Road on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest west of Alpine, Wyoming. (USDA Forest Service photo by Nate Lowe)

Travelling On Your National Forest System Roads

Motorized vehicle use on all national forests is restricted to designated roads, trails and special areas. Some forest roads are operated and maintained for street legal passenger car use only, while other roads are operated and maintained for only for high clearance vehicles such as trucks or all-terrain vehicles. Other roads may be used only for administrative purposes and are closed to the public, while others may be closed seasonally to prevent damage to the road in wet weather.

Motorized Vehicle Use Maps display national forest and grassland routes (roads and trails) or areas designated open to motorized travel. Motorized use maps are free to the public and are also available in hard copy format at most local Forest Services offices. Many other mapping products are also published by the Forest Service to help you plan your next visit.

In addition to planned and seasonal road closures, some forest roads may not be passable due to changing weather conditions. Forest Service roads are generally not plowed for snow removal. Storm events can also necessitate closures of forest roads due to conditions such as landslides, washouts, downed trees, and large rocks and boulders. It is important to contact your local Forest Service office for information about current road conditions. Please keep in mind that driving through your national forests and grasslands poses different challenges than driving in an urban or suburban setting.

Two all-terrain-vehicles being driven down a dirt road in a forest.
A family rides their all-terrain vehicles in the Gravelly Mountain Range of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. (USDA Forest Service Photo by Preston Keres)

Some Forest Service roads may provide access to privately owned lands located within a national forest or grassland. Conditions and maintenance standards for National Forest System roads may not meet the needs of private landowners. Private entities that are interested in maintaining a forest road to a higher standard may request authorization to do so at their own expense. In some situations, this maintenance may be authorized by a road use permit issued through your local Forest Service office.

Forest Roads and the Environment

Forest Service roads must be constructed and maintained in a manner that considers the protection of threatened, endangered and sensitive species and their habitats, community water sources, and archeological resources. The Forest Service looks for any opportunity to minimize impacts from the transportation system on natural resources, but the Legacy Roads and Trails Program in particular provides funding specifically intended to restore, protect natural resources and to improve the health of maintaining crucial watersheds on our national forests and grasslands. This can be accomplished by restoring aquatic organism passage, improving road and trail resiliency, preserving access, and decommissioning unneeded roads.

Before and after photos of a culvert replacement, with a round culvert on the left, before replacement, and an oval culvert on the right, after replacement.
Before and after example of a Legacy Roads and Trails project on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The Forest Service worked with the Clark Fork Coalition to remove the original culvert that created a barrier to fish and aquatic organism passage at the road. The culvert was replaced with an open bottom culvert, which allows fish and other aquatic organisms to freely move throughout the stream. (USDA Forest Service photos by Paul Hooper)

 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/infrastructure/roads