E-Bike Rules
E-Bike Trail Access on National Forests, Explained
Published June 20, 2026 · 8 min read
On National Forest System land an e-bike is legally a motor vehicle — which means the trail rules are different from those for a regular mountain bike. Here is how the three e-bike classes and the federal travel-management framework decide where you can ride.
The one rule that changes everything: an e-bike is a motor vehicle
On National Forest System (NFS) land, the U.S. Forest Service classifies an electric bike of any class as a motor vehicle. That single classification, not the bike’s top speed or whether it has a throttle, is what determines where it may legally be ridden. Under the Forest Service’s travel-management framework (36 CFR Part 212, Forest Service Manual 7700/7715), an e-bike may be ridden only on routes designated for motor-vehicle use, or on routes specifically designated for e-bike use.
The practical consequence catches a lot of riders off guard: a trail can be perfectly legal for a conventional, human-powered mountain bike and still be closed to e-bikes. Being allowed to pedal a non-motorized bike somewhere does not, by itself, extend to a pedal-assist bike. The two uses are tracked as separate designations, which is exactly why this site records them in separate columns for each of the 14,192 ridable trails in the dataset.
A trail can be perfectly legal for a conventional mountain bike and still be closed to e-bikes.
The three e-bike classes
Most states and land managers describe e-bikes using the same three-class model that PeopleForBikes helped standardize, and the Forest Service adopted definitions for all three classes in its 2022 travel-management directive. The class describes how the motor delivers assistance, not how fast you can physically pedal:
Class 1 is pedal-assist only — the motor helps while you pedal and cuts out at 20 mph, with no throttle. Class 2 adds a throttle that can propel the bike up to 20 mph without pedaling. Class 3 is pedal-assist like Class 1 but the motor assists up to 28 mph, again with no throttle. Class 1 is the version land managers most often consider for trails managed for bicycle use, because its effects most closely resemble those of a conventional bike.
Across the 110 national forests in this index, USFS travel-management data records Class 1 designations on 16,403 trail segments. Class 2 and Class 3 designations on singletrack are far rarer, because those classes are more often confined to roads and motorized routes.
How 36 CFR 212 actually decides access
36 CFR Part 212 is the Travel Management Rule. Subpart B directs each national forest to designate the specific roads, trails, and areas that are open to motor-vehicle use, and to publish them on a Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). Motor-vehicle travel off the designated system is prohibited. Because e-bikes are motor vehicles, that same designation process governs them.
In its final 2022 directive (issued March 31, 2022), the Forest Service kept e-bikes classified as motor vehicles but gave local officials a clearer path to designate one or more e-bike classes on trails managed for bicycle use — specifically where the effects of e-bike use would be comparable to the effects of conventional bicycle use. In other words, access is decided forest by forest, trail by trail, through a public travel-analysis process, not by a nationwide on/off switch.
That is why the honest answer to “can I ride my e-bike here?” is always local. Where a forest has no e-bike-specific designation on record, the federal default applies: conventional bikes may use non-motorized trails, and e-bikes may not.
How to read this before you ride
Start with the trail’s own designation, not the forest average. On each trail page in this index you’ll see four separate rows — mountain bike, Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 — each drawn verbatim from the USFS managed-use fields for that segment. “Allowed” means the designation is on record; “not designated” means the dataset carries no e-bike designation for that route, in which case the federal default governs.
Then confirm locally. Published travel-management data is a snapshot; forest- or district-level orders can open or close routes between dataset updates, and seasonal closures apply. Always check current rules with the managing ranger district before you go. This guide is informational and is not legal advice.
| Class 1 | Pedal-assist, 20 mph cutoffNo throttle; most often considered for bike trails |
|---|---|
| Class 2 | Throttle, 20 mphCan propel without pedaling |
| Class 3 | Pedal-assist, 28 mphNo throttle; usually roads/motorized routes |
| Federal default | E-bike = motor vehicle36 CFR 212; ride only on designated routes |
Trail-access updates by email
Get new CanIBikeHere guides and USFS access changes. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not automatically. On National Forest System land an e-bike of any class is legally a motor vehicle, so it may be ridden only on routes designated for motor-vehicle or e-bike use. A trail being open to conventional bikes does not by itself open it to e-bikes; each is a separate designation you should confirm with the managing ranger district.
Class 1 is pedal-assist only with a 20 mph cutoff and no throttle. Class 2 has a throttle up to 20 mph. Class 3 is pedal-assist up to 28 mph with no throttle. The class describes how the motor assists, not the maximum speed you can pedal.
No. The Forest Service’s March 2022 directive kept e-bikes classified as motor vehicles and gave local officials a clearer process to designate e-bike classes on specific trails where effects would be comparable to conventional bikes. Access is still decided forest by forest through travel analysis.