FAQs & Trail Rules

• All operators and passengers must possess a valid trail permit.
• All operators must meet operation size and age requirements per vehicle manufacturer.
• All operators under the age of 16 must be under the direct supervision and within eyesight of a parent or guardian at all times.
• Obey all signs, gates and barriers and stay on marked trails at all times.
• Absolutely no littering will be allowed.
• Camping is only allowed in designated camping areas.
• Vehicles must be controlled and operated at safe speeds at all times.
• Be aware of and respectful to on-coming traffic, especially in blind curves and on hills.
• All machines must be equipped with a working muffler and USFS spark arrestor.
• Fires are only permitted in designated camping areas, in a designated fire ring and during allowed times.
• The number of persons in a vehicle should not exceed the number of restraints available.
• Children should be restrained in appropriate manners for their size and age.
• When leaving the trail and accessing connector public roadways, all applicable statutes for operation of off-road vehicles on public roadways must be followed.

In compliance with KRS 189.281 as enacted on June 29, 2021, and for the purpose of enforcing the parameters of said statute, the county sheriff's department will act in the following manner when addressing side-by-sides on roadways within the county that have been designated as trail connectors or paths to lodging and commerce that supports the trail systems:

This safety plan is to apply to off-road vehicles that are operated within the boundaries of the trail system commonly known and operated as First Frontier Appalachian Trails and under the authority of the Kentucky Mountain Regional Recreation Authority established in KRS 148.0222.

Off-road vehicles on public roads must have the following:

1. Four to six wheels
2. A steering mechanism
3. Brakes
4. Headlamps
5. Tail lamps
6. Brake lights
7. One red reflector on each side
8. A working muffler
9. A parking brake
10. A spark arrestor
11. A safety belt that meets the federal standards
12. Insurance at least as would be required of a motorcycle operated on public highways, with proof carried within the vehicle (as referenced in KRS 304.39-110).
13. An operator that is at least 18 years of age with a valid operator's license on their person.

Additionally, these safety rules will be enforced:

1. Off-road vehicles may not be operated on a public roadway one hour after sunset or one hour before dawn, excluding situations that may be deemed an emergency or extenuating.
2. Passengers under the age of 16 in an off-road vehicle being operated on a public roadway must be wearing a helmet that meets national standards.
3. All operators of off-road vehicles on designated public roads will be held to the same traffic regulations as provided in KRS 189.520, prohibiting the operation of a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants.

Finally, in accordance with KRS 189.281, local county government must provide signage to indicate the points of entry of off-road vehicles onto public county road systems. Said signage must be inventoried on a monthly basis.