Private Road Entrance on BLM Land

I was recently driving through an area I was considering hunting elk in the fall. I had looked at the area pretty thoroughly on Google maps to find the best access to a particular spot I wanted to scout. When I went to the road entrance, which is right off a state highway, there was a sign that said "Private Road: No Public access". The land on either side of this road AND the highway is BLM land. Is the public allowed to use this road, provided they don't use it on the private parcels? The entrance is off the highway and the road doesn't even touch private land for another two miles from the highway.

For those of you familiar with the area, I'm referring to Gypsum Quarry Rd. and Highway 10 near Woods Landing, WY. If no one here knows the answer, who do I conact to find out (game warden, county sheriff, Road and Bridge Dept., etc)?

Sounds like a public road to me until you get to the private land. I'm sure others with far more knowledge on the subject will chime in.

I ran across a similar issue in Wyoming last season, you can try a warden but they can be hit or miss on that stuff, I would call the county directly they will have maps of public roadways as they have to maintain them and will tell you where public ends... Essentially where they stop plowing, grading, ect.

It is possible to have private roads on public land, especially where there is a lot of energy development. Doesn't mean you can't park and hike, unless Topgun tells you that you can't.

Call the local BLM office and they will be able to assist you. I have had to do this many times in Wyoming.

Call BLM,G&F & county to get verification.

There is a road here thru a part of a giant ranch,300K +ac with about half a million BLM & some state.
I have driven this road from town to my place for years.
Crosses cattle guard and into the Great Western,then thru BLM to another county road.

One ranch quarters house is 4 miles in and right on the road cuts the property corner.You always just go over the cattle guard & take a right out the open gate on by the house.
Last week I decided to take that way to check on deer in area.
The gate by the cattle guard was closed & locked. So I went back and around on the bigger county road,found areal good way onto a few sections with a real nice butte right in the middle.

So I asked the warden,he said it is a county road and accessable.I asked the local county guy and he said road was county , but they could lock the gate legally......not according to BLM,the warden BLM & county clerk & assessor.
I did find a better way to get to this sort of land locked piece and the OK from everyone but the ranch folks .

New clown bought it last year in bidding war with the Guggenhiem/Dodgers group ,$59mil.
Guy is the biggest crap tract builder in the country,DB Horton.
Put GW signs on all the BLM& state leases along roads.

Well this hunter is going to be making an all out effort to get one of the 4 big bucks the warden & I saw there yesterday. That is if I draw. And I saw tons of elk & sign down low .
Warden,Deputy & BLM guy all aware and I have them on speed dial.
Any one I know with a tag will be given tips on access thru GW ranch from now on.

BF,there were some smoker lopers in there yesterday too....just sayin'

There are lots of instances of private easements crossing public land. In every instance I've encountered all it means is you cannot drive on that road, but you can park at the gate and walk. You see this a lot in SW Montana, where mining claims landlocked by public lands are abundant.

Oak said:

It is possible to have private roads on public land, especially where there is a lot of energy development. Doesn't mean you can't park and hike, unless Topgun tells you that you can't.

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Hello Oak- I asked the BLM office if the public could access an oilfield road that started on BLM (highway) and ran through BLM land and the answer I received in this case in Wyoming was "yes".
Below is the answer I received:

"If the road is an Oilfield type road that is crossing BLM Land you may also travel that road until you reach Private land. From that boundary forward you will need the Private land owners permission to cross that area of road/property. This is due to the Oilfield companies having Right-of-Way (ROW) agreements with the BLM to cross BLM surface which entitles the public access to that road"

I'm confused as to how a private party can decide to run a road through public (Federal) land and keep the public off the road. Not disputing the fact that it happens. Just don't understand it. There were no gates on the roads in the instance I emailed the BLM office on above

I was told by a Wyoming game warden that all roads originating on public ground are public until at least where they cross onto private. I'd still check with the officer in your area.

It makes sense though, even if the road was privately built it surely would have build as an easement, NOT as privately owned. It's the same principle as in survey law...if you knowingly build on your neighbors ground, it's still his/her property.

New Mexico. It is public as long as the county road crews maintain the road, If the ranch owner does not want county to maintain the road, it is this private. At that place in the road, the ranch owner can put up the PRIVATE sign.

bobbydean said:

New Mexico. It is public as long as the county road crews maintain the road, If the ranch owner does not want county to maintain the road, it is this private. At that place in the road, the ranch owner can put up the PRIVATE sign.

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Yep, now the county will no longer maintain the road through the ranch.
I can still access it and use it up to the property line,but this just removes a history of use.

I contacted the Game Warden for the area. He said the road is NOT accessible to the public even though it originates on public land. :-/

On the bright side, he knows of some landowners that may grant permission on this mostly private land area.

jtm307 said:

I contacted the Game Warden for the area. He said the road is NOT accessible to the public even though it originates on public land. :-/

On the bright side, he knows of some landowners that may grant permission on this mostly private land area.

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Well that is good news about being able to get access through another means. I'm guessing as other have mentioned- you could park on the highway and walk into the land, not using the actual road if it was your only option. Did the game warden happen to mention this as an option?

Walkathon said:

you could park on the highway and walk into the land

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I agree, just don't tell topgun.

Walkathon said:

Well that is good news about being able to get access through another means. I'm guessing as other have mentioned- you could park on the highway and walk into the land, not using the actual road if it was your only option. Did the game warden happen to mention this as an option?

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Yes. I can park by the highway and walk in, a daunting task as the area gets bitter cold and super windy in the late season when the elk migrate into the area from Colorado. It's a big herd though.

BuzzH said:

I agree, just don't tell topgun.

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Yep; he's fine seeing it isn't an interstate highway, LOL! Glad to see you and Oak are getting your rocks off!