Bessey Ranger District
The Bessey Ranger District in Nebraska National Forest (Nebraska) has 248 miles of motorized routes on the U.S. Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map — 238.8 miles of roads and 9.2 miles of trails across 66 designated routes. Vehicle access: ATV 130.2 mi · Motorcycle 130.2 mi · E-bike routes. Seasonal routes generally open Dec 1 and close Aug 31. Every route here is informational and derived from the MVUM data — it is not a legal document; carry and follow the district's official Motor Vehicle Use Map. Download the routes as GPX for your GPS or riding app.
- Total motorized miles
- 248
- Roads
- 238.8 mi
- Trails
- 9.2 mi
- Year-round miles
- 230.4 mi
- Seasonal miles
- 17.6 mi
238.8 mi of roads · 9.2 mi of trails, across 66 designated routes on the Motor Vehicle Use Map.
Vehicle access
What the MVUM designates for each vehicle class in this district — open miles, route count and season. A blank designation means the class is not designated here; it is shown as such, never guessed. ATV, motorcycle and e-bike classes are highlighted.
| Vehicle class | Open miles | Routes | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core off-highway (OHV) | |||
| ATV | 130.2 | 32 | Year-round |
| Motorcycle / dirt bike | 130.2 | 32 | Year-round |
| Other wheeled OHV | 130.2 | 32 | Year-round |
| Wider OHV (over 50 inches) | |||
| 4WD > 50" | 121 | 28 | Year-round |
| 2WD > 50" | 121 | 28 | Year-round |
| Tracked OHV > 50" | 121 | 28 | Year-round |
| Other OHV > 50" | 121 | 28 | Year-round |
| Narrow OHV (under 50 inches) | |||
| Tracked OHV < 50" | 121 | 28 | Year-round |
| Other OHV < 50" | 121 | 30 | Year-round |
| E-bikes | |||
| E-bike Class 1 | 0 | 2 | Year-round |
| E-bike Class 2 | 0 | 2 | Year-round |
| E-bike Class 3 | 0 | 2 | Year-round |
| Road-legal / licensed vehicles | |||
| Passenger vehicle | 238.8 | 62 | Varies by route |
| High-clearance vehicle | 238.8 | 62 | Varies by route |
| Truck | 238.8 | 62 | Varies by route |
| Bus | 238.8 | 62 | Varies by route |
| Motorhome | 238.8 | 62 | Varies by route |
Seasons
Of the 248 motorized miles here, about 230.4 miles are open year-round and 17.6 miles are seasonal — the seasonal window generally runs from 12/01 to 08/31 (MM/DD). Each vehicle class can carry its own season; see the access matrix above, and always confirm current status on the official Motor Vehicle Use Map.
Download the routes (GPX)
Load these into your GPS unit or riding app (onX, Gaia, Avenza and most handhelds read GPX).
Named routes
Show the 43 named routes in this district
Named routes on the MVUM and whether ATV and motorcycle use is designated on each. This is a per-district reference, not a separate page per route. Use the filter to find a route.
| (BRD) | ✓ | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| BESSEY REC AREA LOOP | ✓ | ✓ |
| CEDARS CAMPGROUND | ✓ | ✓ |
| CORMORANT | ✓ | ✓ |
| COUNTY LINE | ✓ | ✓ |
| DIAMOND BAR | ✓ | ✓ |
| DISMAL RIVER TRAIL | ✓ | ✓ |
| DWELLING | ✓ | ✓ |
| GUNNERY RANGE | ✓ | ✓ |
| HARDWOOD CAMPGROUND | ✓ | ✓ |
| NORTH BOUNDARY | ✓ | ✓ |
| NORTH WEST BOUNDARY | ✓ | ✓ |
| SCENIC | ✓ | ✓ |
| STEER CREEK VALLEY | ✓ | ✓ |
| STEER CREEK WEST | ✓ | ✓ |
| VALLEY | ✓ | ✓ |
| WHITETAIL / WEGGENER | ✓ | ✓ |
| WHITETAIL CAMPGROUND LOOP A | ✓ | ✓ |
| WHITETAIL CAMPGROUND LOOP B | ✓ | ✓ |
| WHITETAIL CAMPGROUND LOOP C | ✓ | ✓ |
| BOREN RD | · | · |
| CAMP 2 RD | · | · |
| CAMP 5 (BRD) | · | · |
| CIRCLE | · | · |
| COUNTY LINE-WEST | · | · |
| DOUBLE S | · | · |
| EWALDT RD | · | · |
| FIGARD | · | · |
| FISH POND PARKING LOOP (BRD) | · | · |
| GASTON | · | · |
| HORSESHOE BAR RD | · | · |
| JOHNSON | · | · |
| JOHNSON RD CANOE LAUNCH | · | · |
| NATICK CAMPGROUND | · | · |
| NIOBRARA RIVER CANOE LAUNCH | · | · |
| NORTH NATICK | · | · |
| PINE STRIP (BRD) | · | · |
| SAMUEL R. MCKELVIE ADMIN SITE | · | · |
| SOUTH NATICK | · | · |
| STEER CREEK CAMPGROUND | · | · |
| THREE CAMPS (EAST) | · | · |
| THREE CAMPS (WEST) | · | · |
| WINDMILL 25 | · | · |
Data: U.S. Forest Service, Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) Motor Vehicle Use Map — Roads (layer 1) and Trails (layer 2), retrieved 2026-07-11. A work of the U.S. Government, public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). State assignment: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb state boundaries.
This page is a searchable summary of the Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map data — it is not the official MVUM and not a legal document. Route designations, closures and conditions change. The controlling document is the district's official Motor Vehicle Use Map: carry it and follow posted signs when you ride.
Data vintage: USFS EDW MVUM, retrieved 2026-07-11.
Nearby districts
The six nearest ranger districts by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-forest and cross-state neighbours included — for planning a wider trip.
| District | Forest | Total miles | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall Ranger District | Nebraska National Forest, SD | 185.5 | 202 km |
| Pine Ridge Ranger District | Nebraska National Forest, NE | 170.5 | 230 km |
| Fall River Ranger District | Nebraska National Forest, SD | 93.7 | 240 km |
| Hell Canyon Ranger District | Black Hills National Forest, SD | 1,242.5 | 310 km |
| Mystic Ranger District | Black Hills National Forest, SD | 1,217.2 | 313 km |
| Pawnee Ranger District | Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, CO | 163.6 | 332 km |
Frequently asked questions
- Can you ride an ATV in the Bessey Ranger District?
- Yes. The MVUM designates ATV use on about 130.2 miles across 32 routes here (year-round). Confirm on the district's official Motor Vehicle Use Map before you ride.
- How many miles of motorized routes are in the Bessey Ranger District?
- 248 miles total — 238.8 miles of roads and 9.2 miles of trails, across 66 designated routes on the Forest Service MVUM.
- Is this the official Motor Vehicle Use Map?
- No. This page is an informational, searchable view of the MVUM route data. It is not a legal document. The controlling document is the district's official MVUM — always carry and follow it.
- Are the routes open year-round?
- Partly. About 230.4 miles are open year-round and 17.6 miles are seasonal (typically open Dec 1 to Aug 31). Each vehicle class can have its own season — see the access matrix above.
More in Nebraska
See every ranger district in Nebraska National Forest, browse all Nebraska national-forest routes, or read the methodology behind these figures. New to MVUMs? Start with what a Motor Vehicle Use Map is.