Proposed rules would expand e-bike access on Oregon State Park roads, trails and beaches

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) has proposed new rules that would govern how electric-assisted bicycles (e-bikes) can legally be operated on State Park properties and on the Oregon Coast. The draft rules vastly improve e-bike access, bringing them more in line with rules for traditional, non-motorized bicycles.

Rules that govern e-bikes in parks and beaches have not kept up with the booming popularity and accessibility of a wide array of motorized bicycles. Currently, e-bikes are allowed on OPRD trails over eight feet wide and on the ocean shore where driving on the beach by car users is allowed. However, “With the popularity of e-assisted bike recreation increasing, the agency is finding that current rules do not clearly accommodate growing need and cause confusion among all visitors,” reads a February 25th 2025 memo to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission.

A bill passed by the Oregon Legislature last year (that went into effect January 1, 2025) finally gave OPRD a clear definition of what qualifies as an e-bike and paved the way for new rules that would give park managers and rangers more clarity on how to regulate them. The bill (HB 4103) split e-bikes into three classes and put limits on the power output of the motor (1,000 watts max) and top speed (20 mph).

OPRD launched a formal rulemaking effort in June 2024 and an advisory committee met four times last fall. In addition to the formal advisory body, OPRD received nearly 4,000 public comments last summer on the issue of e-bike use.

Below is a summary of the proposed rule changes:

• “E-assisted bicycles” will be regulated in the same category as what OPRD refers to as “Other power-driven mobility devices” or OPDMD. These include golf carts, personal mobility devices, Segway products, “or any mobility device designed to operate in areas without defined pedestrian routes, but that is not a wheelchair.”
• Any area currently open to pedestrian and bicycle use will also be open to e-bikes, “unless there is a legitimate safety reason that the [device] cannot be accommodated.” And those “reasons” are also detailed in the proposed rules.
• E-bikes would be permitted on any road or trail within a State Park property except where specifically prohibited, “as determined by the District Manager, based on an evaluation of factors related to the use of these devices including, but not limited to, the degree of conflict with other users, public safety, or damage to park resources.”
• Any electric-assisted bicycles that do not meet the statutory definition (ORS 801.258), or that have been “modified out of the classification criteria” will be considered “motor vehicles” and will be allowed only where motor vehicles are allowed.
• The previous rule said e-bikes could only be used on beaches where it’s legal to drive a car (four segments along the entire coast). The proposed rules widen access for e-bikes to all state recreation areas as long as riders stay on wet sand and as long it’s not specifically prohibited by a local district manager.

“The proposed rules balance access to public lands for diverse recreation options while protecting the state’s resources and existing recreation opportunities,” OPRD said in a memo. “Implementation of any changes will require more than rule enforcement and the agency is prepared to commit to an extensive education and outreach campaign.”

OPRD is seeing public comments on these proposed rules now through April 1st. You can submit comments via the rules website or you can attend a virtual public hearing on March 17th or 26th. Once the public comment period ends, any new updates will go to the Parks and Recreation Commission in April or June for possible final adoption. Once that happens, the new rules would be implemented in July once the agency has changed signages and maps.