Bridger-Teton NF OHV Trails

Bighorn National Forest covers 1.1 million acres of mountain terrain in north-central Wyoming between the Big Horn Basin and the Powder River Basin, and its OHV network — over 1,200 miles of roads and 92 designated OHV trails — makes it one of the most extensive motorized recreation areas in the Rocky Mountain West. The system spans multiple ranger districts and elevation zones from 4,000 feet in the foothills to over 13,000 feet on the Cloud Peak summit plateau. The Little Goose and Red Grade Road area east of Sheridan is particularly popular for ATVs, side-by-sides, and dirt bikes during summer months, offering a mix of wide forest road riding and singletrack loops through aspen and pine forest with views of the Cloud Peak Wilderness to the southwest. OHVs are restricted to 50 inches wide across the designated system; vehicles wider than 50 inches are not permitted on OHV-designated trails (though some forest roads may accommodate wider vehicles under different designations). A Wyoming ORV registration decal is required. Multiple campgrounds throughout the forest support multi-day trips. Motor Vehicle Use Maps are the essential navigation resource — download from the Forest website or pick up at the Bighorn NF Supervisor's Office in Sheridan (307-674-2600).

The Bighorn National Forest encompasses 1.1 million acres of the Bighorn Mountains in Sheridan, Big Horn, Johnson, and Washakie counties in north-central Wyoming — the isolated mountain range rising 8,000 feet above the surrounding Bighorn Basin and Powder River Basin, providing the most dramatic topographic transition in Wyoming outside the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The Bighorn Mountains are geologically ancient — Precambrian granite and gneiss at the core, mantled by Paleozoic marine sediments on the flanks — and the Bighorn Plateau at the top of the range sits between 9,000 and 13,000 feet, supporting the alpine tundra and subalpine park country that gives high-altitude Bighorn riding its distinctive open-sky character. The OHV trail system covers designated routes across the Bighorn's multiple ranger districts: the Tongue Ranger District (Sheridan area, US-14 access), the Powder River Ranger District (Buffalo area, US-16 access), and the Medicine Wheel Ranger District (Lovell area, US-14A access near the Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark). The US-14 Bighorn Scenic Byway and US-16 Cloud Peak Skyway provide paved access to the plateau, and designated OHV trails radiate into the surrounding forest from trailheads along both corridors. The Cloud Peak Wilderness at the summit of the range closes the highest terrain to motorized use; the OHV network operates on the forested flanks and plateau margins outside the wilderness boundary. ATVs, UTVs, and dirt bikes on designated routes. Sheridan Ranger District (307-674-2600) manages northern district trail status.

Blacktail Motorized Trailhead is the primary OHV access point on the Bearlodge Ranger District of the Black Hills National Forest in Crook County, Wyoming, situated between the communities of Sundance and Hulett at elevations from 4,600 to 5,500 feet on the northeastern edge of the Black Hills. The system offers over 20 miles of ATV and dirt bike trails through pine-canopied two-track terrain — hard-packed logging road surfaces and forest track with the open-canopy ponderosa character typical of the Wyoming edge of the Black Hills where the forest transitions to the Great Plains short grass prairie. Trails are rated mostly intermediate with some more challenging routes; the moderate difficulty profile makes Blacktail accessible to a broader range of riders compared to the more technical granite systems to the south in South Dakota. Maximum vehicle width is 50 inches; full-size vehicles are not permitted on the designated trail system. No entry fee and no trailhead parking fee apply. The Bearlodge Ranger District office in Sundance (307-283-1361) handles current trail conditions. The Crook County location puts Blacktail within reach of Rapid City, Gillette, and the Devils Tower corridor for multi-attraction Wyoming road trip itineraries.

Killpecker Sand Dunes OHV Area is a BLM open-riding zone within one of the largest active dune fields in North America, located in Sweetwater County near Rock Springs, Wyoming, accessed via Tri-Territory Road (County Road 4-17) off US-191 approximately 12 miles north of Rock Springs. The Killpecker Dunes extend over 100 miles in length — the OHV-open area covers roughly 11,000 acres of the central dune complex, with dunes reaching 100 feet in height and providing the kind of large-scale dune riding terrain more commonly associated with Oregon's Oregon Dunes or California's Glamis. Novice riders explore the flatter interdune areas and smaller dune faces; experienced riders tackle the large dune crests and steep face descents. All OHV types are permitted at no charge; Wyoming OHV registration is required. All OHVs must display a 8-foot safety flag whip for visibility over dune crests — this rule is non-negotiable and enforced. No permanent facilities on site; Rock Springs (12 miles) provides fuel, food, and camping supplies. Dispersed camping is allowed within the BLM area. High winds are frequent and can create blowing sand conditions; check weather forecasts before extended trips. Contact the BLM Rock Springs Field Office (307-352-0256) for current conditions.