Power line trails

lt1fire

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2007
Location
charlotte
What is the law on power line roads here in NC. In cali it was pretty much up in the air unless it was posted no trespassing. The house I just bought has powerlines just down the road with some very muddy and in some places, that I can see, steep trails that follow them. Are they open for following in your own truck or is it a grey area, or is it a big ass ticket if caught doing it??
 
NCGS 14-134.2 no person shall operate a motor vehicle/ATV upon a utility easement without written permission.
 
We have power lines on our hunting land. I wouldn't suggest it unless you want to get shot. Power lines are usually always owned by someone. It's trespassing.
 
a while back before i new better me and some friends rode them from Icard to a little past Morganton like 19miles till we came to a huge drop off that we couldnt pass but the next week they went with out me and got caught by a land owner who called the cops who gave em tickets :shaking:
 
All of the powerlines around here are Federal property...the game wardens love to see people out there! Plus, everything that's not powerline is all part of the Croatan National Forest! :shaking: I don't wheel anywhere near where I live and I most certainly make sure it's legal!
 
Another bad part. Unless you have a REAL good friend you might not get help while you are stuck out there. My buddy debated against helping his friend who was stuck out there. He finally gave in a week later, and got caught. Lucky for him the owner let him slide because the owner knew a stuck truck was already out there and my friend told him he was just trying to get it off the owners land , but his friend got a ticket.
 
I got chased by someone when I was wheeling on power line trails. It was a white Chevy so I assume it was the land owner/duke power employee.. Either way, he didnt catch me but I didnt want to stick around to see what he had planned. Just stay away from the power lines, they rott your brain!
 
don't try to blame it on the power lines, Justin:huggy:
 
There is a series of power line trails west of Boiling Springs(in Cleveland County) on private property that the owner has opened up as a "pay to play" OHV park. It goes by the name Lake Houser ATV Park.
 
Can someone really "own" that land, I thought no matter what it was property of the power company??
 
I've got a buddy in Pleasant Garden that has 20 acres with the high line towers crossing the back of the property. He owns the land but they have the right of way and you can't build x number of feet from the right of way and different rules like that. The lines were already there when he bought the land so I don't know if they pay you for the right of way or if iminent domain comes into effect.
 
Power line trails are no different than someone's front yard.

Someone owns the land and they have the right to let you ride.
However if you do not have permission you can get 2 tickets. 1 for trespassing and a second for easement infringement.

On grandads farm we have over a mile of power line ROW.
And I have a few NICE holes down there to play in, but he doesnt want anyone else in because he is scared to death to get sued if someone were hurt.

Duke told me last year that this summer they plan to grade the entire ROW back flat....I'll just have to crank the back hoe up when they do...
 
BigClay said:
Can someone really "own" that land, I thought no matter what it was property of the power company??
Click to expand...
You've got it backwards. Of course someone can own the land. Someone owns ALL of the land, even if it's the federal government like out west. In any case, the power company doesn't own the land. They simply have a right of way to gain access to the land for the purposes of maintaining the power lines. They do not pay the land owners for that right of way, and the land owner can not build on it, but otherwise they can do what they want on the property. They can hunt on it, raise cattle on it, wheel on it, whatever they want, as long as they don't impede the power company from maintaining the lines. It's not really a great deal for the land owner because there is forever and always some jackass who thinks he can trespass on his land with impunity. We always have trouble with jerks who dump trash and junk appliances on our right of ways. They are on the back side of the property and away from the house, so we've never actually caught the perpetrators. We just get to clean up after them.:flipoff:
 
Gotcha, a little clearer now.
 
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