Class 1 E-Bike Access in Moab: What Riders Need to Know

What "Class 1" Actually Means

Not all e-bikes are created equal, and land managers treat the distinctions seriously. A Class 1 e-bike is pedal-assist only: the motor engages while you're pedaling and cuts off completely once you hit 20 mph. Motors are capped at 750 watts. There's no throttle, no coasting on electric power, no assist beyond that 20 mph ceiling. Class 2 e-bikes (throttle-equipped) and Class 3 e-bikes (which assist up to 28 mph) remain prohibited on Moab's newly opened non-motorized trails. If your bike has a throttle or assists past 20 mph, the BLM's new authorization does not apply to you.

That distinction matters because the entire regulatory framework here was built around Class 1 specifically. The BLM's environmental assessment evaluated whether Class 1 pedal-assist technology could coexist with traditional mountain biking on non-motorized singletrack. The answer, after nearly a year of public review, was yes — with conditions.

The Big News: 211 Miles Now Open

The BLM Moab Field Office opened more than 200 miles of mountain bike trails around Moab to Class 1 e-bikes beginning March 1, 2026. The final tally is 211.2 miles across 16 southern Utah trail systems, representing the most expansive option the BLM analyzed. Until now, e-bike access on local singletrack was limited to about 1.4 miles, with e-bikes otherwise confined to motorized routes such as Slickrock. That's a dramatic shift for a destination that mountain bikers have been riding since the late 1980s.

"Opening trails to class 1 e-bike users will expand recreational opportunities and experiences, while allowing users to disperse across the landscape, minimizing impacts," said Moab Field Office Manager Dave Pals. The decision followed a public scoping period that opened in fall 2024. The BLM received 542 substantive comments, 83% in support of allowing Class 1 e-bikes on the analyzed trails. Supporters cited accessibility for older riders, people with injuries or disabilities, and families as primary reasons for expanding access.

Where You Can Ride

The following trail systems are now open to Class 1 e-bike users: Athena Mountain Bike Trail, Horsethief Mountain Bike Trail System, Navajo Rocks Mountain Bike Trail System, Gemini Bridges Area Mountain Bike Trail System, 7-Up Mountain Bike Trail, Gold Bar Rim Mountain Bike Trail, Portal Mountain Bike Trail, and Klondike Bluffs Mountain Bike Trail System. Additional open systems include Baby Steps, Klonzo, Amasa Back, and the Monitor and Merrimac loop in the Mill Canyon area north of Moab.

The BLM is also running an interactive map on its Moab Field Office page where you can verify individual trail status before you load the truck. Use it. Trail-level detail matters here, especially on systems where some segments may connect to restricted land.

Where You Still Cannot Ride

Five trails remain closed to e-bikes: Lower Porcupine Singletrack (LPS), Eagle Eye, Porcupine Rim Singletrack, Fisher Mesa, and Hidden Valley. Those routes cross U.S. Forest Service lands or lie within Wilderness Study Areas where mechanized use is prohibited. The Forest Service has not changed its own rules on e-bikes, so any trail that crosses into USFS jurisdiction hits a hard stop regardless of what BLM allows on its portion. Porcupine Rim Singletrack, one of Moab's most iconic rides, passes through a Wilderness Study Area at its lower end, which makes it ineligible under current federal rules.

Beyond BLM land, the picture stays restrictive. Canyonlands National Park and other NPS units in the Four Corners region still limit e-bikes to paved or designated motorized roads and prohibit them on backcountry singletrack entirely. Always check the specific park's website before planning any route that crosses agency boundaries.

Monitoring and Adaptive Management

This authorization isn't a done deal with no strings attached. The BLM will conduct monitoring for at minimum the initial two years, with adaptive management used to identify potential future monitoring needs and mitigation measures. In plain terms: if trail conditions degrade or user conflicts spike, the agency has the authority to adjust or pull back access on specific routes. Riders who behave badly on newly opened trails aren't just being rude; they're generating the data points that could close those trails again.

Trail Etiquette and Speed Control

Class 1 assist means you will cover ground faster and with less perceived effort than on a traditional mountain bike, which changes how you interact with other trail users. Approach blind corners at a controlled speed, yield to uphill riders (who are working harder than you are), and announce passes clearly and with enough lead time. Outfitters running guided e-bike trips should set explicit behavioral expectations with clients before the first pedal stroke, not mid-trail.

The desert terrain around Moab compounds these considerations. Moab's sandstone and desert soils are fragile in ways that aren't always obvious to visiting riders. Stay on designated hard surfaces, avoid trails when they're wet or saturated (soft rock erodes quickly under tire pressure), and support local stewardship organizations that run trail-work days throughout the season. Keeping access means keeping the trails in shape.

Practical Checklist Before You Roll

• Confirm your bike is Class 1 certified: pedal-assist only, 20 mph cutoff, 750-watt motor maximum.

• Cross-reference your planned route against the BLM's interactive map at the Moab Field Office page to verify each segment is open.

• If your route touches NPS land (Canyonlands, Arches), check that park's specific e-bike policy separately.

• Avoid trails that cross USFS jurisdictions: LPS, Eagle Eye, and Porcupine Rim Singletrack are the most likely traps for riders who assume BLM authorization covers the whole trail.

• Stay off wet trails. Moab's soils look solid but compress and rut easily when saturated.

Why This Moment Matters

"I am very happy with the decision," said Mick Vallantine, owner of E-bike Moab, which opened in 2020. His shop, like others in town, stands to benefit directly as the e-bike-accessible trail network expands from 1.4 miles to more than 200. But the bigger picture is about who gets to ride Moab at all. Pedal-assist technology genuinely broadens access for riders managing age, injury, or fitness gaps that would have previously kept them off singletrack.

The two-year monitoring window is worth watching closely. If riders demonstrate that Class 1 access can coexist with trail health and traditional mountain biking culture, the case for expanding access elsewhere in canyon country gets stronger. If conflicts and damage reports accumulate, the rollback will be swift. The trails that open next depend largely on how riders behave on the trails that already have.