BLUERIBBON COALITION WEMO SPECIAL REPORT
2,200 MILES OF OHV TRAILS.
CLOSED BY ONE JUDGE.
In January of 2026, a federal court ordered the largest single closure of off-road trails in American history. Over 1 million acres of the Western Mojave Desert were deemed inaccessible by gavel. This is the full story, and the plan to fight back.
2,200 mi
of trails ordered closed by a single federal judge
76%
route loss in WEMO since the original 16,000 mi network
1M+ Acres
now inaccessible to public since latest ruling
20 years
this legal battle has been weaponized against access
What Happened
A Federal Judge Just Locked You Out of the West Mojave
On January 25, 2026, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ordered the Bureau of Land Management to close over 2,200 miles of off-road routes in the Western Mojave Desert. This court fight has been brewing since 2006. The result is one of the most sweeping closures of public land access in American history.
The Western Mojave (WEMO) planning area covers 9.4 million acres. The BLM manages 3.1 million of those acres. Before this fight started, there were approximately 16,000 miles of routes providing access to the region.
The BLM had already closed 10,000 miles through its 2019 travel plan, leaving roughly 6,000 miles open. Judge Illston’s order now eliminates another 2,200 of those remaining miles. Three of the nine travel management areas are now closed entirely.
The total loss: 76% of all routes.
Download BLM high resolution map here.
HOW BIG IS THE WEMO CLOSURE?
This isn’t a small closure. It’s an entire region.
2,200 mi
LA to Chicago
1 million acres
3x Size of LA
2,200 mi
Longer Than Entire Trail System In Moab
1 million acres
Bigger Than State of Rhode Island
THE NUMBERS
How 16,000 Miles Became 3,800
In the 1980’s the BLM inventoried 16,000 OHV miles in the WEMO area. In 2019, after lawsuits from anti-acces orgs, the BLM evaluated multiple alternatives for a WEMO travel plan. The option they ultimately chose was a preferred alternative pushed by anti-acess orgs which closed 10,000 miles of routes. Then in 2026 after further lawsuits from anti-acess orgs, the court closed another 2,200 miles.
From Congress, 1976
“The use of all California desert resources can and should be provided for in a multiple use and sustained yield management plan to conserve these resources for future generations, and to provide present and future use and enjoyment, particularly outdoor recreation uses, including the use, where appropriate, of off-road recreational vehicles.”
Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), 1976
Context that Matters
Most of WEMO Was Already Off-Limits
Some people claim there are still 274,000 acres “open for OHV use” in WEMO. That’s roughly 3% of the total area. But that number ignores the reality of what the rest of the 9.4 million acres looks like:
2.4M acres
Military Installations
2.0M acres
Conservation Land
3.9M acres
Private / State Land
1.0M acres
Newly Inaccessible (Court Order)
20 Years of Erosion
How We Got Here
THE HARD TRUTH
This is Not a Temporary Closure
Some voices in the off-road community are claiming these closures will be short-lived. The court gave BLM a timeline to complete a third analysis, although that’s not until 2029. But history tells a different story.
The last time the court set a “rigid timeline,” BLM took from 2011 to 2019 to comply. Then it was litigated for another five years. During that time, the Dingell Act designated portions of the area as wilderness, locking in permanent closures. This pattern has a name: wilderness laundering.
Temporary closures get stuck in regulatory limbo. Routes disappear from maps. Then permanent designations make the losses irreversible.
GO DEEPER
Understand the Full Picture
This closure didn’t happen by accident. Each piece of the story reveals how the system was used against you. Click any topic to get the full breakdown.
PART 1
The Rigged System
BLM spent a decade, analyzed every route, closed thousands of miles. The court said it still wasn’t enough. Why the system is designed so the agency can never win.
READ MORE »
PART 2
The Endless Standard
When “minimize” has no endpoint, every decision can be challenged. How an open-ended regulation became a weapon for perpetual litigation.
READ MORE »
PART 3
The Insider
One attorney spent 16 years suing BLM over WEMO. Then she was appointed BLM’s second-in-command. The revolving door that shaped this outcome.
READ MORE »
PART 4
(Coming Soon)
Check back soon for part 4.
LISTEN
Jeepcast Podcast: WEMO with Ben Burr
BlueRibbon Coalition Executive Director Ben Burr sits down with Jeepcast for a deep dive on the Western Mojave plan and the process that led to closure of 2200 miles of routes. Stream it below.
TAKE ACTION
We’ve Won Before, But With an Engaged Community
BRC has been defending your access to public lands for nearly 40 years. WEMO is the biggest threat we’ve ever faced. The precedent set here won’t stop at California’s borders. We need you in this fight.
It’s Time For a New Playbook.
BlueRibbon Coalition isn’t standing idly by. We’re fighting to change the rules that make cooperating in the current system a losing endeavor. Join us.