How Do You Know When a Road is Indeed Public?

If you encounter a closed road or trail (which is obviously not a federal highway, a state highway, or a city street) and you believe it may be a legally accessible road, here are some things you can do to check it out:

FIRST, is it in a National Forest? If so, check with the Regional Forester office to see if a private easement or fee tile exists. If not, take your case to the Regional Forester. It could also be a county road within the boundaries of the National forest. In that case you will have to deal with county authorities. Keep in mind the Forest Service does have the right and duty to...