what's the verdict/law on powerlines access roads? are they ok to 4 wheel on? there's some good ones near me that don't have any signs on them, and there's no gates on them either. am i ok to use them?

Generally considered private property...not the wiesest of places to try your truck out on but I doubt that many--especially in the Northeast--can say they have NEVER been on some....

Yep depends on the state and area. In Potosi, MO we used to be able to run them but the area closed them and most the trails off. Better to check first than to pay later...

My boss was just surveying pipeline in the Pokonos (sp?) and said they were having the jeep jamboree on all of the right of ways. I wheel on the pipelines and powerline ROWs near santa fe a good bit and have never seen any signs. Id imagine youre ok as long as nothing is posted.

dont take my word for it, just ask somebody local if youre that worried

Get written permission first. In most (but not all) private landowners actually own the land, while the electric company or gas company has a lease or easement to cross the property with the lines (be they overhead electric lines or surface/subsurface pipelines). Just because the right of way is open and has an interesting road on it doesn't mean it is open to you. People around here have been known to put barbed-wire in the road to puncture tires or string cables/fences across the ROW to keep unauthorized people out. Think about it, would YOU want someone 4-wheeling across YOUR property, leaving garbage and tearing things up? I don't like it, either, yet I still have to pick up the trash and fix the fences.

Stephen

there are portions of the right-of-ways that are definitely privately owned, but not near where the trails i found are. i grew up along a powerlines right of way and my parents used to get very annoyed with the behavior of some of the snowmobilers who used it. so, i have a healthy respect for landowners who have powerlines crossing their property and would never trespass on that. but if they're owned by the power company, and the trails are open, i might have to check out where they go...

i know there's one right of way near me that's always used for 4-wheeling. it's right next to a highway and you can see people in there all of the time. i think if the power company wanted to keep people out they would have by now, or if it were privately owned. but you never know...

Without signs or locked gates they're probably ok but don't use the fact that there's no signs as an excuse to go there. Sometimes there may be no signs but it's obvious that they don't want you on the trail by placing boulders or digging trenches in front of access points. And if you're sneaking onto the access road from another access or dirt road there may be no signs there but they have them at the main road access point and you're still at fault for being there regarless of you seeing the signs.