If you carry an electric scooter or similar device in your RV, the rules for using it in national parks are about to change.
The National Park Service has finalized a new set of regulations for electric scooters, hoverboards, Segways, electric skateboards, OneWheel-type devices, and other small electric transportation devices.
The new rules take effect September 11, 2026, and instead of establishing a single nationwide list of places where these devices can be ridden, they give individual parks much more control over where they can be used.
That means something allowed at one National Park Service site may be prohibited at another.
The Old Rules vs. the New Rules
The biggest change is easier to understand when you compare the current system with what takes effect September 11.
| Before September 11, 2026 | Starting September 11, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Electric scooters and similar devices are generally treated as motor vehicles. | They become a separate category called powered micromobility devices. |
| They are allowed by default on park roads open to public motor vehicles. | They are prohibited by default unless the park specifically designates a location where they can be used. |
| Treating them like cars makes it difficult to allow them on sidewalks, paths and other areas closed to motor vehicles. | Park superintendents can allow them on roads, parking areas, paved or gravel sidewalks and paths, and many other previously improved areas. |
| Opening areas outside normal motor-vehicle routes can require a more involved regulatory process. | Many previously improved areas can be opened through a park superintendent’s designation without going through full federal rulemaking. |
| Their use is largely governed by the same framework used for cars and other motor vehicles. | Each park gets more flexibility to decide where, when, and how the devices can be used. |
The National Park Service said its existing regulations created an odd situation. Small electric devices were allowed by default on roads alongside cars and trucks, even when those roads weren’t well suited for them. At the same time, the motor-vehicle classification made it harder for parks to allow scooters on paved and gravel paths where their use might make more sense.
The new rule changes that approach.
Starting September 11, powered micromobility devices will be prohibited unless the National Park Service has made an affirmative decision to allow them in a particular location.
What Counts as a Powered Micromobility Device?
Under the new rule, a powered micromobility device is generally a human-operated, self-propelled device weighing less than 150 pounds that doesn’t have an internal-combustion engine.
Examples include:
- Electric standing scooters
- Electric seated scooters
- Electric skateboards
- Electric skates
- Hoverboards
- Segways
- One-wheeled and two-wheeled electric self-balancing devices
The 150-pound limit is higher than the weight of most consumer electric scooters because NPS wanted the definition to include heavier devices such as Segways and some adaptive mobility devices.
E-bikes are not included in this new category. They already have their own National Park Service regulations and will continue to be governed separately. Traditional bicycles and human-powered skateboards, roller skates, and similar devices also aren’t covered by the new powered micromobility rule.
Parks Will Have Much More Say Over Where You Can Ride
Individual park superintendents will be able to designate many locations for scooter and micromobility use without going through the full federal rulemaking process.
Those locations can include park roads, parking areas, administrative roads, paved sidewalks, gravel paths, and other places that are now or previously were improved with materials such as asphalt, concrete, gravel, or wood boards.
Superintendents will also be able to put conditions on their use.
For example, a park could set a special speed limit, restrict certain types of devices, limit their size or weight, prohibit riding at certain times of day, or allow them in one part of the park while banning them elsewhere.
That flexibility is one of the biggest differences RV travelers will encounter.
There won’t necessarily be one simple nationwide answer to the question, “Can I ride my electric scooter in a national park?”
You’ll need to check the rules for the park you’re visiting.
This Doesn’t Mean Scooters Can Suddenly Go on Any Trail
The new rule gives parks more flexibility, but it doesn’t give superintendents unlimited authority to open any trail they want.
Locations that have never been improved with artificial or processed materials require a formal Federal Register rulemaking before powered micromobility devices can be allowed.
That could apply to natural-surface trails and other undeveloped areas.
By comparison, places that have previously been improved with materials such as gravel, asphalt, concrete, steel rail lines, wood boards or similar materials can generally be designated through a simpler process, unless the decision is considered highly controversial or otherwise significant.
So seeing scooters allowed on one paved trail shouldn’t be taken as permission to ride them on nearby hiking trails.
Federally Designated Wilderness Is Off-Limits
The rule is particularly strict when it comes to federally designated wilderness.
Possessing a powered micromobility device in a wilderness area established by federal law is prohibited unless another federal law specifically allows it.
Park superintendents cannot override that restriction simply by designating a route for scooter use.
State and Local Laws Can Still Apply
National Park Service rules won’t necessarily be the only regulations riders need to follow.
Unless an NPS regulation or park-specific restriction says otherwise, state and local laws governing powered micromobility devices will continue to apply.
Those laws can cover things such as helmet requirements, age limits, speed limits, hours of operation, and driver’s license requirements.
The new federal rule also requires riders to follow several safety regulations already applied to bicycles and e-bikes, including yielding to pedestrians and saddle animals, avoiding unreasonable speeds and using proper lights or reflectors when riding at night.
Don’t Expect Every Park to Rewrite Its Scooter Rules Overnight
Although the regulatory framework is changing substantially, the National Park Service says it doesn’t expect the rule to produce major changes in actual scooter use across the park system right away.
Electric scooter use is currently concentrated largely at urban NPS sites, and the agency expects many superintendents to continue allowing existing or similar levels of use after reviewing their local rules.
Popular locations where NPS says these devices are already used include the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C., Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, and Cape Cod National Seashore.
The larger change is how those decisions will now be made.
What RVers Should Do Before Bringing an Electric Scooter
For RVers who use an electric scooter to get around a campground, reach a visitor center or cover longer distances without moving the RV, checking the park’s rules before riding will become even more useful after September 11.
Don’t assume that a road, campground loop, paved path or bike route is open to your scooter simply because you saw someone riding one there previously.
Instead, check the individual park’s website, current superintendent’s compendium or posted signs for locations specifically designated for powered micromobility devices.
The new system gives national parks more freedom to put these devices where they make sense, but it also means permission in one park won’t automatically carry over to the next one.
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