Man Found Safe After Off-Roading Goes Awry in Franklin County
A man found out how lucky he is after he was stranded overnight in the Juniper Dunes of Franklin County. Fortunately, the man was able to call a family member for assistance before his phone died. The man was found safe after spending a night in the cold.
Deputies with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office were able to locate the man with the description of his location given to his family.
Juniper Dunes is a Popular Off-Roading Destination near Tri-Cities.
Since the early 1960s, Juniper Dunes has been a popular regional outdoor recreation area. Its current 19,600 acres is split into three adjoining area designations, each having its own use regulations: the Juniper Dunes Wilderness (designated by Congress in 1984), an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), and an OHV “Open” Area. Currently, more than 30,000 people visit Juniper Dunes annually, most of them coming for OHV recreation.
Some Things to Note Before You go Off-Roading at the Dunes:
No facilities or services are available.
Current state of residence registration and tabs/stickers are required on all motorized vehicles.
You must wear an industry-approved safety helmet when operating a motorcycle or ATV/OHV on all BLM public or leased lands and roads within the Juniper Dunes area. This requirement does not apply to occupants of street-legal, four-wheeled vehicles.
You must not operate a motorcycle or ATV/OHV without a safety flag while on BLM lands in the Juniper Dunes. All such vehicles must have a whip mast and a 6-inch x 12-inch red/orange safety flag. Flags may be of pennant, triangle, square, or rectangular shape. Safety flags must be attached within 10 inches of the tip of the whip mast with club or other flags mounted below the safety flag or on another whip. Masts must be a minimum of 6 feet in height/length or industry standard height/length.
You must not carry a passenger when operating a motorcycle or ATV/ OHV on BLM public lands and roads unless the ATV/OHV is designed by the manufacturer to carry passengers.
Wood pallets, and any other wood or lumber containing hardware including nails or screws, are prohibited for any type of fire on BLM lands or roads in the Juniper Dunes area.
Please do not bring any glass beverage containers.