UPDATE: OK, so I owe an apology to the PA Forestry guys. I actually did receive
responses to my emails. (guess I'm too impatient) Here is an excerpt from one of them below. Unfortunately, it confirms what I was told on the phone - mostly. Turns out there is a place in PA where you can ride dirt bikes on state land trails- ONE! And for most of us it might as well be in Timbuktu. Is anyone aware of a campaign by ticked-off two-wheelers like myself to change this? I mean, why the prejudice against bikes? I know I'll get some flak for this but it's very obvious that quads (ATV's) are much more dangerous to riders and do more damage to the environment than bikes.
Excerpt from email reply by PA dept. of forestry:
"PA DCNR only has legislated authority to register ATVs as defined on our web sites. We have no authority to address title and registration issues regarding non-street legal dirt bikes.
The Bureau of Forestry offers two motorized trailbike (motorcycle) trails. The Seven Mountains Ramble and Shade Mountain trails are both located in portions of Mifflin, Snyder, and Union Counties in the Bald Eagle State Forest. The Seven Mountains Ramble trails is designated for dual-sport (licensed for highway use) trailbikes and the Shade Mountain trail is for non-licensed, off-highway trailbikes. If you wish to have copies of either of these trail maps, please contact the Bald Eagle State Forest office at 570-922-3344, Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm.
The Bureau of Forestry's ATV trails are not open to motorcycles. All trails which have been designated for ATV use have been closed to licensed vehicles and are restricted to registered ATVs. "Registration" is the key word why these trails are designated for ATVs. The monies generated from ATV and snowmobile registration fees are deposited in a restricted receipts account to be used by DCNR for running the program, trail maintenance and rehabilitation, education and training programs for ATV/snowmobile users, grants-in-aid to municipalities and organizations to provide for snowmobile/ATV use opportunities on non-Commonwealth owned lands, and enforcement activities.
This limitation is specified in State laws covering ATVs and snowmobiles.
Act 68 of 2001 signed into law on July 25, 2001 amended the Snowmobile and ATV Law that is Chapter 77 of the Vehicle Code. Act 68 defines ATV as the following:
"All-terrain vehicle" or "ATV" is defined as a motorized off-highway vehicle which travels on three or more inflatable tires and which has:
(1) a maximum width of 50 inches and a maximum dry weight of 800 pounds, or
(2) a width which exceeds 50 inches or a dry weight which exceeds 800 pounds.
ATV's described in paragraph (1) may be referred to as Class I ATV's, and ATV's described in paragraph (2) may be referred to as Class II ATV's. This term does not include snowmobiles, trail bikes, motorboats, golf carts, aircraft, dune buggies, automobiles, construction machines, trucks or home utility machines; military, fire, emergency and law enforcement vehicles; implements of husbandry; multipurpose agricultural vehicles; vehicles used by the department; or any vehicle that is, or is required to be, registered under Chapter 13 (relating to registration of vehicles). In addition, this term does not include off-road motor vehicles used exclusively as utility vehicles for agricultural or business operations and incidentally operated or moved upon the highway.
If you have further questions please email
forestrecreation@pa.gov.
For AskDCNR"
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