Find an ATV accident lawyer in Phoenix: trails, permits and who pays

Phoenix parks bar motorized vehicles off park roads, so ATV riding here usually means Tonto National Forest or BLM land outside the city. The Sheriff's Lake Patrol covers the Tonto in Maricopa County. You generally have 2 years to sue. A claim against an Arizona public agency is due in 180 days.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (33)

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Road map of the Phoenix area showing I-17 running north toward the Table Mesa riding area
Tonto and BLM land near Phoenix have different claim rules. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Where do people ride ATVs near Phoenix?

Mostly outside the city. Phoenix's park rules do not allow motorized vehicles on trails or off established park roads, so South Mountain and the Phoenix Mountains are not riding areas. The places people drive to are public land, and each one has a different manager.

AreaWho manages itWhat to know
Bulldog Canyon, about one hour from PhoenixTonto National Forest, Mesa Ranger District34,000 acres and about 20 miles of open routes. A Tonto OHV permit is required.
The Rolls, St. Clair, Desert VistaTonto National ForestSame permit covers these zones.
Table Mesa, 42 miles north of downtownBLM Hassayampa Field Office, 602-867-5400Reached from I-17 exit 236.
City parks and preservesCity of PhoenixMotorized vehicles are barred on trails and off park roads.

These machines hurt a lot of people. ADOT counted 171 all-terrain vehicles in reported crashes across Arizona in 2024, with 21 in fatal crashes and 111 in injury crashes. Crashes far from a road may never make that count.

Who responds to an ATV crash outside Phoenix?

On the Tonto in Maricopa County, the Sheriff's Lake Patrol. Its deputies work with off-highway vehicles and also handle search and rescue. You can reach the district at (602) 876-1636. Elsewhere in unincorporated county land, it is still the Sheriff's Office. Sheriff's reports are usually online in seven business days, but serious or fatal crash reports are not.

  1. Call 911 and give the staging area, trail number or GPS pin from your phone.
  2. Get to care. Phoenix has five Level I trauma centers, including Valleywise Health and Banner UMC Phoenix.
  3. Photograph the machine, the ground and any marker or missing sign.
  4. Get names and plate or decal numbers from every rider there.
  5. Ask the Lake Patrol or the land office which report covers your crash.

Who pays for an ATV injury near Phoenix?

Who may owe youHow the money is paidThe catch
Another rider who hit youThat rider's own policy, if one covers the machineOff-road machines often sit outside a normal auto policy, so ask for it in writing
The company that made the machineA product claim against the makerOverturns and collisions are the common fatal events, and rollovers matter most for side-by-sides
A rental or tour companyThe company's business policyIt may hand you a waiver, but Arizona sends assumption of risk to a jury
The landownerThe owner or its insurerRecreational users who paid no admission face a limit: willful, malicious or grossly negligent conduct
A federal agencyA federal claimPresent it in writing within two years

Your own health coverage may pay first and then ask to be paid back from any recovery. Tell a lawyer about every bill and every plan.

Can breaking an ATV rule hurt my claim in Phoenix?

It can reduce it. Arizona cuts your award by your share of the blame, but it does not end your claim. Expect an insurer to look at these points:

  • Decal: machines of 2,500 pounds or less need a valid OHV decal on public and state trust land.
  • Staying on route: on the Tonto, cross-country travel is prohibited.
  • Helmet: riders under 18 must wear one on public or state land.
  • Passengers: Game and Fish says many crash injuries come from riders sitting improperly.
  • Alcohol: DUI on an OHV is treated like DUI in any other vehicle.

The same rules can point at the other rider. Reckless driving of an OHV is unlawful. If someone was racing, drinking or carrying a passenger on a one-seat machine, say so in your first statement.

How long do I have after an ATV accident in Phoenix?

Two years to sue a private rider or maker is the general limit. A child's time does not usually run until 18. If a county or city road crew or facility caused the crash, file the notice within 180 days. A late claim is barred. If the agency denies it, or stays silent for 60 days, you get one year to sue.

For questions about the land itself, the Tonto office is at 2324 E. McDowell Rd., 602-225-5200. Ask which ranger district and which permit zone your crash was in, and write down the answer.

What should I ask an ATV accident lawyer in Phoenix?

  • Have you handled a claim on Forest Service or BLM land?
  • Who will inspect my machine before anyone repairs it?
  • Did the waiver I signed change anything?
  • Which insurance could apply if the other rider has no off-road policy?

Questions

Do I need a permit to ride near Phoenix?

At Bulldog Canyon, The Rolls, St. Clair and Desert Vista, yes, a Tonto OHV permit. You also need an OHV decal on most machines.

Who investigates a side-by-side rollover at Bulldog Canyon?

The Sheriff's Lake Patrol covers the Tonto in Maricopa County. Call (602) 876-1636 to ask about the report.

I signed a waiver at a rental shop. Can I still make a claim?

Often yes. Arizona's constitution leaves assumption of risk to a jury.

How long do I have to sue?

Generally 2 years. A public agency claim is due in 180 days.

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Sources (33)

  1. City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation, checked 2026-11-09. “Riding electric bicycles or other types of motorized vehicles on trails or off established park roads”
  2. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, checked 2026-11-09. “Lake Patrol covers the wilderness area and waterways of the Tonto National Forest within Maricopa County, as well as Lake Pleasant and Usery Mountain Regional Park.”
  3. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  4. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  5. 28 U.S.C. 2401(b), checked 2026-11-09. “presented in writing to the appropriate Federal agency within two years after such claim accrues”
  6. A.R.S. 33-1551, checked 2026-11-09. “is not liable to a recreational user or educational user except on a showing that the owner, easement holder, lessee, tenant, manager or occupant was guilty of wilful, malicious or grossly negligent conduct”
  7. A.R.S. 33-1551, checked 2026-11-09. “without the payment of an admission fee or any other consideration to travel across or to enter premises to hunt, fish, trap, camp, hike, ride, engage in off-highway vehicle, off-road recreational motor vehicle or all-terrain vehicle activity”
  8. U.S. Forest Service, Tonto National Forest, checked 2026-11-09. “Located in the Mesa Ranger District about one hour from Phoenix, Bulldog Canyon is 34,000 acres in size and provides approximately 20 miles of open routes.”
  9. U.S. Forest Service, Tonto National Forest, checked 2026-11-09. “is required for motorized vehicle access in the Bulldog Canyon, The Rolls, St. Clair, and Desert Vista OHV Permit Zones.”
  10. Bureau of Land Management, checked 2026-11-09. “The staging area is located 42 miles north of downtown Phoenix. From Phoenix, head north on Interstate 17 to exit 236.”
  11. Bureau of Land Management, checked 2026-11-09. “This site is managed by Hassayampa Field Office; visit their page for office hours and directions. [email protected] 602-867-5400”
  12. Arizona Department of Transportation, checked 2026-11-09. “All Terrain Vehicle or Cycle 171 0.072% 21 111 39”
  13. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, checked 2026-11-09. “Deputies patrol by traditional methods and with off-highway vehicles, watercraft, and horses.”
  14. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, checked 2026-11-09. “Phone:(602) 876-1636 (6028761636) 2. Address: 7307 N. Bush Hwy.Mesa, AZ 85215”
  15. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Report Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Unincorporated areas of Maricopa County (jurisdiction of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)”
  16. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Report Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Allow seven (7) business days after the accident for the report to be uploaded.”
  17. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Valleywise Health 2601 E. Roosevelt, Phoenix, AZ 85008 12/19/24 12/19/27”
  18. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Banner - University Medical Center 1111 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85006 11/18/25 11/18/27”
  19. CPSC 2024 OHV report, checked 2026-11-09. “The most common fatality hazards associated with OHV-related deaths were overturns and collisions with another vehicle or a stationary object”
  20. CPSC 2024 OHV report, checked 2026-11-09. “Rollovers are especially consequential for ROVs”
  21. Phelps v. Firebird Raceway (Ariz. 2005), checked 2026-11-09. “applies to an express contractual assumption of risk. We hold that it does.”
  22. A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
  23. Arizona Game and Fish Department, checked 2026-11-09. “All off-highway vehicles (OHVs) designed by the manufacturer primarily for use over unimproved terrain and that weigh 2,500 pounds or less are required by law to display a valid OHV decal to operate on public and state trust lands in Arizona.”
  24. U.S. Forest Service, Tonto National Forest, checked 2026-11-09. “Motorized vehicles must stay on designated trails. All cross-country travel by a motorized vehicle, including OHVs, is prohibited.”
  25. A.R.S. 28-1179, checked 2026-11-09. “A person who is under eighteen years of age may not operate an off-highway vehicle or be an off-highway vehicle passenger on public or state land unless the person is wearing a protective helmet”
  26. Arizona Game and Fish Department, checked 2026-11-09. “Many injuries sustained in OHV crashes can be attributed to passengers riding improperly.”
  27. Arizona Game and Fish Department, checked 2026-11-09. “DUI with an OHV is just like a DUI in any other vehicle.”
  28. Arizona Game and Fish Department, checked 2026-11-09. “With reckless disregard for the safety of persons or property.”
  29. A.R.S. § 12-502, checked 2026-11-08. “the period of such disability shall not be deemed a portion of the period limited for commencement of the action”
  30. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “is barred and no action may be maintained thereon”
  31. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “is deemed denied sixty days after the filing of the claim”
  32. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
  33. U.S. Forest Service, Tonto National Forest, checked 2026-11-09. “Tonto National Forest Supervisor’s Office 2324 E. McDowell Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85006 602-225-5200”

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