Announcement
San Rafael Swell Reassessment
May 5, 2026: Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials are reassessing the off-road vehicle (OHV) route designations within the San Rafael Swell Travel Management Area (TMA). In particular, BLM is reassessing whether certain routes currently designated as closed or limited to OHVs should be redesignated. The process has and will be informed by agency specialists, cooperating agencies, and the public — including a comment period as associated with San Rafael Swell reconsideration routes starting May 7th and ending June 8, 2026.
An interactive map of the San Rafael Swell TMA, including the routes identified in the reassessment, is available under Maps – Interactive Maps. BLM officials invite the public to submit further information on the routes currently designated OHV-limited and OHV-closed — including information about the routes’ purpose and need, and resource considerations. BLM requests that, where possible, commenters include specific route numbers in their comments.
Link: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/4dcce5a9140d4fcda7a01cf7f5b77409
Comments must be submitted either on the relevant ePlanning page for either the San Rafael Swell TMP or the San Rafael Desert TMP, through email to [email protected], or by standard mail to: San Rafael TMP, 125 S 600 W, Price, UT 84501.
December 31, 2024 (Old News Release)
BLM Utah, Green River District
BLM updates travel management plan for the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area
PRICE, Utah — The Bureau of Land Management today issued a final travel management plan for the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, designating the availability of routes on public lands for off-highway vehicles (OHVs). The area spans more than 1.1 million acres in Emery County and approximately 44,000 acres in Sevier County.
The BLM’s selected alternative increases the mileage open for OHV use and provides a variety of sustainable recreation opportunities for all visitors and meets access needs throughout the San Rafael Swell, while minimizing the potential for user conflicts and damage to natural and cultural resources.
Nestled in the heart of Utah, the area draws visitors with its mesmerizing blend of rugged beauty and outdoor adventure. This expansive and diverse landscape, characterized by towering red rock formations, slot canyons, and expansive desert vistas, serves as a destination for many diverse outdoor enthusiasts.
BLM’s final management approach, designated as Proposed Alternative E, was developed after consideration of more than 6,000 comments from the public and stakeholders. Overall, 1,355 miles of designated routes are open to motorized travel, including OHVs, trucks, and SUVs, with 141 miles limited to certain types and sizes of vehicles. The approved plan opens an additional 67 miles of designated routes compared to current management, and roughly 240 miles of currently closed or undesignated routes are now designated for public motorized use.
Roughly 158 miles of previously open routes are now closed to motorized travel, with 665 total miles closed to OHV use. Closed routes are only closed to motorized travel and remain accessible to the public for nonmotorized activities. Route closures were made to minimize and avoid negative impacts from motorized travel in sensitive areas, particularly in areas with cultural resources, important wildlife habitats, and delicate ecosystems.
Photos for publication can be accessed at our Flickr account.
***The State of Utah and counties may hold valid existing rights-of-way in BLM travel management areas pursuant to R.S. 2477, Act of July 28, 1866, Chapter 262, 8,14; Stat. 252, 253, codified at 43 USC 932, which granted “right[s] of way for the construction of highways over public lands, not reserved for public uses.” Congress repealed R.S. 2477 through passage of the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act of 1976. R.S. 2477 rights are determined through a process that is entirely independent of the BLM’s travel management process. The BLM's route designations do not provide any evidence bearing on or addressing the validity of any R.S. 2477 assertions and does not adjudicate, analyze, or otherwise determine the validity of claimed rights-of-way. The BLM makes its travel network and route designations consistent with the agency's legal obligations and other considerations such as the identified purpose and need of routes along with resources, uses, and access to public lands and waters. Nothing in the BLM’s route designations extinguish any valid right-of-way or alters in any way the legal rights the State and counties have to assert and protect R.S. 2477 rights in federal court consistent with applicable law. At such time as a decision adjudicates an R.S. 2477 right-of-way, the BLM will adjust its route and network designations accordingly, consistent with applicable law.***
