Why Wheeled Cross-Country Travel Is Banned
A wide-open prairie can look like an invitation to ride wherever the terrain leads, but on North Dakota’s national grasslands, that freedom has limits. Wheeled cross-country travel is generally prohibited, so an ATV or UTV must stay on routes open to motor vehicles. This guide explains why the rule exists, how to plan a legal ride, and what to check before unloading near Medora or elsewhere.
What the cross-country travel ban means
Stay on routes open to motor vehicles
“Cross-country travel” means riding a wheeled motor vehicle across land away from an authorized route. On North Dakota’s national grasslands, that usually means you cannot leave an open road or designated route to cut across prairie, reach a scenic viewpoint, or make your own shortcut. A route may look passable and still be closed to motorized use.
The rule applies even when the ground seems bare, the grass is short, or there are existing tire marks. Tracks left by another rider do not establish that a route is open. Nor does a faint path on a phone map necessarily indicate permission to ride there. The key question is whether the route is designated as open for the vehicle and type of travel you are planning.
North Dakota’s Little Missouri National Grassland, near Medora, is a familiar example. The region has broad views and a network of public roads, but public land is not the same as unrestricted motorized land. The same careful approach applies to the Sheyenne, Cedar River, and Grand River grasslands: identify roads open to motor vehicles and remain on them. For a broader overview, see North Dakota Grassland Roads Open to OHVs.
A public road map is not always an OHV map
A line on a general road map may show a road, trail, ranch track, or access route without telling you whether it is open to an ATV or UTV. Road status can also vary by season or change because of maintenance, weather, resource protection, or a temporary closure. A route that appears in a navigation app should be treated as a clue to investigate, not automatic permission.
Look for the official motor vehicle use map for the grassland you plan to visit. These maps identify routes available for motorized use and can include seasonal or vehicle-related restrictions. Read the map legend closely: a line’s color or style may distinguish an open route from a closed road, a route with limited use, or a non-motorized path. If the map is hard to interpret, contact the managing office before your ride rather than guessing at the trailhead.
Apps can help with orientation, but they are not a substitute for the official map. Riders may use onX Offroad to review route layers and plan a trip, then compare the intended route against the applicable government map and notices. That extra check matters when a route seems to continue beyond a gate or when two mapping sources disagree. Reading a Grassland Vehicle Use Map covers the map-reading part in more detail.
Why wheeled cross-country travel is restricted
Protecting prairie soils and vegetation
Prairie ground can look tough, but it is not equally resilient everywhere. A UTV tire can break vegetation, disturb soil, and leave ruts that funnel rainwater. On exposed slopes or soft ground, repeated passes can deepen those ruts and contribute to erosion. In low areas, a small disturbance can turn into a muddy scar that lasts well beyond the ride that created it.
North Dakota’s conditions can make that impact especially noticeable. Gumbo soil may be firm when dry and sticky after rain; once wet, it can cling to tires and be easily churned into deep tracks. A rider who leaves a designated road to avoid a muddy patch may create a second damaged route rather than solving the problem. The best response is usually to turn around or wait for conditions to improve. See North Dakota Riding After Heavy Rain and North Dakota Gumbo Mud and What It Does.
Vegetation is part of the landscape’s recovery system. Native grasses and other plants hold soil in place, provide habitat, and help disturbed areas recover. Driving over them repeatedly can make it harder for plants to return, especially where a new track encourages others to follow. Staying on established, authorized routes concentrates vehicle use where it can be managed.
Keeping habitat and land uses in balance
Grasslands are working landscapes as well as places to explore. Wildlife uses the prairie for shelter, feeding, and movement, while ranching and other land-management activities may take place across the same broad areas. Unplanned vehicle travel can disturb animals, damage habitat, interfere with livestock operations, or create conflicts around fences, gates, and water sources.
A road open to motor vehicles provides a more predictable corridor for travel. It also gives riders a clearer boundary between where motorized use is allowed and where it is not. That distinction helps protect areas that are particularly vulnerable or managed for other purposes. It can also reduce the chance that a rider accidentally crosses onto private land while trying to follow an unmarked track.
That last point is easy to underestimate in the Badlands, where public and private parcels can sit close together. A route that looks like it continues across open country may cross a property boundary or enter land that is posted. Check the route and ownership carefully, and get permission before riding on private property. North Dakota Posted Land Rules for Riders explains why open-looking land should never be assumed to be available for riding.
Making access manageable and safer
A route system is easier to maintain and communicate than unrestricted travel in every direction. Designated roads let land managers direct use, post closures, inspect problem areas, and provide clearer information about where vehicles may go. If riders could create their own routes, enforcement and maintenance would become much more difficult, and people could be left far from a known road when a vehicle breaks down or weather changes.
Staying on authorized roads also helps reduce conflicts with hikers, horseback riders, ranchers, and other visitors. The grasslands are not an ATV-only space, and some routes or nearby areas may be intended for non-motorized recreation. A motor vehicle route map helps distinguish those uses and prevents the assumption that every visible path is open to every user.
The rule can feel restrictive when a road ends short of a viewpoint or hunting spot. But leaving the road can create legal, environmental, and safety problems that are much harder to deal with once you are far from the route. A little planning before the ride is less frustrating than having to backtrack across unfamiliar terrain or explain an unauthorized track to an officer.
How to plan a legal grassland ride
Check the official route map before you leave
Start by choosing the grassland and access point, then find the relevant motor vehicle use map and any current closure notices. Do not rely on a map for a neighboring grassland or assume a route remains open because it was open on a previous trip. If you are heading toward Medora, for example, confirm the route status for the part of the Little Missouri National Grassland you intend to visit.
Use a navigation app such as onX Offroad to help orient yourself, mark a planned route, and understand where you may need to turn around. Then compare that plan with the official route map. Keep an offline copy or paper map if you expect unreliable cell service. A phone can lose signal in remote areas, and a map layer that will not load is not much help when you are deciding which fork to take.
Here is a practical way to check a proposed route:
- Identify the managing grassland and the official motor vehicle use map that covers it.
- Locate your intended starting point and trace the route you plan to ride.
- Confirm that each segment is shown as open to motor vehicles and check any seasonal or vehicle restrictions.
- Review current closure notices, especially after storms, during wet conditions, or when temporary work is underway.
- Save the map for offline use and note a legal turnaround point before you start.
For additional context about routes and map boundaries, see North Dakota Grassland Motor Vehicle Use Maps and North Dakota OHV Trail Map Downloads.
Treat gates, signs, and closures seriously
A gate is not an invitation to find a way around. It may mark a closed road, a private boundary, a livestock area, or a route that is not open to the public. Do not ride around a gate, lift a barrier, or follow tracks through a gap simply because the opening is wide enough for your machine. The same is true of signs: a closure or restriction takes priority over what an app or older map appears to show.
If a route is blocked by mud, a washout, or a fallen tree, do not make a new path around the obstacle unless the managing agency specifically permits it. Turning around may mean giving up part of the day’s plan, but creating a parallel track can damage the land and put you outside the authorized route system. North Dakota Trails Closed by Wet Weather discusses why conditions can affect access.
Be especially alert after rain. A road that was firm on the way in may soften while you are riding, and a detour across grass can leave lasting damage. If conditions deteriorate, stop before the route becomes impassable, turn back along the established road, and avoid spinning tires. That is safer for your machine and easier on the land.
Separate grassland road access from trail access
Riders sometimes use “trail” to mean any route they can follow. On national grasslands, however, much motorized access is on designated roads rather than developed OHV trails. Being able to ride a road does not mean you can branch off onto nearby ground, and a public road does not necessarily connect to a dedicated riding area.
If you want a purpose-built OHV experience, compare grassland road riding with established riding areas such as Pembina Gorge, Roughrider OHV Trail, Turtle Mountain, or Kimball Bottoms. Each area has its own access rules, trail conditions, and vehicle restrictions. North Dakota OHV Trails: All Four Riding Areas can help you decide whether a managed riding area is a better fit for your group.
| Before the ride | What to confirm | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Route status | The official map shows the route open to motor vehicles | A visible track or app line alone does not establish legal access |
| Vehicle access | Restrictions fit your ATV or UTV | Not every route is open to every vehicle type |
| Closures | No current signs or agency notices close the route | Conditions and management needs can change access |
| Property boundaries | Your planned route stays on authorized land | Open terrain may be private or posted |
| Conditions | Rain, mud, or damage will not make the route unsafe | Wet ground can rut easily and tempt riders to leave the road |
| Navigation | You have a saved map and a turnaround plan | Cell service may be limited in remote areas |
Common misunderstandings and what to do instead
“There are already tire tracks, so it must be allowed”
Existing tracks can be misleading. They may be old, unauthorized, created for maintenance or ranching, or left by someone who rode where they should not have. Following them can widen the damage and make it harder to tell where the official route ends. Always check the designated route map rather than treating tire marks as evidence of permission.
If you are unsure whether a visible track is an open route, stop before entering it. Check the map and signs, or contact the managing office. Do not ride farther just to see where the track goes. Turning around early is a small inconvenience; getting stuck beyond a closed boundary can become a much larger problem.
“The land is public, so I can ride anywhere on it”
Public ownership does not mean every activity is allowed everywhere. Public lands are managed for multiple purposes, and motorized use is often limited to specific roads or areas. The distinction is similar to a public park with designated paths: access to the land does not automatically authorize every route or activity.
That is why riders should check both land ownership and motor vehicle access. If a route crosses a private parcel or is posted, you need to follow the applicable access rules and obtain permission where required. North Dakota Landowner Permission Forms offers more detail on documenting permission.
“My navigation app shows a route”
Navigation tools are useful, but route lines can come from different sources and may not reflect current legal status. Even when an app is helpful for planning, the official map and posted signs should guide the final decision. Apps such as onX Offroad can make it easier to see your location and prepare for a trip, but use them alongside the managing agency’s route information rather than instead of it.
If two sources conflict, do not assume the more convenient one is correct. Pause, look for signs and official notices, and contact the land manager if needed. A cautious decision is especially important near boundaries, gates, or routes that appear to end in open terrain.
“I can make a short detour around a rough patch”
A short detour can still be cross-country travel. Riding around a muddy section, a washout, or a parked vehicle can create a new track, and repeated detours may turn into an unofficial route. If the authorized road is unsafe or blocked, the better choice is usually to turn around and use another open route.
Before setting out, build flexibility into the plan. Choose a route with known alternatives, carry enough supplies to handle a longer return, and agree with your group that no one will improvise a shortcut across the prairie. That simple conversation can prevent the familiar “it’s only a little farther” decision from turning into a trespass or land-damage problem.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Laws, prices and regulations vary by location and change over time. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.
