BLM Opens Nearly 200 Miles of Moab Singletrack to Class 1 E-Bikes

The Bureau of Land Management’s Moab Field Office published a trail-by-trail authorization that took effect March 1, 2026, opening what sources variously describe as "nearly 200 miles," "200 miles," "more than 200 miles," and "over 200 miles" of Moab-area singletrack to Class 1 electric bicycles. The agency’s public-facing page and an interactive map on the BLM NEPA register are identified in BLM text as the definitive listings for which trails are authorized.

Class 1 e-bikes authorized under the decision "must have operable pedals, where power is only provided when pedaling," and "power is only provided up to 20 miles-per-hour," while "non-motorized, mountain bike trails will remain closed to class 2 e-bikes with a throttle and class 3 e-bikes that provide power up to 28 miles per hour." The decision applies to mountain bike trails managed by the Moab Field Office; the BLM will monitor the networks "for public safety, visitor experience, and trail/resource impacts."

The agency and the Vitalmtb text list several named trail systems included in the authorization: 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, Klondike Bluffs Mountain Bike Trail System, Baby Steps Mountain Bike Trail, Klonzo Mountain Bike Trail System, Moab Brands Mountain Bike Trail System, and Amasa Back Mountain Bike Trail System. The Vitalmtb and BLM excerpts show ellipses in their lists; BLM directs users to the Moab Field Office public page and the NEPA interactive map for the full, authoritative trail-by-trail inventory.

Several popular singletrack routes will remain closed to e-bikes while still open to human-powered mountain bikes. Those trails explicitly named as closed to e-bikes are Lower Porcupine Singletrack, commonly called LPS, Eagle Eye, Porcupine Rim Singletrack, Fisher Mesa, and Hidden Valley.

Moab Field Office Manager Dave Pals framed the change as a recreation-expanding move, saying, "Opening trails to class 1 e-bike users will expand recreational opportunities and experiences, while allowing users to disperse across the landscape, minimizing impacts." The BLM notes that the environmental assessment, finding of no significant impact, decision record, and other project-related documents, including the interactive map, "are available online at the BLM NEPA register," and that visitors with questions should contact the Moab Field Office.

Advocacy and local commentary surfaced quickly. The BlueRibbonCoalition celebrated the change, writing in part, "Today, we get to celebrate another major win in the Grand Reopening of our public lands. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has officially opened over 200 miles of world-class mountain biking trails near Moab, Utah to Class 1 e-bikes," and describing thousands of supportive messages sent through its Advocacy Portal and a sweepstakes to "Win a Bakcou Scout E-Bike." Online comment threads republished with the Vitalmtb item included more pointed reaction, including lines such as "maybe eebs will make those trails fun? At least knock em out quicker so you can go rent a side-by-side or get drunk" and "I certainly agree that eebs do no more significant damage than pedal bikes. Especially there!"

The Moab decision is distinct from a separate proposal in Colorado. The BLM Colorado River Field Office is considering allowing Class 1 e-bikes on more than 200 miles of mountain bike trails it oversees in Pitkin, Garfield and Eagle counties, an office that "oversees over 220 miles of mountain bike trails" and currently allows Class 1 e-bikes on 18 miles within the Grand Hoback Trails north of Rifle; that proposal is accepting public comment through March 25. For the Moab changes, the NEPA register and the Moab Field Office remain the official places to view the full trail list, the environmental assessment and the decision record.