Originally Posted by
mstateglfr
Yeah, I cant say I have ever ridden on private property...at least not knowingly. Its private- it isnt for my use. Pretty easy distinction there.
Buck Mountain is one of the signature MTB rides in the Methow Valley. You park on private property. There's a sign saying these spaces are reserved for the owner, the rest are open for people doing the ride. A lot of the ski trails there cross private property. Established, groomed trails. Most of the rock climbing in the Icicle Canyon is on private land, there are signs at the boundaries saying you may freely use the land for recreation, but at your own risk.
It might be a regional thing. My state passed a law a few years ago granting land owners pretty broad immunity from lawsuits for allowing public access to private property for recreational purposes.
Here's a public/private land boundary on the Patterson Mountain trail. Barbed wire fence for the livestock, steps for the hikers. That's a heavy bike, by the way.
