BLM Temporarily Closes Arizona Strip, Border Routes for Wizard's Rhino Rally

The Bureau of Land Management temporarily closed selected transportation routes on BLM-managed public lands in Mohave County, Ariz., to accommodate the Wizard’s Rhino Rally motorcycle race on Feb. 23, 2026. During the one-day event access to public lands within and around the racecourse was temporarily closed, restricted, or designated as spectator areas to limit vehicle access around the course.

The announcement, issued from GEORGE, Utah by the Arizona Strip Field Office, points readers to a detailed closure map on BLM Arizona’s webpage and notes that copies are available at the Arizona Strip Field Office at 4001 E. Lorraine Christian, Arizona Strip Field Manager, framed the restriction as a safety measure: “These temporary closures are designed to keep participants, spectators, and the visiting public safe during this year’s race.”

BLM identified the closures as applying across the Arizona Strip and adjacent border corridors under the Arizona Strip Field Office’s jurisdiction. The agency specifically named the event as the 2026 Wizard’s Rhino Rally Race and tied the closure authorities to public safety on race day. The press notice describes the closures as temporary, advising visitors to plan recreational activities and routes in advance to avoid encountering restricted zones.

Supplemental reporting picked up partial route identifiers that should be verified against the official map. A social media posting lists State Route 163 to the north and references legal land descriptions including T.32S. R.66E sections 8 and 17, but that listing is truncated in the available text and must be confirmed with BLM’s posted map for exact road segments and legal descriptions.

There is a discrepancy in local references: a StGeorgeChamber excerpt mentions a “2025 Rhino Rally motorcycle race,” while the BLM notice identifies Feb. 23, 2026 as the race date. Reporters and recreational users should treat the BLM announcement as the authoritative closure notice and consult the closure map for final route details and any posted times, since the provided text does not include start or end hours or name an enforcing agency.

Context documents that are not part of the race notice remain relevant for broader access questions. An AzBackroads snippet references the Fredonia and Arizona Strip Travel Management Plan and a 670-mile closure, but the available materials do not tie that TMP action directly to the Rhino Rally closures; that TMP material should be reviewed separately before drawing connections.

Officials reiterated that the map on BLM Arizona’s webpage and the copies at the Arizona Strip Field Office serve as the official record of closed routes for the one-day race. With the event concluded on Feb. 23, 2026, those planning future trips in the Arizona Strip should check BLM postings for any similar temporary closures and consult the field office at the 4001 E. address for printed maps and clarification.