What does MVUM stand for?

Motor Vehicle Use Map. It is the U.S. Forest Service's official map showing which roads, trails and areas in a national forest are open to motor vehicles, for which vehicle classes, and in which seasons.

Is riding allowed anywhere that isn't on the MVUM?

No. Under the Travel Management Rule, motor-vehicle use in a national forest is limited to the roads, trails and areas designated on the MVUM. If a route is not shown, it is closed to motor vehicles — this is called a 'closed unless designated open' system.

How much does an MVUM cost?

Nothing. Every national forest publishes its MVUM as a free black-and-white PDF, and the underlying route data is public. This site turns that same public data into a searchable finder.

Does the MVUM show trail difficulty or conditions?

No. The MVUM is a legal designation map — it shows what is allowed, not trail difficulty, surface, or current conditions. Check with the ranger district for conditions and closures before you ride.

What is a Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM)?

The legal map of where you can ride in a national forest

A Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) is the U.S. Forest Service's official, legally-binding map of where motor vehicles may travel in a national forest — which roads and trails are open, to which vehicle classes (ATV, motorcycle, highway-legal, and more), and during which seasons. MVUMs come from the 2005 Travel Management Rule, which requires each forest to designate a system of roads, trails and areas for motor-vehicle use; anything not shown is closed to motor vehicles. They are published as free black-and-white PDFs and are the document you must carry and follow. This page explains how to read an MVUM and how OHV Trail Finder turns that same public route data into a searchable, filterable finder — an informational layer, never a replacement for the official map.

The Travel Management Rule

In 2005 the U.S. Forest Service adopted the Travel Management Rule, which requires every national forest and grassland to designate a specific system of roads, trails and areas that are open to motor vehicles. The result of that designation is the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). The system is "closed unless designated open": if a road or trail is not shown on the MVUM, motor-vehicle travel there is prohibited. Cross-country travel off the designated system is not allowed except in the rare areas specifically opened for it.

How to read an MVUM

An MVUM is a black-and-white map, published per ranger district. Each designated road or trail is marked with symbols that tell you three things:

Which vehicles may use it — highway-legal vehicles only, or also vehicles 50 inches or less (most ATVs), motorcycles, and so on. A route open to a jeep may be closed to an ATV, and vice-versa.
When it is open — many routes carry a seasonal date range (for example late May to September), often to protect wet ground or wildlife.
What kind of route it is — a road open to all highway-legal vehicles, a road open to mixed use, or a trail open to specific vehicle classes.

The MVUM does not show trail difficulty, surface, elevation or current conditions — it is a legal designation map, not a trail guide. Always check with the ranger district for closures and conditions.

Vehicle classes

The MVUM data distinguishes many vehicle classes — highway-legal passenger vehicles, high-clearance vehicles, trucks and buses; off-highway machines over and under 50 inches wide (side-by-sides, ROVs, full-width 4x4s); core off-highway vehicles like ATVs and motorcycles; and, increasingly, e-bikes by class. Because access is per class, "can I ride here?" always depends on what you ride. That is exactly what OHV Trail Finder's finder and per-district access matrix are built around.

How OHV Trail Finder uses the MVUM

OHV Trail Finder reads the same public MVUM route data the Forest Service publishes — across 448 ranger districts and 231,615.7 miles of routes — and turns it into a finder you can filter by state and vehicle, plus a page per district with total miles, a per-vehicle access matrix, seasons, a route-network map and GPX downloads. It is an informational layer, never a replacement for the official map. Every page links the controlling official MVUM and states plainly that these pages are not legal documents. See the methodology for the exact source and method, then find where you can ride →

Frequently asked questions

What does MVUM stand for?: Motor Vehicle Use Map. It is the U.S. Forest Service's official map showing which roads, trails and areas in a national forest are open to motor vehicles, for which vehicle classes, and in which seasons.
Is riding allowed anywhere that isn't on the MVUM?: No. Under the Travel Management Rule, motor-vehicle use in a national forest is limited to the roads, trails and areas designated on the MVUM. If a route is not shown, it is closed to motor vehicles — this is called a 'closed unless designated open' system.
How much does an MVUM cost?: Nothing. Every national forest publishes its MVUM as a free black-and-white PDF, and the underlying route data is public. This site turns that same public data into a searchable finder.
Does the MVUM show trail difficulty or conditions?: No. The MVUM is a legal designation map — it shows what is allowed, not trail difficulty, surface, or current conditions. Check with the ranger district for conditions and closures before you ride.