CORALLY

Can you ride forest tracks by motorcycle in Navarra? What the law says

Last reviewed: November 9, 2026

Yes: in Navarra you may ride forest tracks and ways 2 metres wide or more, unless the authorities have expressly closed them (Foral Decree 36/1994, article 11). Never off-track, on narrower ways, firebreaks or logging tracks, nor inside reserves, drove roads or the Camino de Santiago, and at extreme wildfire risk no track is open.

Allowed

  • On tracks and ways 2 m wide or more that are not expressly closed (FD 36/1994, art. 11.1; FA 13/1990, art. 65.e).
  • On official-network roads, also where they cross reserves, drove roads or the Camino de Santiago (FD 36/1994, art. 11.2).
  • In natural parks, on what their plan allows (FA 9/1996, art. 36.2.g); in Bardenas, only on the authorised tracks, under 40 km/h and in groups of fewer than 5.

Not allowed

  • Off-track, on ways under 2 m wide, firebreaks or logging tracks (FD 36/1994, art. 11.1; FA 13/1990, art. 65.f).
  • On tracks and ways expressly closed, even if wider than 2 m (FD 36/1994, art. 11.1).
  • Inside integral and natural reserves, natural enclaves and natural recreation areas, drove roads, the Camino de Santiago, historic roads, the Plazaola greenway or riverbeds (FD 36/1994, arts. 8 and 11.2).
  • On forest tracks and rural ways at extreme wildfire risk, at any time of year (Foral Order 222/2016, art. 10.1).
  • On drove roads, except with an exceptional permit (FA 19/1997, art. 15.1).
  • An event or competition without a permit (FD 36/1994, art. 10).

The rule: tracks 2 metres wide or more

The Navarrese rule for motorcycles is Foral Decree 36/1994 on motor traffic on undeveloped land. It bans riding off-track, off roads or «on rural ways less than two metres wide», on firebreaks and on logging tracks, and also on tracks the authorities have expressly closed, even if they are wider (art. 11.1).

Foral Act 13/1990 on Forest Heritage says the same from the forestry side: recreational use of forest roads can be limited or banned, and off them you may not ride (art. 65.e and 65.f). The upshot: a track or way 2 metres wide or more, with no closure sign, yes; anything else, no.

Where you may not go even on a track

The same decree bans riding inside certain areas except on official-network roads (arts. 8 and 11.2):

  • Integral and natural reserves, natural enclaves and natural recreation areas.
  • Drove roads, the Camino de Santiago, historic roads and the Plazaola greenway.
  • Riverbeds and wetlands.

Protected areas and Bardenas

In Navarra's natural areas, riding a motor vehicle outside what is expressly allowed is an offence (Foral Act 9/1996, art. 36.2.g); each natural park (Urbasa-Andía, Señorío de Bertiz, Bardenas Reales) sets it out in its plan.

Bardenas Reales has its own rules: only on the authorised tracks, under 40 km/h, in groups of fewer than 5 vehicles and never in the military zone. It is the only Navarrese rule we have found with a speed and group limit.

Wildfires: at extreme risk, no track

When AEMET's wildfire risk index is extreme, motor traffic on forest tracks and other rural ways is banned, all year round and across Navarra (Foral Order 222/2016, art. 10.1, as worded in 2023). The exceptions are for work, farms, services and authorised activities; riding for pleasure is not one of them.

The summer period runs from 1 June to 30 September, but the ban depends on the index, not the date. When the risk calls for it, the government can also close traffic by foral order: check navarra.es before you go.

Drove roads

Navarra has its own act: motor vehicles on drove roads only with an exceptional permit, never when livestock is passing or on drove roads of ecological or cultural interest (Foral Act 19/1997, art. 15.1); motorcycling is not one of the complementary uses (art. 16.1). And Foral Decree 36/1994 expressly bans riding on drove roads (art. 11.2).

What is not clear

We could not read the Urbasa-Andía or Señorío de Bertiz plans, nor the Natura 2000 plans. There is no public list of closed tracks either, and neither the 1994 decree nor the wildfire order says which act penalises them: the amounts below are our most likely reading.

Until it is clear: wide tracks with no closure, never off them, check AEMET's risk index and, in a park, ask its office.

What if you get fined

Riding off forest roads or on a closed track in a forest is minor under Foral Act 13/1990: up to €6,000 with no damage, and with damage it can become serious (arts. 75, 76 and 80). In a natural area, the minor fine goes up to €6,010 (FA 9/1996, art. 36.5), and on a drove road without a permit, €60 to €601 (FA 19/1997, art. 22). The vehicle can also be seized (FA 13/1990, art. 81).

What each area is

Four designations you will meet out in the country, each with its own page: what it is, what the acronyms mean and what it means for your bike.

How Corally applies it

  • Singletrack (in Corally, «paths») is outside the default way filter: the planner does not use it and the analyser flags the sections of a GPX that run on it.
  • If OpenStreetMap says a way is closed to motorcycles or motor vehicles, the planner avoids it and the analyser flags it as «No motorcycles».
  • The «Zones with rules» layer flags the protected areas, public-utility forests and drove roads it knows on your route: it does not block it, it warns you so you can decide or ask for a permit.
  • What Corally does not know: the real width of each way, which tracks are closed, the day's risk index and each park's plan. The data is public and collaborative and may differ from the ground: the signs rule.

Plan a dirt-track route in Navarra

Frequently asked questions

Can you ride dirt tracks in Navarra?
Yes, on tracks and ways 2 m wide or more that are not expressly closed. Never off-track, on narrower ways, firebreaks or logging tracks (FD 36/1994, art. 11.1).
What about wildfire risk?
At AEMET's extreme risk index, no riding on forest tracks or rural ways, at any time of year (Foral Order 222/2016, art. 10.1).
Is there a speed or group limit?
There is no general Navarrese rule. In Bardenas Reales, under 40 km/h and groups of fewer than 5 vehicles. An event needs a permit (FD 36/1994, art. 10).
Can I ride a drove road or the Camino de Santiago?
No, except on the official-network roads that cross them (FD 36/1994, art. 11.2). On drove roads, only with an exceptional permit (FA 19/1997, art. 15.1).
What is the fine?
In a forest, minor up to €6,000 with no damage (FA 13/1990, art. 80); in a natural area, up to €6,010 (FA 9/1996, art. 36.5).

Sources (with the article)

A practical guide written by Corally from the rules cited at the end. It is not legal advice: rules change, every protected area has its own plan, and signs on the ground always prevail.