Fire danger is extreme throughout Michigan. We need your help to prevent wildfires with these unprecedented conditions. Extreme danger needs to be met with extreme vigilance. Learn what you can do to help.
Calendars: Classes & Workshops; Hunting and Fishing; Public Meetings; Volunteer Opportunities; State park, historic sites and visitor center events.
Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. Use the button above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. Use the button above to visit the hunting home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Information on DNR shooting and archery ranges, rules and regulations, resources to get started and more. Use the button above to visit the target shooing and archery home page, or go directly to one of the pages below:
Find snowmobile trail permit info, maps, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE SNOWMOBILE HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:
Want to find tasty morel mushrooms in the forest? Click the box above for tips and tricks to fill your basket.
Find cross-country ski, ice fishing , snowmobiling info and much more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE WINTER FUN HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:
Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more.
Find a great trail experience near you - whether you want to hike, bike, snowmobile or ride an ORV. From long, paved linear trails to rugged forest terrain, Michigan offers trail opportunities for all abilities and interests.
Visitor Centers across the state provide education programs, field trips, archery, fishing, trails and much more. Click the box above to see all our locations, or click the individual location below.
We administer grants that enable our local partners to promote the lifestyles we all enjoy by providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildlife habitat and ensuring public safety. Visit the grants home page by clicking on the button above, or view a specific area of interest below:
Recreational Safety and Hunter Education
Learn about Michigan's diverse range of fish, plants, trees, reptiles, amphibians, insects and mammals. Click the box above to see all species, or click the species group below.
DNR educators across the state provide fun, educational activities, programs and workshops year-round for adults, families and kids. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR educators provide classroom lessons, field trip opportunities, professional development and experiential programs to teachers around the state. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR forest resources professionals maintain healthy forests, manage wildfire, maintain responsible harvesting certifications and improve wildlife habitat. Click the box above to learn more about Michigan's state forests.
law enforcement, legislation, rules and regulations
All DNR-related boards, committees, and advisory groups
Find seasonal, part-time and full-time job openings with the DNR
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Ready to ride where there’s plenty of woods and no pavement to be seen? State forest roads are your gateway to outdoor adventure.
Use our maps to see which forest roads are open and closed to ORV use. Add comments to the interactive map by Aug. 31 for consideration in the annual review for next year's maps.
Thousands of miles of state forest roads are open to ORV use. Mileage is effective April 1, 2023.
| Forest roads location | Mileage open year-round | Mileage closed or closed seasonally* | Total mileage |
| Upper Peninsula | 5,503.4 | 109.4 | 5,612.8 |
| Northern Lower Peninsula | 6,109.9 | 1,199.3 | 7,309.2 |
| Southern Lower Peninsula | 10.1 | 354.9 | 365 |
| All locations | 11,623.4 | 1,663.6 | 13,287 |
*Included in the total road closure mileage are state forest roads that are only seasonally closed to ORV use. These roads are identified on state forest road maps, and the dates these roads are opened or closed for ORV use will be posted at the site.
The mapping and inventory process is an ongoing effort, with reviews being completed on the ground by DNR staff as well as an in-depth review of public comments. Each year:
Find answers to commonly asked questions about the forest roads inventory process, and view the criteria used to determine when roads will be closed to ORV use.
Public Act 288 (PA 288), enacted in 2016, required the DNR to inventory and map all state forest roads. To date, the implementation of the law has resulted in 89% of state forest roads being opened to ORV use (including roads that are open seasonally). The law also allows for the cross-country retrieval of deer, bear and elk using ORVs and horses.
The purpose of state forest roads is to provide the public with access to state forest lands for recreation and to provide the DNR with access for management and land protection. State forest roads may also provide access to private lands on an incidental, nonexclusive, permissive-use basis. People may use state forest roads as long as the DNR allows them to remain open to general public use. Adjacent landowners may use state forest roads; however, unless an easement has been granted by the DNR, state forest roads do not provide legal access to private property, nor is there any guarantee that state forest roads will remain open or be passable year-round.
If you need assistance with interpreting forest road maps, email DNR-GIS@Michigan.gov.
If you have questions or comments regarding state-managed forest roads, email DNR-RoadInventoryProject@Michigan.gov.
