Helmets
Required under 18 statewide. Kane County requires them for every OHV rider on county roads, which includes the village streets. Shops supply them; we recommend one for every adult on every ride.
规则和安全
ATV 规则和安全
Utah OHV 要求、指定路线和紧急规划
出发前完成驾驶培训
在公共土地上驾驶 ATV 或并排座越野车，需要持有相应的 Utah OHV 培训证书，游客和租车客户也不例外。车辆许可证不能代替驾驶员的培训证书。
成人在线课程免费；未满18岁的驾驶员需要参加单独的青少年课程。Utah 说明，已有的获认可青少年证书终身有效，持有者无需再参加成人课程。离家前，请保存好证书，并查看针对您的车辆及任何豁免情况的官方要求。
- 驾驶培训
- 成人课程免费；青少年需持相应证书。骑行时请携带证明。
- Out-of-state machine
- $35 non-resident permit, 12 months, bought online; rentals are covered
- SR-14
- Street-legal OHVs may ride it; everyone else crosses at a right angle only
- Width
- 72 inches and 2,500 lb on designated trails; some are 50 inches
Permits: who pays what
The permit attaches to the machine, not the rider, which is why most of our guests never buy one: they rent, and the shop's fleet is already Utah-registered. If you trailer your own machine in from Nevada, Arizona or anywhere else, this is what applies.
| Your situation | What you need | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| You rent in the village | Nothing beyond the education certificate. The shop's machine is Utah-registered. | $0 |
| You trailer your own machine from out of state | Utah non-resident OHV permit for each machine. Applies to the machine, not the rider. Buy online before you arrive; 12 months from purchase. | $35 (was $30 until July 1, 2026) |
| 您的外州车辆已获准上路行驶 | 自2026年9月8日起，已获准上路行驶的外州 OHV 也需要非居民许可证，只有少数例外。骑行前，请查看 Utah 当前的要求。 | 每辆 $35；有效期12个月 |
| You are a Utah resident with your own machine | Current Utah OHV registration and decal (or street-legal plate). No permit. | Registration fee only |
| Non-resident snowmobile | Same non-resident permit as wheeled OHVs; confirm at purchase. | $35 |
骑行前，请在线购买许可证。Utah 会通过电子邮件发送收据和临时许可证；正式许可证可能需要最多20个工作日。请查看当前针对可上路 OHV 的要求和例外情况，尤其是当旧指南声称外州车牌即可豁免时。 Utah 当前针对可上路 OHV 的许可证要求
Riding through the village and crossing SR-14
Duck Creek Village's streets are Kane County roads, and Kane County Code Title 5, Chapter 1 opens county roads to OHVs "as posted by signs or designated by map." In practice that means the village streets are OHV routes (they are spurs 52 and 59 of the Strawberry Loop on the Forest Service map), ridden at 15 mph, and treated as transit to and from the trails rather than a place to ride laps. Residential streets are for getting through, not for practice.
If your machine is not street-legal
You may cross SR-14 but not ride along it. Utah Code 41-22-10.3 spells out how: come to a full stop, yield to every vehicle on the highway, then cross at a right angle to the road. Every one of our featured rides crosses the highway at least once (the Strawberry Loop crosses near the east edge of Duck Lake) and none of them requires riding along it.
If your machine is street-legal
A plated, street-legal OHV may ride SR-14. Utah Code 41-6a-1509 allows street-legal ATVs and side-by-sides on state highways outside first-class counties, and neither Kane nor Iron County is first class. The limit is 50 mph or the posted speed, whichever is lower, and where the posted limit is above 50 you keep to the extreme right of the roadway. That is what makes Panguitch Lake reachable by trail from the village: the last 1.7 miles are on SR-143 and only a street-legal machine may finish them.
Rental machines are generally not street-legal. Ask the shop, and assume you are crossing, not riding, the highway unless they tell you otherwise.
Machine rules
Six things Forest Service law enforcement and the county deputies actually check.
Spark arrestor
A muffler with an approved spark arrestor is required on every OHV in the forest (snowmobiles excepted). Fire restrictions do not change this; it applies every day of the season.
Noise
Utah's limit is 96 dB. Aftermarket exhausts that exceed it get citations on the village streets first.
Lights
Headlight and taillight on from sunset to sunrise. The evening ride around Aspen Mirror Lake ends in the dark more often than people expect.
Width and weight
Forest Order 0407-22-15 limits MVUM-designated OHV trails to 72 inches and 2,500 pounds through 2027. Some trails are posted at 50 inches. The "62 inch" figure applies only to about 2 miles of OHV-only trail on Trail 1. Open forest roads have no width limit.
The MVUM governs
The Cedar City Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map is the legal document for what is open, to which vehicles, and when. The printed trail map and any app are planning aids.
Where you may ride
Dixie National Forest prohibits cross-country motorized travel forest-wide. You ride the numbered routes, their spurs and the open forest roads shown on the current Motor Vehicle Use Map, and nothing else: no meadows, no streambanks, no cut-across lines between two roads you can both see. That is where the citations are written and where the damage shows for years. Our loop-by-loop trails page lists every designated spur.
Campgrounds and lakes
- Duck Creek Campground: loops A and B are closed to OHVs; loops C, D and E allow OHVs for ingress and egress to your own site only.
- Navajo Lake: the lake shore and the campground loops are closed to OHV travel except campground ingress and egress. OHVs reach the Cascade Falls trailhead and Navajo Lake Road; there is no shoreline loop.
- Cascade Falls: spur 51 ends at the trailhead. The falls trail itself (#32055) is hiking only, about 0.8 miles one way.
- Cedar Breaks National Monument: no OHV trails. In winter, snowmobiles may use only the marked groomed SR-148 route through the monument.
Youth riders
Utah's youth rules are about supervision and fit rather than a single age. The county adds one hard line for the village streets.
- Under 8: may not operate an OHV on Kane County roads, which means the village streets.
- 8 to 15: may ride on public land with a Utah youth OHV education certificate.
- Under 16: must be under the direct supervision of an adult who stays within sight, and the machine must fit the rider (feet on the pegs or floor, hands on the controls).
- Under 18: helmet required, everywhere, every time.
- Rental shops set their own minimum driver ages, usually well above the state minimum. Ask before you book.
Seasonal orders and fire restrictions
Forest orders come and go with the season; the spring mud closure on the Duck Creek trails is an annual event, and fire restrictions tighten and loosen with the weather. This is the 2026 record as of September 2026. Before you ride, check the Dixie National Forest alerts page and our road conditions page.
| Date | Order | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 26 to Jun 1, 2026 | Spring mud order 0407-26-03: Sage Valley Road (FR 30051) and Duck Creek OHV Trails 1 and 5 between the Visitor Center and Uinta Flat Road closed when wet. | Rescinded Jun 1, 2026 |
| Jun 4, 2026 | Stage 1 fire restrictions take effect on the Dixie National Forest. | Raised to Stage 2 on Jun 26 |
| Jun 26, 2026 | Stage 2 fire restrictions take effect. Spark arrestors are required regardless of stage. | Reduced to Stage 1 on Jul 27 |
| Jul 13 to 23, 2026 | Mid-season trail repair closure on the Duck Creek OHV trails (order 0407-26-11). | Expired |
| Aug 31, 2026 | All fire restrictions rescinded. | Current |
| May 1 to Nov 30 | MVUM seasonal roads open. Closed to motor vehicles outside that window. | Every year |
Last checked September 2026. Monsoon storms build in the early afternoon from July into September; be off the rims and out of the open meadows by lunch on a building-cloud day.
紧急电话
危及生命的紧急情况请拨打 911，其他号码请在当地确认。
- 紧急情况 911
- Utah Highway Patrol 435-586-9445
- Iron County Sheriff 435-867-7500
- Kane County Sheriff 435-644-2349
- Garfield County Sheriff 435-676-2678
- 报告火情 435-865-4600
- 偷猎举报热线 1-800-662-DEER
- Forest Service Law Enforcement 435-865-3700
Utah OHV law questions from Duck Creek riders
The rules people ask about at check-in, with the statute behind each answer.
在 Utah 驾驶自己的 ATV 或并排座越野车，需要许可证吗？
在 Utah 公共土地、道路或步道上使用外州 OHV，每辆车都需要购买非居民许可证，费用为 $35，有效期12个月。自2026年9月8日起，这项要求也适用于已获准上路行驶的外州 OHV，只有少数例外。如果租用的是在 Utah 注册的车辆，就不需要为该车辆购买外州车辆许可证。驾驶培训是另一项独立要求。
只租一天车，也需要 OHV 培训证书吗？
需要，如果您是在公共土地上自行驾驶租来的 ATV 或并排座越野车。成人可以参加 Utah 免费的在线课程；未满18岁的驾驶员需要参加单独的青少年课程。已有的获认可青少年证书终身有效。请在抵达前完成相应课程，并向租车店确认驾驶员年龄和证书要求。
Can I ride my side-by-side on Highway 14 through Duck Creek?
Only if it is street-legal. Utah Code 41-6a-1509 lets street-legal OHVs use state highways outside first-class counties, and Kane and Iron are not first-class counties, so SR-14 is legal for a plated, street-legal machine at 50 mph or the posted limit, whichever is lower, keeping to the extreme right where the limit is above 50. A machine that is not street-legal may only cross the highway: stop, yield, cross at a right angle (41-22-10.3). Every one of our featured rides crosses SR-14 at least once and none requires riding along it.
Do adults have to wear a helmet on the Duck Creek trails?
Utah requires helmets for riders under 18 on public land. Kane County goes further and requires a helmet for every OHV rider on county roads, which includes the village streets you use to reach the trails. Rental shops supply helmets with every machine. We recommend one for every adult on every ride.
How wide can my machine be on the Markagunt trails?
Forest Order 0407-22-15 limits MVUM-designated OHV trails to 72 inches wide and 2,500 pounds through 2027. Some trails are posted at 50 inches, and about 2 miles of OHV-only trail on Trail 1 is 62 inches. Anything wider stays on the open forest roads, which have no width limit and make up most of the loop mileage anyway. Check the current MVUM for the exact trail.
Can my kids drive an ATV at Duck Creek?
Children under 8 may not operate an OHV on Kane County roads, so not through the village. From 8 to 15 they may ride on public land with a Utah youth OHV education certificate, under the direct supervision of an adult who stays within sight, on a machine that fits them. Helmets are required for everyone under 18. Rental shops set their own, usually higher, minimum ages for drivers; passengers are the usual answer for younger kids.
Reviewed September 2026
Sources for this page
Education, permit, helmet, equipment and highway rules are taken from the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation and the Utah Code sections linked below. Village-road rules come from Kane County Code Title 5, Chapter 1 and Kane County tourism guidance. Width limits and closures come from dated Dixie National Forest orders. This is a plain-language summary by an inn, not legal advice; the statute controls.
- Utah OHV Education (free course and youth certificate)
- Utah OHV laws and rules
- Utah 当前针对可上路 OHV 的许可证要求
- Utah non-resident OHV permits
- Utah Code 41-6a-1509: street-legal OHVs on highways
- Utah Code 41-22-10.3: crossing highways
- Utah Code 41-22-10.4: youth supervision
- Utah Code 41-22-31: OHV education
- Kane County, Utah (County Code Title 5, Chapter 1: OHVs on county roads)
- Dixie National Forest alerts and forest orders
- Cedar City Ranger District MVUM (2026)
- USDA Forest Service: Markagunt OHV System
Ride Legal from Duck Creek
Take the free course tonight, ride out of our parking lot tomorrow. Duck Creek Village Inn has trailer parking, a rental shop across the street, and the Strawberry Loop a mile up the road.