Is Driving Over Snow-covered Highways Permitted?

[bayaz]

Hi team,

Was recently at Lake Alpine where Highway 4 is closed for the winter in CA. The snow cover was thick (2-4 ft) but packed beautifully, where a 4x4 truck can drive on it no problem. It's a snowmobile land over there but locals told me that they were able to drive all the way to Markleville in a Toyota on tracks. Question: is it legal to drive over snow-covered highways in a wheeled vehicle? The road is officially closed--but so was Mormon Emigrant trail in the winter before it burnt up, as well as many other roads where cops were fine with people snow wheeling. Any insight here would be appreciated, as i was not able to find official guidance.

Thanks!

 

[genocache]

Ask the CHP.

 

[Sparksalot]

Anything happens and no one will know you’re in trouble.

 

[bayaz]

Anything happens and no one will know you’re in trouble.

Well, that's the nature of snow wheeling in general. That's why you usually go in groups. That said, when the snow is over a wide paved road, it's arguably safer than when you're snow wheeling over ruts and rocks in the middle of a forest trail.

 

[KonzaLander]

From my experience (albeit somewhat limited) in Colorado, when a public roadway is closed and allows tracked snow machine access, wheeled vehicles are prohibited. It's also a common courtesy to the snow machine users as hitting a rut caused by a wheeled vehicle can be deadly.

 

[bayaz]

From my experience (albeit somewhat limited) in Colorado, when a public roadway is closed and allows tracked snow machine access, wheeled vehicles are prohibited. It's also a common courtesy to the snow machine users as hitting a rut caused by a wheeled vehicle can be deadly.

Thanks, this makes sense. We've usually seen both snowmobiles and trucks at known snowwheeling routes, but your point on the danger to snowmobiles is very valid.

 

[MidOH]

Who's going to stop you?

If the road is closed with gates, it's closed for me. Our roads stay open in the snow and floods, unless it's city streets with morons on them. Those get road blocked.

 

[bayaz]

Who's going to stop you?

If the road is closed with gates, it's closed for me. Our roads stay open in the snow and floods, unless it's city streets with morons on them. Those get road blocked.

The gates here are easily passable with a 4wd. My question is related to legality, not possibility. There are other highway-type roads that are officially closed for the winter but cops have no problem with people snow wheeling. We've even run into cop Rubicon's on 40s on these roads.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Here in New England, at any time November through April, it may well be mandatory!

 

[Tundracamper]

You might want to check your car insurance policy as well. I seem to recall something about most policies not applying if one drives past an official “road closed” sign. I could be mistaken, though.

 

[05EXCURSION]

Hi team,

Was recently at Lake Alpine where Highway 4 is closed for the winter in CA. The snow cover was thick (2-4 ft) but packed beautifully, where a 4x4 truck can drive on it no problem. It's a snowmobile land over there but locals told me that they were able to drive all the way to Markleville in a Toyota on tracks. Question: is it legal to drive over snow-covered highways in a wheeled vehicle? The road is officially closed--but so was Mormon Emigrant trail in the winter before it burnt up, as well as many other roads where cops were fine with people snow wheeling. Any insight here would be appreciated, as i was not able to find official guidance.

Thanks!

I'm sure every state has there own laws about it, in Washington I got a 2700 fine for being on a closed highway to go recover a jeep that was stuck. Ended up getting the ticket reduced. I know company's get fined more for going on closed highways. The other thing is does it go through a national park for forest service? Most closed roads turn into snowmobile trails during the winter and they give out $1000+ tickets depending on the state

 

[John Bishop]

Here in New England, at any time November through April, it may well be mandatory!

In Pennsylvania its a given. Easy to know when you’ve crossed the state line because the road isn’t plowed.

 

[velojym]

Here in Alabama, some will spin out if a snowflake hits their windshield.

 

[05EXCURSION]

Here in Alabama, some will spin out if a snowflake hits their windshield.

Same in Seattle Washington

 

[bayaz]

I'm sure every state has there own laws about it, in Washington I got a 2700 fine for being on a closed highway to go recover a jeep that was stuck. Ended up getting the ticket reduced. I know company's get fined more for going on closed highways. The other thing is does it go through a national park for forest service? Most closed roads turn into snowmobile trails during the winter and they give out $1000+ tickets depending on the state

Interesting. The road in question is one of the mountain passes crossing Sierra Nevada's. I've given it a bit more research and while i can't find anything prohibiting wheeled vehicles, official info says that the road is "groomed" for snowmobiles. So the state might not appreciate if we tear it up with 4x4s. Looks like we'll have to stick to forest service roads for snow wheeling.

 

[9Mike2]

Up on Arrowhead / Big Bear you have to have a Mountain Pass to get around if it's closed, working for Electrical Company I got one for the time I was up there..

 

[wigsajumper]

Here in New England, at any time November through April, it may well be mandatory!

Next time I head to work with a foot of snow on the road at 5am going to think of it as snow wheeling.

 

[bayaz]

Next time I head to work with a foot of snow on the road at 5am going to think of it as snow wheeling.

Well, the place in question has more like 3-5 ft of snow on the road. They don't clean it up till the memorial day.

 

[smritte]

The gates here are easily passable with a 4wd.

There's your answer. Gate=NO, sign =NO unless its posted "except". It doesn't matter who you see or rather can you "get around a closed gate". Obviously if someone is given the key to a locked gate or permission to do work, that's the exception. As was posted earlier, CHP or Forest Service (who ever is in charge of the gate) is the correct answer to your question. Everyone else is just going to give an opinion, not what your local law is.

I did volunteer work in my local mountains for a couple of decades. Some of the roads had to be closed for either fire damage or snow. People would go as far as to cut open, bypass or tear down gates/barriers (including throwing the closed sign's in the bushes). If we caught them, the excuses for them being there were somewhat entertaining. They would include "That's what others said", "It was easy to get around it", "but I have a 4wd" and my favorite "Its my right to be here and its a dirt road, laws don't apply to a dirt road". All of them were ticketed by the forest service personnel with us.

 

[bayaz]

There's your answer. Gate=NO, sign =NO unless its posted "except". It doesn't matter who you see or rather can you "get around a closed gate". Obviously if someone is given the key to a locked gate or permission to do work, that's the exception. As was posted earlier, CHP or Forest Service (who ever is in charge of the gate) is the correct answer to your question. Everyone else is just going to give an opinion, not what your local law is.

I did volunteer work in my local mountains for a couple of decades. Some of the roads had to be closed for either fire damage or snow. People would go as far as to cut open, bypass or tear down gates/barriers (including throwing the closed sign's in the bushes). If we caught them, the excuses for them being there were somewhat entertaining. They would include "That's what others said", "It was easy to get around it", "but I have a 4wd" and my favorite "Its my right to be here and its a dirt road, laws don't apply to a dirt road". All of them were ticketed by the forest service personnel with us.

Thanks, appreciate your perspective. I wouldn't have thought of going around the gate if it didn't have a clear snowmobile path going around it. And people who tear down those gates deserve every bit of that ticket. That's why those gates have gotten extremely heavy in some places.