BLM switches White Mountains and Steese to winter snowmobile rules after snow arrives

The Bureau of Land Management moved the White Mountains National Recreation Area and Steese National Conservation Area to winter motor vehicle rules Wednesday, effective immediately, because the area now has adequate snow cover, the agency said in an Oct. 28 announcement.

Under winter rules, the White Mountains are open to snowmobiles weighing up to 1,000 pounds curb weight and up to 50 inches wide, along with all forms of nonmotorized travel. Winter trails there are shared by snowmobiles and nonmotorized users, except the Ski Loop Trail and Summit Trail, which stay nonmotorized.

In the Steese, the whole conservation area (except the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail) opens to qualifying snowmobiles when snow depth is adequate, according to the BLM.

The BLM said many boundaries and trails are marked, but some trail work is still in progress and some areas may not be well marked. The agency recommends its georeferenced PDF maps for winter and summer recreation, which can be used with a phone's GPS to navigate where there is no cell service. It asks riders to travel responsibly, wear a helmet and ride to reduce damage to the surrounding area.

The White Mountains area covers 1 million acres, with 250 miles of groomed winter trails and 13 public-use cabins, according to the BLM. Travel-management plans for both areas took effect for the 2022-23 winter season and opened BLM-managed lands there to cross-country snowmobile travel except on specified nonmotorized routes, the agency said when it approved them.

Winter rules run through April 30.