Unless its noted, what is the rule of the road for right of way? The vehicle going up the trail, or the vehicle going down the trail.
Right of Way
- Thread starter murps
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In my experience the vehicle going up the trail has the right of way. They generally have to work at it more than the vehicle going down. However, if a vehicle has already started coming down before you make your way up, I would give them the right of way and then after they pass continue on.
Pathfinder II
I second that; Uphill traffic has the right of way. However, in my experience, it usually ends up being whoever is closest to a safe pull off spot.
Once I had some folks get very mad at me for not backing up 200-300 yards on the side of a mountain to give them right of way... when they were 10 feet from a pull off as we met on the trail. Oh, and they were on dirt bikes.
Clear communication is key, if you're going to go outside the norm make sure the oncoming traffic is aware.
Once I had some folks get very mad at me for not backing up 200-300 yards on the side of a mountain to give them right of way... when they were 10 feet from a pull off as we met on the trail. Oh, and they were on dirt bikes.
Clear communication is key, if you're going to go outside the norm make sure the oncoming traffic is aware.
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Influencer II
Trail etiquette is often not a priority to some... I tend to just pull off if i can, you never know what the other person is going to do.
Influencer II
This^^^^ If I can pull off, I do. I try to always give right away. Sometimes I have no place to go. It's easier to back down a hill, instead of back up a hill to find a place to pull off.
Going up hill has the right of way. I wouldn't mind giving ROW to the down hill driver, as long as it was safe.
It is not necessarily a matter of me being polite, unless it is somebody I know or somebody with skill, because I can't trust people and the way they drive.
I once made room for a group of dirt bikes that were trailing behind me, I didn't want to slow them down, then later caught up to them a few miles down the trail where they were parked and I was going to park to try and start conversation. I may or may not have stirred up enough dust to piss them off, on accident, and then they all started talking a bunch of trash. So that was the last time I make room for dirt bikes.
I once made room for a group of dirt bikes that were trailing behind me, I didn't want to slow them down, then later caught up to them a few miles down the trail where they were parked and I was going to park to try and start conversation. I may or may not have stirred up enough dust to piss them off, on accident, and then they all started talking a bunch of trash. So that was the last time I make room for dirt bikes.
Influencer II
This depends on the size of your group as well. Large groups should give the right of way to smaller groups since large convoys take longer time to negotiate trails.
Influencer II
Yeah that would make sense to be the Up Hill traffic as it would take a bit more effort going up than it would going down,
It would be the most logical - never really thought of the actual "right of way"
just common sense!
It would be the most logical - never really thought of the actual "right of way"
just common sense! 
Uphill traffic has right of way. But the vehicle that can most easily move aside, should. No sense squeezing by one another when the uphill vehicle could have used a turnout and completely cleared the road. Common sense.
And yeah, if I can make way, I usually do. Increasingly, with the popularity of off road vehicles, too many people have no idea how things should work.
And yeah, if I can make way, I usually do. Increasingly, with the popularity of off road vehicles, too many people have no idea how things should work.
Traveler III
Several replies stating uphill traffic has the right of way. What has me confused is the trail guidelines for Black Bear Pass in CO states downhill has right of way. Is it possible that it's all dependent on the trail? That would require you to get familiar with trail rules prior to the trip. I think a common sense approach should take priority. If you can safely move, move. If not, stay put.
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Don't know about Colorado, but in California this is the rule:
When 2 vehicles meet on a steep road where neither vehicle can pass, the vehicle facing downhill must yield the right-of-way by backing up until the vehicle going uphill can pass. The vehicle facing downhill has the greater amount of control when backing up the hill.
California Driver Handbook - Laws and Rules of the Road
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/hdbk/right_of_way
Explorer I
did a quick search and folks on here have it nailed - traveling uphill has the right of way. found a cool article that some might find useful: http://www.drivingline.com/articles/off-road-basics-trail-etiquette/
Traveler III
Maybe that road has specific conditions that make yielded to down hill traffic easier. That road is one way through the challenging parts and I believe that section is down hill in the direction of travel. maybe that's why. If you're headed up, you're going the wrong way.
