E-bike access rules by land manager
Southern Utah mixes BLM, state park, national park, county and forest land. The same trail can be legal for an e-bike on one side of a boundary and illegal on the other.
At a glance
| Land manager | E-bike status | One-line summary |
|---|---|---|
| BLM — St. George Field Office | Sources disagree | E-bikes are allowed in BLM motorized areas and on OHV/motorized trails. On non-motorized trails the local BLM office must decide; we found no St. George decision opening the Gooseberry, Hurricane Cliffs, Bearclaw, Santa Clara River Reserve or Little Creek trails. |
| Utah State Parks (incl. Snow Canyon) | Allowed | Snow Canyon State Park allows e-bikes, with posted speed limits, on the park's open bike routes. Policies vary by state park. |
| NPS — Zion National Park | Partly allowed | Only Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes, and only where regular bicycles are allowed. No e-bikes on the shuttle buses. |
| Washington County / Red Cliffs Desert Reserve | Partly allowed | Red Cliffs Desert Reserve says that unless otherwise posted, Class 1 e-bikes are allowed on its designated trails. We did not find a county-wide ordinance or rule for other Washington County lands. |
| Dixie National Forest / USFS | Partly allowed | USFS: Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes are allowed on motorized trails and roads; other trails need a specific designation (see the local Motor Vehicle Use Map). |
| Brian Head Resort and Brian Head Town | Not allowed | Brian Head Resort bike park: e-bikes of any style or type are not allowed on trails or lifts. Town paved trails: Class 1 at 10 mph is the standard in the 2025 Trails Master Plan. |
"Sources disagree" means an official page and a local business page conflict, or there is no BLM decision we could find. "No authorization found" is not the same as "illegal"; it means we could not find the permission.
E-bike classes
| Class | What it means |
|---|---|
| Class 1 | Motor assists only while pedaling, stops at 20 mph. No throttle.[1][2] |
| Class 2 | Motor can propel the bike without pedaling (throttle); stops at 20 mph.[1] |
| Class 3 | Motor assists only while pedaling, stops at 28 mph.[1] |
| All classes | Motor not more than 750 watts (one horsepower) and fully operable pedals; above that is likely an e-motorcycle.[1][2] |
BLM — St. George Field Office Sources disagree
E-bikes are allowed in BLM motorized areas and on OHV/motorized trails. On non-motorized trails the local BLM office must decide; we found no St. George decision opening the Gooseberry, Hurricane Cliffs, Bearclaw, Santa Clara River Reserve or Little Creek trails.
- BLM e-bike rule: e-bike = bicycle with a motor of not more than 750 watts and fully operable pedals. Class 1: pedal-assist to 20 mph; Class 2: motor-only possible, to 20 mph; Class 3: pedal-assist to 28 mph.[1]
- BLM lands offer many e-bike opportunities including motorized areas and OHV trails; BLM Field Managers are encouraged to consider authorizing e-bike use on non-motorized trails.[3]
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: in the St. George area BLM and USFS limit e-bikes to motorized trails or those specifically designated for e-bikes. Its Cedar City list says BLM allows Class 1 on all bike-legal trails in the Iron Hills NRT, Thunderbird Canyons, Evil Water, Three Peaks and Beaver Bench systems (Enoch Bench proposed); Class 2 and 3 are not allowed there.[2]
- Gooseberry Mesa: the BLM map shows only the White Trail as motorized.[4]
- Conflicting secondary source: a local guide company says Class 1 is generally allowed on mountain-bike-approved Washington County trails. We could not corroborate this with a BLM document.[5]
Contact / next step: BLM St. George Field Office, utsgmail@blm.gov, 435-688-3200 (BLM pages list both 345 and 353 E. Riverside Dr. on different documents; confirm the address before visiting).
Utah State Parks (incl. Snow Canyon) Allowed
Snow Canyon State Park allows e-bikes, with posted speed limits, on the park's open bike routes. Policies vary by state park.
- Snow Canyon FAQ: e-bikes allowed; bikes on Snow Canyon Drive, paved Whiptail trail, West Canyon; Paradise Canyon trails except the interior Gila trail; not on Johnson Canyon trail.[6]
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: many Utah State Parks allow Class 1 eMTBs on trails where traditional bicycles are permitted; check each park.[2]
Contact / next step: Snow Canyon State Park — see the park page for contact details.
NPS — Zion National Park Partly allowed
Only Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes, and only where regular bicycles are allowed. No e-bikes on the shuttle buses.
- Only Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed in Zion; they can go where regular bicycles can and follow the same rules.[7]
- Bicycling is only permitted on the Pa'rus Trail and park roadways (with the exception of the Zion–Mt. Carmel Tunnel; see NPS page).[7]
- E-bikes are not allowed on park shuttle buses (regular bikes are).[7]
Contact / next step: See the NPS Zion bicycling page.
Washington County / Red Cliffs Desert Reserve Partly allowed
Red Cliffs Desert Reserve says that unless otherwise posted, Class 1 e-bikes are allowed on its designated trails. We did not find a county-wide ordinance or rule for other Washington County lands.
- Reserve: bicycles are restricted to designated trails; "Unless otherwise posted, class 1 e-bikes are allowed. Within Snow Canyon State Park, bicycles must stay on paved trails or roads."[8]
- No Washington County or St. George City e-bike ordinance was located during research. Unverified — check with the land manager for county, city and Santa Clara/Ivins trails.
Contact / next step: Check with the managing city/county office for any trail not on BLM, state park or federal land.
Dixie National Forest / USFS Partly allowed
USFS: Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes are allowed on motorized trails and roads; other trails need a specific designation (see the local Motor Vehicle Use Map).
- Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes are allowed on motorized trails and roads on national forests and grasslands.[9]
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: on USFS land all classes of e-bikes are considered motorized and are not allowed on non-motorized trails; see USFS Motor Vehicle Use Maps. In the Cedar City area the USFS limits all classes of e-bikes to motorized trails.[2]
Contact / next step: Dixie National Forest — contact the local Ranger District and check the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) before riding.
Brian Head Resort and Brian Head Town Not allowed
Brian Head Resort bike park: e-bikes of any style or type are not allowed on trails or lifts. Town paved trails: Class 1 at 10 mph is the standard in the 2025 Trails Master Plan.
- Resort: current Forest Service policy prohibits e-bikes on all non-motorized trails; e-bikes not allowed on the bike park trails or chairlifts.[10]
- Town Trails Master Plan: paved non-motorized trails list Class 1 e-bikes allowed with a 10 mph speed limit; the plan also aims to integrate the Town's e-bike policy with Brian Head Resort, national parks and Forest. We did not verify a posted ordinance.[11]
Contact / next step: Brian Head Resort guest services; Brian Head Town offices.
What we could not verify
- Whether BLM St. George Field Office has authorized e-bikes on Gooseberry singletrack, Hurricane Cliffs, Zen, Little Creek or the Santa Clara River Reserve. The BLM ePlanning decision to open trails to Class 1 e-bikes that we found is for the Moab Field Office (Grand County), not St. George.
- A Washington County or St. George City e-bike ordinance.
- Whether Class 2/3 are allowed on the White Trail at Gooseberry (it is the only motorized trail on the BLM map).
- Whether Brian Head Town has a posted e-bike ordinance beyond the 2025 Trails Master Plan standard.
Sources
- official · BLM: Final E-bike Rule – Questions and Answers · checked Oct 31, 2026
- official · Utah Outdoor Recreation: Electric Mountain Bikes in Utah · checked Oct 31, 2026
- official · BLM: E-Bikes on BLM-Managed Public Lands · checked Oct 31, 2026
- official · BLM: Gooseberry Mesa map (PDF) · checked Oct 31, 2026
- commercial site (secondary) · Wild Mesa Mountain Bike Tours: E-Mountain Biking Southwest Utah (guide company; read via search excerpt only) · checked Oct 31, 2026
- official · Utah State Parks: Snow Canyon State Park · checked Oct 31, 2026
- official · NPS: Bicycling in Zion National Park · checked Oct 31, 2026
- official · Red Cliffs Desert Reserve: Recreation Opportunities · checked Oct 31, 2026
- official · USDA Forest Service: E-Bikes · checked Oct 31, 2026
- official · Brian Head Resort: Resort Policies · checked Oct 31, 2026
- official · Brian Head Town: Trails Master Plan (2025 rewrite, PDF) · checked Oct 31, 2026