The Overland Expo Foundation is proud to announce the awarding of a $8,197 grant to Tread Lightly! for their Responsible Recreation Kiosk Installation at State Route 89A and Forest Road 535 Entrance and
Steens Mountain Loop Road projects. The route 89A project will take place the week of Overland Expo West and the Steens Mountain Loop Road project the week of Overland Expo PNW.
ABOUT Tread Lightly!
Tread Lightly! is a non-profit organization that leads a national initiative to promote the responsible use of motorized vehicles when recreating outdoors. Their goal is to balance the off-road and off-highway vehicle (OHV) users’ need for adventure with the need to conserve the places where they ride and explore.
To support this, they offer a wide range of projects, programs, trainings, and educational materials to promote a responsible outdoor recreation message. Their work includes educating off-road and OHV users on responsible riding practices, reducing the impact on the environment and protecting natural and cultural resources.
The Impact
Arizona Project
The area surrounding the junction of State Route 89A (SR 89A) and Forest Road 535 (FR 535) in the Coconino National Forest, near Sedona, is one of the most popular and heavily utilized recreation areas within the Flagstaff Ranger District. This gateway road, known for its scenic drive through a beautiful pine forest, provides access to vast, free-dispersed camping sites.
FR 535 is also the primary access route to the East Pocket area, commonly known as “Edge of the World.” This location is celebrated for its dramatic limestone cliffs, panoramic vistas, and iconic Sedona-area rock formations visible in the distance (including Courthouse Butte and Cathedral Rock).
Over recent years, this area has experienced a significant surge in both dispersed camping and motorized recreation. On any given weekend, hundreds of people camp within the first few miles of FR 535. The East Pocket area also sees substantial visitation throughout the summer months.
This increased use has led to noticeable resource damage and environmental degradation. Specifically, sensitive meadows and other vulnerable areas are seeing damage from illegal off-road travel and irresponsible recreation practices.
The goal of this project is to promote responsible recreation and protect the Coconino National Forest ecosystem by providing crucial, timely, and on-site public education.
The installation of a two-panel interpretive kiosk at the entrance to Forest Road 535 from SR 89A. This kiosk will include Tread Lightly! motorized use ethic, bio interp, area use information, maps and camping guidelines.
Oregon Project
The Steens Mountain Loop Road is an incredibly scenic gravel byway which stretches nearly 59 miles in length and almost 10,000 feet into the sky – it is one of the most sought after off road routes in the PNW by overlanders. The extraordinary landscape and high elevation provide dramatic views, with a vast volcanic history stretching back to the Ice Age. Steens Mountain is the largest fault-block mountain in the northern Great Basin, surrounded by deep glacier cut gorges, tempestuous rivers, and an immense diversity of plant and animal species.
Located in Oregon’s high desert, Steens Mountain is considered one of the most beautiful places in the Pacific Northwest, and it is one of the wildest and most remote places left in Oregon’s backcountry. The byway gives access to four campgrounds and an assortment of outdoor activities, such as hiking, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and of course, overlanding on two to four wheels.
With access to our public lands being at a greater risk than ever before, it is increasingly important to bring education and awareness on responsible recreation to the outdoor community, particularly as motorized and non-motorized recreation find overlap in areas like the Steens Mountain Wilderness.
The Steens Mountain Wilderness is in need of both safety and educational signage along the scenic byway and select other areas, such as the Alvord Desert, to protect and conserve the land itself, the vast array of wildlife, and the routes in which overlanders travel, adventure, and explore. This project will help to keep the Steens Mountain Road open and accessible for overlanders, as well as help to conserve the route for generations of recreators to explore and enjoy.
Learn more about Tread Lightly!
For more information about Tread Lightly! and how you can do your part visit their website: treadlightly.org.
Become a member of the Overland Expo Foundation to help fund similar on-the-ground projects. Visit our News & Projects page to learn more about past projects.
By investing in people and places, the Overland Expo Foundation is proud to support programs that use adventure as a pathway to lasting impact—on the trail, in communities, and in the lives of those who serve.