Permits
- Side-by-sides, ATVs and dirt bikes need a Colorado OHV permit (off-highway vehicle permit). Out-of-state registrations don't count. Keep it on the vehicle on the trail, on the way there, and in staging areas. (source)
- Street-legal 4x4s need one too when they're on designated off-highway trails. The sticker goes to the right of the front plate. (source)
- Buy it online or by phone at (800) 244-5613. The emailed receipt works as a temporary permit for 45 days. Rental companies usually include one, so ask when you book. (source)
- Equipment: working brakes, a muffler, a Forest Service approved spark arrestor, a headlight, and a red taillight. (source)
Where side-by-sides can ride
- Ouray: not on city streets, and not on US 550. Unload at the Horseshoe Bend staging lot just south of town, across from County Road 361. (source)
- Ouray County roads: yes, with a permit, a driver's license, liability insurance, eye protection for everyone, and helmets for riders under 18. Fines start at $250. (source)
- Lake City: yes, on town and Hinsdale County roads, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. From June 1 to September 30, side-by-sides can also ride a 3.26-mile stretch of Highway 149 south of town, which links the two branches of the Alpine Loop. (source)
- Telluride: no. Unlicensed off-highway vehicles aren't allowed on town streets, so Black Bear and Imogene riders need to trailer out or turn around. (source)
- Silverton: no. Off-highway vehicles are banned inside town limits, with a $300 fine, so you have to trailer across town. (source)
- State highways: no, except stretches the state has opened, like the Highway 149 one above. Towns can't open them on their own. (source)
Trail rules
- Black Bear Pass is one-way for about a mile, from the Steps down to the Bridal Veil power plant. Downhill only, toward Telluride. Rental cars aren't allowed. (source)
- Stay on routes shown on the Forest Service travel map. If a road isn't on the map, it's closed to vehicles, even if there's no sign. Driving off the road onto tundra counts as damaging property. (source)
- Pack out your trash, and don't put garbage in backcountry toilets. (source)
2026 Gold Mountain Fire. The fire burned about 39,700 acres northeast of Ouray this summer. Owl Creek Pass and nearby roads reopened September 15, but Middle Fork, Cow Creek, Dexter Creek and Cutler Creek roads and trails are still closed. Burned slopes can flood and slide in heavy rain.