The Bureau of Land Management has authorized class 1 e-bikes on more than 200 miles of Moab-area mountain bike trails, finalizing a long-debated decision that takes effect March 1.
The Moab Field Office said it will open 211.2 miles of designated singletrack across 16 trail systems to pedal-assist e-bikes while leaving a handful of routes closed. Until now, e-bike access on local singletrack was limited to about 1.4 miles, with e-bikes otherwise confined to motorized routes such as Slickrock. Class 1 e-bikes are pedal-assist only — no throttle — and assistance cuts off at 20 mph.
“Opening trails to class 1 e-bike users will expand recreational opportunities and experiences, while allowing users to disperse across the landscape, minimizing impacts,” BLM Moab Field Office Manager Dave Pals said in a statement.
Local shop owners said the move could open Moab’s trails to new riders while boosting business.
“I am very happy with the decision,” said Mick Vallantine, owner of E-bike Moab, which opened in 2020. “Everybody knew it was inevitable – it’s just that Moab was one of the last places to take it on.”
What trails are included
Trails cleared for class 1 e-bikes include Athena, Horsethief, Navajo Rocks, Gemini Bridges, 7-Up, Gold Bar Rim, Portal, Klondike Bluffs, Baby Steps, Klonzo, Moab Brands, Amasa Back, Jackson, Hunter Canyon Rim, Pipe Dream and the Raptor Route segments Hawks Glide, Falcon Flow and Kestrel Run. A 1.7-mile singletrack section of the Kokopelli Trail is also included.
Five trails remain closed to e-bikes: Lower Porcupine Singletrack, Eagle Eye, Porcupine Rim Singletrack, Fisher Mesa and Hidden Valley. Those routes cross U.S. Forest Service lands or lie within Wilderness Study Areas where mechanized use is prohibited.
Only class 1 e-bikes are permitted on the newly authorized non-motorized trails. Class 2 e-bikes with throttles and class 3 e-bikes that assist to 28 mph remain prohibited on those routes. All e-bike classes continue to be allowed on motorized trails.
(Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management) Map of Moab-area trails approved by the BLM for class 1 e-bike use under Alternative C.
Why the BLM chose full access
The environmental assessment analyzed three options: no new access, opening about 114 miles in phases, or opening all 211.2 miles with adaptive monitoring. The agency chose the most expansive alternative, finding that class 1 e-bikes have no significant environmental impact when managed like traditional mountain bikes.
Vallantine questioned the wait to open trails next March, arguing it should be effective immediately.
In its decision record, the BLM said the start date will give staff time to collect baseline data on trail conditions, update maps and signs, prepare education and enforcement and launch a monitoring program focused on safety, visitor experience and resource impacts.
The agency committed to at least two years of adaptive management and said it could add education, directional travel, trail design changes or targeted restrictions if issues tied to e-bike use emerge.
Local businesses welcome the move
Shop owners said the change will broaden access for visitors and open new opportunities for local e-bike rentals. Nationally, e-bike use has surged: U.S. sales topped 1.1 million in 2022, nearly four times higher than in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Vallantine said the decision will attract riders who want to enjoy Moab’s trails without “being in absolutely tip-top shape” and could bring in visitors who had previously avoided the area because e-bikes were not allowed.
He added his business, which rents and sells e-bikes, has fallen nearly 60% since 2022, pointing to increased competition, a weaker economy and more tourists bringing their own bikes, but expanded trail access “may get the business back up.” Still, he opposed allowing more powerful e-bikes on singletrack.
Ron Thomas, owner of Pedego Electric Bikes Moab, said the authorization will finally allow him to rent out electric mountain bikes, something he had avoided given that most trails open to e-bikes were too technical.
“We are totally excited about it,” he said. “E-bikes changed my mom’s life. She rides a ton now. I’ve seen it change a lot of people’s lives to be able to keep riding [as they get older].”
(Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management) An e-bike and mountain bike user on a slickrock trail in Moab.
Thomas said his shop, about four years old, has focused on town cruisers and bike path rentals but plans to expand to easier singletrack systems such as Moab Brands and Klonzo. His business also provides tours to riders.
“This just gives everyone a lot more trails to be able to play with and learn,” he said. He added that the change makes mountain biking accessible to more visitors and helps people ride more often without overexerting.
Year of debate and shifting recommendations
The BLM began scoping the proposal in fall 2024 and received 542 substantive comments, 83% in support of allowing class 1 e-bikes on the analyzed trails. Supporters cited accessibility for older riders, people with injuries or disabilities and families, along with economic benefits. Opponents warned about crowding, user conflicts, safety and blurring lines between motorized and non-motorized use.
When the draft assessment was released June 30, the agency logged another 1,550 comments during the 30-day public review. Feedback again leaned toward broader access, with similar arguments from both sides. The BLM said it responded to dozens of substantive issues but retained its alternatives and analysis.
Over that time, the Grand County Commission’s stance evolved. In November 2024 commissioners unanimously backed a cautious pilot at the Moab Brands system. In May 2025 a divided commission voted 4-3 to ask the BLM to consider opening all trails under review to class 1 e-bikes.
By July, commissioners voted 6-1 to recommend Alternative C — full access under a two-year rollout — and asked that the Raptor Route remain closed unless the Forest Service changed its rules. The BLM’s final decision included the Raptor segments it manages.
Advisory groups split. Trail Mix, the county’s non-motorized trail committee, supported a limited version of Alternative B and recommended keeping trails such as Pipe Dream and Amasa Back bike-only, stressing the need for education and oversight if access expanded. The Motorized Trails Committee supported Alternative C but favored a slower, three-year rollout to allow time for signage and public education.
Local bike shops and outfitters largely backed full access, arguing a patchwork of rules would confuse visitors and be hard to enforce. A joint letter from 15 businesses called the broader opening more inclusive and consistent with national recreation trends.
“I think it’s going to attract the many people who have switched over to e-bikes,” Vallantine said. He added that he thinks this group hasn’t felt “allowed in Moab previously. We’re going to have more bikers in general … and it’s definitely going to help tourism in general.”
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