Warren, Pa. (January 3, 2018) – The Allegheny National Forest’s Timberline and Rocky Gap ATV trails will open at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, January 5, 2018. All other motorized trails (Willow Creek and Marienville ATV trails and the Penoke Off-Highway Motorcycle trail) remain closed until Friday, May 25, 2018.

Riding the ATV trails requires a permit, which can be purchased at any of the Allegheny National Forest offices or any authorized vendors. The list of vendors can be found on the Allegheny’s website. The 2018 ATV and trail bike permits cost $10 for a day permit or $35 for an annual permit. Applications can be obtained at any ANF office or by going online: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/allegheny/home  and clicking on the Passes and Permits link.

The ATV/OHM trails will remain open until temperatures and/or trail conditions no longer support winter use. This includes sustained warming temperatures, evidence of damage to the trail surface, and/or unsafe icing conditions. The Allegheny National Forest will evaluate ATV/OHM trail conditions weekly and will send out a media release and post information on the web when ATV trails access changes-please check access conditions prior to use.

Please use caution when on any of the trails, as many are open for multiple uses, and you may encounter vehicles, groomers, snowshoers, and skiers at any time.

For more information about recreational activities on the Allegheny National Forest:

• Bradford Ranger District: 814.362.4613
• Marienville Ranger District: 814.927.6628
• Supervisor’s Office: 814.723.5150

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The U.S. Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a mission of sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Forest Service’s Eastern Region includes 20 states in the Midwest and East, stretching from Maine, to Maryland, to Missouri, to Minnesota.  There are 17 national forests and one national tallgrass prairie in the Eastern Region. For more information, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/R9.

The U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live. For more information, visit www.fs.fed.us.

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