Pro Tip #7 | The 4×4 clubs you should avoid in Arizona

For motorized users in Arizona, keeping backroads open on public lands is a constant battle. The state’s vast deserts, mountains, and forests offer unparalleled 4×4 adventures, but federal policies like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Executive Order 11644 drive travel management plans (TMPs) that close up to 60% of roads in some areas. While many 4×4 clubs in Arizona claim to fight for access, not all are effective. Some older, collaborative groups—often the most established—use outdated strategies that fracture the community, misrepresent their role, and fail to counter the closure pipeline. This article, part of AZbackroads.com’s Pro Tip series, explains why motorized users should avoid these groups and how to support advocates who truly protect Arizona’s 4×4 trails.

The Disconnect: Outdated Strategies in a Modern Policy World

Many traditional 4×4 clubs in Arizona operate under a 1980s mindset, rooted in activity-based management. Back then, cooperating with federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and promoting responsible use could maintain access. Today, the landscape has shifted. Federal mandates, including EO 11644, require TMPs that designate roads for motorized use, triggering NEPA’s environmental scrutiny. This process often leads to closures, as environmental groups leverage lawsuits to enforce restrictions. Yet, these collaborative clubs cling to outdated tactics, believing that volunteering for road maintenance or following “Tread Lightly!” principles will “save” trails. This approach misleads users into thinking compliance alone preserves access, when in reality, it often funnels roads into a system designed to restrict them.

These groups also misrepresent their role in TMPs, claiming that including roads in plans protects them from automatic closure—a narrative pushed by agencies. This is a half-truth. Participation in TMPs subjects roads to NEPA reviews, which prioritize environmental impacts and frequently result in closures. The appeal process under NEPA offers no remedy to oppose the planning process itself, only to challenge actions deemed environmentally harmful. By engaging in this system, these clubs inadvertently legitimize a process that closes Arizona’s backroads, leaving motorized users with fewer trails despite their efforts.

Fracturing the Motorized Community

The reliance on outdated strategies fractures Arizona’s motorized user community, including 4×4 enthusiasts, hunters, ranchers, and local businesses who depend on access. Instead of uniting users around the reality of federal policy’s bias, these clubs promote a false sense of security through compliance-focused campaigns like Tread Lightly!. While responsible use is important, it’s not a substitute for civic action. By emphasizing etiquette over engagement, they divert users from critical steps like submitting comments during TMP scoping periods or attending public meetings. This leaves the broader community disengaged, allowing environmental groups to dominate the process with well-coordinated comments and lawsuits that drive the 60% closure rate seen in some Arizona TMPs.

Worse, these clubs often gatekeep public engagement, limiting participation to their inner circle to claim credit as the “saviors” of motorized roads. This self-serving approach alienates users who could amplify the fight through grassroots efforts. Instead of mobilizing Arizona’s 4×4 community to flood agencies with comments or support legal challenges, these groups prioritize their relationships with land managers, fearing confrontation might jeopardize their “seat at the table.” This fractures the community further, as users who see the need for bold action—such as challenging NEPA or EO 11644—are left without a unified voice, weakening the overall fight for access.

Missing the Mark: Ineffective Policy Actions

The policy actions of these collaborative clubs are often ineffective in today’s NEPA-driven, lawsuit-heavy landscape. By participating in TMPs, they feed roads into a system where environmental scrutiny trumps recreational needs. Their focus on cooperation—volunteering for maintenance or providing limited input—doesn’t counter the legal pressure from environmental groups that forces agencies to close roads. Moreover, these clubs rarely explore bold solutions like eliminating restrictive federal policies or leveraging state law to protect access. For example, Arizona could assert state jurisdiction over certain public land roads through mechanisms like Revised Statute 2477 (RS 2477), which allows states or counties to claim rights-of-way. Some Western states have pursued this to counter federal restrictions, but collaborative clubs often ignore this potential, sticking to agency-friendly tactics that yield minimal results.

This failure to adapt muddies the waters, confusing Arizona’s motorized users about what truly works. Users who support these clubs with dues or donations often believe they’re funding access preservation, but their resources are wasted on strategies that don’t stop closures. The 60% closure rate persists because the community isn’t aligned on a clear, modern approach to fight the system.

Choosing the Right Advocates for Arizona’s 4×4 Trails

Motorized users in Arizona deserve advocates who unite the community, not fracture it. Instead of supporting clubs that rely on outdated cooperation or gatekeep engagement, back those who:

• Challenge the System: Seek groups that pursue legal action or policy reform to dismantle restrictive mandates like EO 11644 or amend NEPA to balance recreation with environmental concerns.
• Mobilize Broadly: Support advocates who encourage all users—4×4 drivers, hunters, businesses—to engage in TMPs through comments, meetings, or grassroots campaigns on platforms like X.
• Leverage State Law: Look for groups exploring state-level solutions, like RS 2477 claims or Arizona legislation, to protect access.
• Prioritize Transparency: Choose advocates who share their track record—specific roads saved or closures fought—over those claiming vague “partnerships” with agencies.

Take Action to Save Arizona’s Backroads

To keep Arizona’s 4×4 trails open, motorized users must unite and act. Don’t let collaborative clubs’ outdated strategies or gatekeeping sideline you. Check BLM or USFS websites for TMP comment periods and submit detailed comments citing specific roads and their recreational or economic value. Write to Arizona lawmakers to push for NEPA reform or state-level protections like RS 2477. Your support should go to advocates who rally the community, fight for systemic change, and empower you to engage directly. Arizona’s backroads are closing because of fractured efforts—unite, take action, and reclaim your access.