Regional ATV Connector Pilot Opens For 2023 Season, DCNR Shares New Routes
HARRISBURG, PA — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) friday announced the opening of the ATV Regional Trail Connector Pilot for the 2023 riding season.
The 2023 pilot includes more than 400 miles of township roads, 163 miles of state forest roads and trails, and 33 miles of PennDOT-administered roads. New connections for this year’s pilot include:
Cross Fork to Whiskey Springs ATV Trail
Cross Fork to North Bend
Black Forest to Haneyville
A printable version of the map (PDF) is also available on DCNR’s website.
The pilot riding area will open for use, Friday, May 26, 2023, and will remain open until, Sunday, September 24, 2023. Though the pilot areas will be marked, riders will be expected to familiarize themselves with the portions of road and trail that are open to ensure they are safely operating in legal areas.
This ATV Regional Trail Connector program is in response to growing ATV purchases, registrations, and public demand for increased riding opportunities. Through collaborations with public and private partners, the pilot aims to offer long-distance riding opportunities and contribute to local economies, while maintaining the many uses and values of the state forest system.
DCNR recently revised its ATV trail policy, which lifted the moratorium on new trails that had been in place since 2003.
This year’s ATV Regional Trail Connector Program is the last season for the program to exist in its pilot phase. DCNR is evaluating the effectiveness of the special permit, the adequacy of funding for continued operation of the trail, and the need for additional education, outreach, and trail marketing.
The agency will publish a report about the pilot project that is due to the General Assembly December 2023.
DCNR is gathering public input on the pilot through a variety of methods, including webinars, surveys, comment cards, public meetings, and advisory committees. To comment on the ATV Regional Trail Connector Pilot, please send an email to: RA-NR-ATV-Pilot@pa.gov.
To gauge the impact of the pilot, DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry is implementing a comprehensive monitoring program that will evaluate the impact of the trail to local communities; ecological values; other state forest users and recreational values; Bureau of Forestry operations, staffing and law enforcement capacity; public safety; and impacts to adjacent public lands and natural resources; and have partnered with researchers from Penn State to evaluate social, sound, and economic impacts of the pilot.
Permits are required to use the designated PennDOT and State Forest ATV Connector Roads, the cost of which will serve to offset implementation and management of the program. Regional ATV Connector Pass permit sales opened April 3.
Permits are available for in-person sales at Sproul, Susquehannock, Tiadaghton, or Tioga state forest district offices. District office hours are subject to change throughout the riding season. Please check online or call for office hours.
Additional information about the ATV Regional Trail Connector pilot program is available on the DCNR website.
Visit DCNR’s website for more information about ATV riding opportunities in state forests and check out DCNR’s Calendar of Events for events on public lands.
