Ogden Sierra Club -- Paiute ATV Trail

Proponents of the Northern Utah Trail System (NUTS, also known as the Shoshone Trail) have repeatedly touted Southern Utah's Paiute Trail as a successful ATV trail system on which NUTS would be modeled. To see just how successful the Paiute Trail has been, I made two brief visits to the area, on August 31 and September 15-16, 2002. Using only the Paiute Trail and National Forest maps for guidance, I set out to determine whether land managers have been able to prevent ecological damage and illegal off-road travel by ATV's and other motor vehicles. The photos below show what I found.

Click on any photo to see a larger version (typically 100k). All photos are by Dan Schroeder, on behalf of the Ogden Sierra Club. To obtain a higher-resolution version of one or more photos (e.g., for printing), or to see the other 50+ photos that I took during my visits, please contact me at 801-393-4603 or .

Many Paiute Trail segments are lined with dispersed campsites like this one along the Chalk Creek trail (side trail 03) near Fillmore. Like most of the Fishlake National Forest, this area is completely open to off-road motorized travel. Causing this kind of damage to soils and vegetation is therefore legal, and the Forest Service has taken no action to prevent it.

Also near Chalk Creek, Paiute side trail 07 makes a short loop onto a section of Utah School Trust land. This photo shows that portions of this segment are overly steep and badly eroded, with multiple braided paths.

Just above the location of the previous photo, the land opens into a broad meadow that is covered with looping vehicle tracks. (The track heading away from the camera is a ghost trail, not the actual Paiute route which is just behind the camera.) Like the surrounding National Forest lands, this section of state-owned land is apparently considered open to cross-country motorized travel.

Near the Sand Rock Ridge trail segment (side trail 03) near Fillmore, this dispersed campsite (or party spot?) lies on another section of Utah School Trust land.

Along the Mill Creek trail segment (Paiute side trail 13), just south of where it crosses under Interstate 70, is a lengthy dispersed camping area with space for many vehicles. The campsites themselves pose a significant problem, being adjacent to the creek and lacking sanitation facilities. (The Castle Rock campground lies just three miles away, but seems to be much less popular than this area, perhaps because ATV riding is not permitted there.) Just west of the campsites is an extensive network of looping ghost trails, apparently used as a play area. This photo shows a very steep segment of this network. Because this area is open to motorized travel according to the Forest map, this kind of activity is legal here.

A quarter mile south of the previous photo, still along the Mill Creek side trail and near a group of dispersed campsites, we found this "No Motor Vehicles" sign and two others like it. (Click here to see one of the others.) This portion of the Fishlake National Forest is open to cross-country motorized travel unless posted closed. As these photos show, posting an area as closed is not always effective.

Near the Castle Rock campground, Paiute side trail 78 climbs through a pinyon-juniper forest onto a low mesa offering nice views of the surrounding land. From the tracks shown here, it appears that ATV riders prefer to enjoy the view over the edge from the seats of their vehicles, rather than getting off and walking ten yards. (This area is also open to cross-country motorized travel.)

Near Paiute side trail 78, forest road 1083 branches southward for half a mile to access a power line and water development. From the multiple fresh ATV tracks, it appears that many Paiute Trail users have explored this route and expanded it into a network of multiple braided tracks. Crushed vegetation, as shown in this photo, indicates that the damage is ongoing. Click here to see a similar photo taken nearby.

In the alpine high country of the Tushar Mountains, the Paiute Trail and several Paiute side trails pass through areas that are closed to motorized travel except on designated routes. State Highway 153 and a few other low-clearance roads also pass through the area. This photo shows Highway 153 crossing the meadows of Big Flat. As the sign indicates, ATV's are not permitted on this gravel road. Perhaps for this reason, most of the meadows along the road are free of damage from ATV's. By contrast, the proposed Shoshone Trail system would include several improved roads like this one.

Instead of passing through the meadows at Big Flat, Paiute side trail 29 follows a logging road that loops through the forest to the east. This photo was taken from one of the switchbacks in the trail, where riders have left the trail and ridden throughout this clearing. Although the entire area is closed to motorized travel except on designated routes, the small "Road Closed" signs at this location are found only at the edge of the clearing, 100 feet back from the designated route. Apparently the Forest Service considers this a sacrifice area.

Also near Paiute side trail 29 east of Big Flat, these tracks are part of a lengthy system of ghost trails just west of the official Paiute route. This area has seen extensive logging and many of the ghost trails follow routes originally created by logging equipment. Still, these fresh ATV tracks are in an area that is closed to motorized travel according to the Fishlake National Forest map.

Three minutes before this photo was taken, I witnessed two motorcyclists riding directly up and down this slope, leaving the tread marks shown. (Unfortunately my camera was not ready at the time.) The slope overlooks a Paiute trailhead parking area, at the point where side trail 05 crosses Utah Highway 153, in the Tushar Mountains. According to the National Forest map, this area is closed to motorized travel except on designated routes. There were no signs indicating that vehicles could or could not travel on this hillside. After having their fun, the motorcyclists turned onto the highway and sped away at well over the 30-mph speed limit. Their dirt bikes were not highway-legal.

This photo shows Paiute side trail 26, about two miles below Big John Flat in the Tushar Mountains. As in so many other locations, riders have denuded the surrounding ground of vegetation by repeatedly riding off the trail. This area is closed to off-trail motorized travel. (This is another location where the Paiute Trail avoids an improved gravel road by following a more primitive parallel route.)

The Forest Service, probably with help from the State, has put a significant effort into keeping ATV's on designated routes in the Tushar Mountain high country. In this location (where the main Paiute Trail crosses Poison Creek) the efforts appear to have been quite successful. The fence spans the width of a former access point to the meadows that lie above, and the vegetation just beyond the fence is recovering nicely.

Unfortunately, efforts to keep ATV's on designated routes have been more than matched by the riders' ingenuity. Less than a quarter mile south of the previous photo, ATV riders have found this alternate route up onto the meadows.

Not far to the north of Poison Creek, this route branches west from the main Paiute Trail; a sign labels the spot as Sheepherder Flat. According to the Fishlake National Forest map, this route is not designated for motorized travel, yet the Forest Service seems to be managing the route as open. At the end of the route are a number of dispersed campsites showing clear signs of motor vehicle use, even though they do not lie within 300 feet of a motorized route as required. Dozens of other dispersed campsites are found near the Paiute Trail between this location and Big John Flat. Although most are within the 300-foot limit and are therefore legal, some lie beyond the limit and many show signs of motorized activity beyond simply entering and exiting.

This photo shows the shoreline of aptly named Mud Lake, a small pond that lies a stone's throw west of the main Paiute Trail at an elevation of 11,000 feet in the high country of the Tushar Mountains. The lake is accessed via a signed, well-worn, but unmapped "road" branching from the Paiute Trail. According to the National Forest map and numerous signs elsewhere along the Paiute Trail, motorized travel off of designated routes is prohibited here; neither the map nor any sign indicates that the route leading to the lake is designated for motorized travel. Perhaps the margins of Mud Lake were originally denuded of vegetation by miners or cattle. Whatever the original cause, ATV riders have perpetuated and extended the damage by using Mud Lake as a free-for-all recreation spot. Here are three more photos of the damage: first; second; third.

Delano Peak, the highest point in the Tushar Mountains (elevation 12,168 feet), lies only a mile and a half east of the main Paiute Trail. Although there isn't even an official foot trail to the peak's summit, the walk up the west ridge from the Paiute Trail is extremely easy. Unfortunately, the mountain's gentle slopes have also attracted ATV riders. This photo shows two sets of ATV tracks ascending the broad ridge. Click here to see a nearby location where tracks ascend a steeper incline. The tracks continued to within 50 feet of the mountain's rocky summit. This area is closed to off-road motorized travel, as indicated by numerous signs along the Paiute Trail from which these ATV riders gained access.

Also of interest: The official Paiute Trail web site, maintained by the town of Marysvale, features several photos of ATV's being ridden or parked off of established paths. Again, this activity is actually legal along most of the trail.

Summary

Unlike NUTS (aka Shoshone Trail), the majority of the Paiute Trail passes through areas that are completely open to cross-country motorized travel. Even in areas that are closed to motorized travel, vehicles may travel up to 300 feet off designated routes to enter or exit a site used for camping. Thus, the principal method that land managers have used to prevent illegal off-road travel is to make off-road travel legal.
In the Tushar Mountain high country, where off-road travel is not legal, the Forest Service has installed numerous signs to indicate the restrictions. Some of this signing, especially when accompanied by physical barriers, appears to have been effective. However, there are many specific locations that are still in need of signs, while at other locations, ATV riders have clearly ignored the signs.
Dispersed campsites are extremely numerous along the Paiute Trail, both in areas that are open to off-road travel and in areas that are closed. Vehicles have caused extensive damage both within these sites and in surrounding areas used for ATV recreation. It appears that the Forest Service has taken no effective steps to limit the number of these sites or to limit the damage in their vicinity.
Whereas NUTS would include a number of improved roads suitable for passenger cars, the Paiute Trail avoids such roads by following parallel tracks, at least in the Tushar Mountains. As use of NUTS grows, land managers will probably be forced to construct many new ATV trails to separate ATV's from passenger cars. This new trail construction would be both destructive and expensive.

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Last modified on 26 January 2004.

	Many Paiute Trail segments are lined with dispersed campsites like this one along the Chalk Creek trail (side trail 03) near Fillmore. Like most of the Fishlake National Forest, this area is completely open to off-road motorized travel. Causing this kind of damage to soils and vegetation is therefore legal, and the Forest Service has taken no action to prevent it.
	Also near Chalk Creek, Paiute side trail 07 makes a short loop onto a section of Utah School Trust land. This photo shows that portions of this segment are overly steep and badly eroded, with multiple braided paths.
	Just above the location of the previous photo, the land opens into a broad meadow that is covered with looping vehicle tracks. (The track heading away from the camera is a ghost trail, not the actual Paiute route which is just behind the camera.) Like the surrounding National Forest lands, this section of state-owned land is apparently considered open to cross-country motorized travel.
	Near the Sand Rock Ridge trail segment (side trail 03) near Fillmore, this dispersed campsite (or party spot?) lies on another section of Utah School Trust land.
	Along the Mill Creek trail segment (Paiute side trail 13), just south of where it crosses under Interstate 70, is a lengthy dispersed camping area with space for many vehicles. The campsites themselves pose a significant problem, being adjacent to the creek and lacking sanitation facilities. (The Castle Rock campground lies just three miles away, but seems to be much less popular than this area, perhaps because ATV riding is not permitted there.) Just west of the campsites is an extensive network of looping ghost trails, apparently used as a play area. This photo shows a very steep segment of this network. Because this area is open to motorized travel according to the Forest map, this kind of activity is legal here.
	A quarter mile south of the previous photo, still along the Mill Creek side trail and near a group of dispersed campsites, we found this "No Motor Vehicles" sign and two others like it. (Click here to see one of the others.) This portion of the Fishlake National Forest is open to cross-country motorized travel unless posted closed. As these photos show, posting an area as closed is not always effective.
	Near the Castle Rock campground, Paiute side trail 78 climbs through a pinyon-juniper forest onto a low mesa offering nice views of the surrounding land. From the tracks shown here, it appears that ATV riders prefer to enjoy the view over the edge from the seats of their vehicles, rather than getting off and walking ten yards. (This area is also open to cross-country motorized travel.)
	Near Paiute side trail 78, forest road 1083 branches southward for half a mile to access a power line and water development. From the multiple fresh ATV tracks, it appears that many Paiute Trail users have explored this route and expanded it into a network of multiple braided tracks. Crushed vegetation, as shown in this photo, indicates that the damage is ongoing. Click here to see a similar photo taken nearby.
	In the alpine high country of the Tushar Mountains, the Paiute Trail and several Paiute side trails pass through areas that are closed to motorized travel except on designated routes. State Highway 153 and a few other low-clearance roads also pass through the area. This photo shows Highway 153 crossing the meadows of Big Flat. As the sign indicates, ATV's are not permitted on this gravel road. Perhaps for this reason, most of the meadows along the road are free of damage from ATV's. By contrast, the proposed Shoshone Trail system would include several improved roads like this one.
	Instead of passing through the meadows at Big Flat, Paiute side trail 29 follows a logging road that loops through the forest to the east. This photo was taken from one of the switchbacks in the trail, where riders have left the trail and ridden throughout this clearing. Although the entire area is closed to motorized travel except on designated routes, the small "Road Closed" signs at this location are found only at the edge of the clearing, 100 feet back from the designated route. Apparently the Forest Service considers this a sacrifice area.
	Also near Paiute side trail 29 east of Big Flat, these tracks are part of a lengthy system of ghost trails just west of the official Paiute route. This area has seen extensive logging and many of the ghost trails follow routes originally created by logging equipment. Still, these fresh ATV tracks are in an area that is closed to motorized travel according to the Fishlake National Forest map.
	Three minutes before this photo was taken, I witnessed two motorcyclists riding directly up and down this slope, leaving the tread marks shown. (Unfortunately my camera was not ready at the time.) The slope overlooks a Paiute trailhead parking area, at the point where side trail 05 crosses Utah Highway 153, in the Tushar Mountains. According to the National Forest map, this area is closed to motorized travel except on designated routes. There were no signs indicating that vehicles could or could not travel on this hillside. After having their fun, the motorcyclists turned onto the highway and sped away at well over the 30-mph speed limit. Their dirt bikes were not highway-legal.
	This photo shows Paiute side trail 26, about two miles below Big John Flat in the Tushar Mountains. As in so many other locations, riders have denuded the surrounding ground of vegetation by repeatedly riding off the trail. This area is closed to off-trail motorized travel. (This is another location where the Paiute Trail avoids an improved gravel road by following a more primitive parallel route.)
	The Forest Service, probably with help from the State, has put a significant effort into keeping ATV's on designated routes in the Tushar Mountain high country. In this location (where the main Paiute Trail crosses Poison Creek) the efforts appear to have been quite successful. The fence spans the width of a former access point to the meadows that lie above, and the vegetation just beyond the fence is recovering nicely.
	Unfortunately, efforts to keep ATV's on designated routes have been more than matched by the riders' ingenuity. Less than a quarter mile south of the previous photo, ATV riders have found this alternate route up onto the meadows.
	Not far to the north of Poison Creek, this route branches west from the main Paiute Trail; a sign labels the spot as Sheepherder Flat. According to the Fishlake National Forest map, this route is not designated for motorized travel, yet the Forest Service seems to be managing the route as open. At the end of the route are a number of dispersed campsites showing clear signs of motor vehicle use, even though they do not lie within 300 feet of a motorized route as required. Dozens of other dispersed campsites are found near the Paiute Trail between this location and Big John Flat. Although most are within the 300-foot limit and are therefore legal, some lie beyond the limit and many show signs of motorized activity beyond simply entering and exiting.
	This photo shows the shoreline of aptly named Mud Lake, a small pond that lies a stone's throw west of the main Paiute Trail at an elevation of 11,000 feet in the high country of the Tushar Mountains. The lake is accessed via a signed, well-worn, but unmapped "road" branching from the Paiute Trail. According to the National Forest map and numerous signs elsewhere along the Paiute Trail, motorized travel off of designated routes is prohibited here; neither the map nor any sign indicates that the route leading to the lake is designated for motorized travel. Perhaps the margins of Mud Lake were originally denuded of vegetation by miners or cattle. Whatever the original cause, ATV riders have perpetuated and extended the damage by using Mud Lake as a free-for-all recreation spot. Here are three more photos of the damage: first; second; third.
	Delano Peak, the highest point in the Tushar Mountains (elevation 12,168 feet), lies only a mile and a half east of the main Paiute Trail. Although there isn't even an official foot trail to the peak's summit, the walk up the west ridge from the Paiute Trail is extremely easy. Unfortunately, the mountain's gentle slopes have also attracted ATV riders. This photo shows two sets of ATV tracks ascending the broad ridge. Click here to see a nearby location where tracks ascend a steeper incline. The tracks continued to within 50 feet of the mountain's rocky summit. This area is closed to off-road motorized travel, as indicated by numerous signs along the Paiute Trail from which these ATV riders gained access.