Fences along the road

Share info and Pictures about gardens, parks, nurseries, and other locations with cacti.
Post Reply
MarcMeyer
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2015 7:53 pm

Fences along the road

Post by MarcMeyer »

Hi there,
I always wondered when driving along the US roads, what are all the fences about? Are they intended to keep people off the land or are they more to prevent cattle to cross the road? I stopped several times to look for cacti (Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, everywhere), but not knowing what the fences mean, I just had a look on the small strip next to the road.
User avatar
cortez753
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2013 11:24 pm
Location: Longmont, Colorado. Zone 5b

Re: Fences along the road

Post by cortez753 »

It usually means private property. Look for signs that say open space.
jmoney
Posts: 242
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 11:26 am
Location: Florida
Contact:

Re: Fences along the road

Post by jmoney »

Yeah...just to be safe, don't jump the fence. Sometimes folks won't hesitate to shoot first and ask questions later, so please be careful.
Budding cactus enthusiast

Twitter: jmoneypn
Instagram: jmoneypn
User avatar
tumamoc
Posts: 2330
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2005 12:10 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona USA

Re: Fences along the road

Post by tumamoc »

cortez753 wrote:It usually means private property. Look for signs that say open space.
...or BLM, Indian Reservation, state land, etc.
MarcMeyer
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2015 7:53 pm

Re: Fences along the road

Post by MarcMeyer »

Ok, thanks guys... in case of doubts I'll rather not jump the fence... Though I get the feeling that 3 quarters of the US are somehow behind a fence of some sort...
george76904
Posts: 487
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:01 am
Location: Americus GA

Re: Fences along the road

Post by george76904 »

Most of the land in the US is privately owned(hence the fence). Jumping the fence would not be wise, as you could be arrested for trespassing. All in all its best to say on the tiny strip of land and explore public parks. There are many great national parks out in the deserts that you can go searching for cacti in to your hearts content. You can look them up on the internet to find maps to rhem
MarcMeyer
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2015 7:53 pm

Re: Fences along the road

Post by MarcMeyer »

Yes, they are great parks, some of them I know, many more yet to go... :) Happy new year!
User avatar
leland
Posts: 266
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2012 11:55 pm
Location: North central Nicaragua

Re: Fences along the road

Post by leland »

In the desert Southwest most of the fences are to keep cattle in or to keep them off the highways. Many others are to mark property lines and protect the rights of the owners. Trespassing laws vary county to county, some requiring you to have written permission from the landowner whether or not the land is posted and others being more lax. If you are not causing trouble and are away from houses, etc., enforcement is very unlikely, but when in doubt just go away or request permission from the landowner.

If you are worried about getting shot, stay away from drug labs, marijuana patches, and vacation homes. These people are far more teste than the average rancher.

Much of the land in some areas is public, with varying entrance rules, with BLM land usually being the least restrictive. Stop by the local BLM office and look at their maps or chat with them. In Arizona, State Trust Lands have their own strange rules. My fuzzy memory is that you need a fishing license to hike in the desert! Some National forest areas require a permit to park by the side of the road.
Again, the BLM and Forest Service have maps which give a good idea of where the public, no fee areas are.
Post Reply