Residents tell commissioners they lack parking and access for UTVs; commissioners ask Forest Service to explore options

A Grant County resident raised concerns during public comment on Sept. 25 about access and parking for side-by-side utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) and similar off-road vehicles, saying private property closures and lack of designated parking force users to stop far from trailheads.

The resident said the county has the authority to address the issue and described difficulty unloading UTVs and trailers because some areas near trailheads are fenced private property. “I had to go miles up on Forest Service Road. Find a place to pull over with my pickup and trailer to unload my stinking side by side,” the resident said. He urged the commission to act to restore practical access for local riders.

During commissioner reports, the chairman said he had spoken to a Forest Service contact (identified by the chairman as "Miss Tony") and asked the agency to consider creating a designated parking area farther up the road where people could park trucks and trailers and access forest roads for UTVs and four-wheelers. The chairman said he had not yet received a response but considered the suggestion a good one to reduce unsafe parking and wildfire risk from parking in high grass.

There was no formal county action recorded at the meeting on the issue; the chairman identified that he had requested the Forest Service examine parking options and that the county would follow up on responses from the federal agency.