BLM extends summer OHV rules in White Mountains and Steese to Nov. 1 for lack of snow

The Bureau of Land Management's Eastern Interior Field Office on Wednesday extended summer motor vehicle limitations in the White Mountains National Recreation Area and Steese National Conservation Area until Nov. 1, keeping wheeled off-highway vehicles legal on ground that would otherwise switch to snowmobiles.

The switch usually comes Oct. 15. The agency said it is extending the summer rules "due to the lack of adequate snow cover," which has not reached its six-inch target depth. That gives wheeled riders 17 more days under summer limits.

Under the BLM's summer fact sheet, certain OHVs in designated cross-country areas can weigh up to 1,500 pounds curb weight and measure up to 64 inches wide. Some areas within the two units prohibit summer OHV use and open only to snowmobiles in winter.

The National Weather Service in Fairbanks' zone forecast issued Wednesday calls for around 1 inch of snow Thursday night in the White Mountains and high terrain south of the Yukon River.

Winter limitations are now scheduled to run from Nov. 1 through April 30. Under winter rules, the BLM allows snowmobiles once snow depth is adequate and generally restricts wheeled machines, which it says can damage the snowpack and the ground beneath it. The agency said it will announce an earlier transition if the target depth arrives before Nov. 1. Hiking, horseback riding and bicycling remain open year-round in both areas.

The date has moved before. In 2022, the agency extended summer limits through Oct. 31 because of inadequate snow cover. In 2024, it moved the winter start up to Oct. 25, replacing an announced Nov. 1 date.

Some trail work continues and some areas may not be well marked, the agency said in its announcement. It encourages visitors to carry its georeferenced PDF maps, which work with a phone's GPS without cell service. Questions go to the BLM Fairbanks Public Room.