Last month, the United States Forest Service announced the approval of class 1 pedal-assisted e-bikes on more than 100 miles of trails in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU).
The move is part of a growing trend in local outdoor communities around the country. E-bikes dramatically increase access when they’re allowed on trails, enabling more people to get out and enjoy them. That also means larger crowds and greater impact on the areas they are allowed to ride.
Historically, e-bikes have been classified as “motorized vehicles,” severely limiting where they can be used on public land. In the Tahoe area, they were allowed only on national forest roads and trails open to motorized vehicles, including motorcycles and ATVs, as shown on the United States Forest Service (USFS) Motor Vehicle Use Maps for the LTBMU.
Now, however, that’s changed. Class 1 pedal-assisted e-bikes will be allowed on many Tahoe trails that are closed to other motorized vehicles.
Tahoe Opens to E-Bikes: Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project
These changes come as a result of the Basin Wide Trails Analysis project. This review designated a large subset of LTBMU trails as open to Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes.
“The use of Class 2 and 3 e-bikes with a throttle is still only allowed on motorcycle trails,” Ashley Sibr, the Environmental Coordinator and Planning Staff Officer for the LTBMU, told GearJunkie. “This project also designates some trails as open to motorcycles that previously were not open to motorized vehicles or were downgraded from a larger class of vehicle.”
Under the Basin Wide Trails Analysis project, 112 miles of existing trails are becoming available to Class 1 e-bikes. The project also includes 26 miles of new trails that will be constructed in the future.
“Approximately 50% of trails on the LTBMU will now be open to e-bikes after completion of the project,” explained Sibr.
Sibr said that, while there is some local opposition, outfitters and guides in the area have expressed interest in expanding e-bike access to these trails. From the USFS’s perspective, the Basin Wide Trails Analysis project offers a means to take a conscious approach to trail management for all trail users.
“The project took a holistic look at the trail system and developed a system of e-bike trails that allows for loop opportunities and connections to neighborhoods, while maintaining, and in some cases improving, the opportunities for non-motorized recreationists,” said Sibr.
As more e-bike users hit Tahoe’s trails, there could be new ecological impacts and trail deterioration. However, Sibr argues that allowing e-bikes in specific areas could reduce their impact. E-bikers in Tahoe were trespassing on trails where they weren’t allowed because they had nowhere else to ride. Theoretically, allowing them to access some trails could concentrate that impact, lessening it overall.
Other MTB Trails Opening to E-Bikes
At the same time that land management officials are evaluating the future of e-bike trail use in the Tahoe area, similar conversations are underway in Moab, Utah. In September of last year, the Bureau of Land Management’s Moab Field Office decided to permit e-bike usage on about 200 miles of non-motorized mountain bike trails in the area after a year-long debate.
Moab’s new e-bike regulations don’t take effect until March 2026.
Will Harrison, the retail manager at Moab Cyclery, told GearJunkie that traffic at his shop is increasing regardless of whether e-bikes are allowed. The new rule change might bring in more customers, but he isn’t expecting the demographics to change.
“I think that for the most part, the folks who are coming into our shop are more or less the same folks that were coming in before,” said Harrison.
In general, the increase in e-bike trail usage seems like a net positive to Harrison. “I think for the vast majority of trail users, they are just stoked that we have this resource available to us,” he said, since it encourages more people to get outside.
In a town where visitor traffic has been consistently trending upward for more than a decade, not everyone agrees. He admits there are reasons for concern about allowing e-bikes on trails.
“Increased usership is always going to mean increased tension,” he said. Harrison isn’t naive to that, but also sees the silver lining. “More people are going to mean more maintenance. But that strikes me as a rather good problem to have.”
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31 Comments
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Uranium names keep pushing higher—supply still tight into 2026.
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Interesting update on California Opens 100+ of Miles of Trails to E-Bike Users, Utah to Follow Suit. Curious how the grades will trend next quarter.
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Uranium names keep pushing higher—supply still tight into 2026.
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Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
I like the balance sheet here—less leverage than peers.
If AISC keeps dropping, this becomes investable for me.
Production mix shifting toward Tactical & Survival might help margins if metals stay firm.
If AISC keeps dropping, this becomes investable for me.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.