What map would you trust more - BLM or OnX?

[ChrisAU]

I'm thinking BLM map? This is in WY. OnX shows the highway having a strip of private around it, BLM map shows no such thing. BLM on top, OnX on bottom.

 

[jolemons]

The strip appears to be the highway public right of way by my guess

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[LongWayAround]

Jolenons is correct. The white lines bordering the highway in the bottom image are likely right-of-way.

 

[ChrisAU]

So, no issue turning off that highway onto the road going North? I had this specific question dialed up for the local BLM office and by the time I got through my list I had lost a lot of confidence in getting answers to specific questions from them. I know without a doubt the BLM map would be a much better defense than OnX should we be asked. I have seen this exact area disputed on the interwebs saying that you couldn't go down those roads because of that thin strip of "private", I', guessing now to try to keep people off of it...

 

[cburgin72]

If you send me the coordinates for that location I can look at it for you..... Just kidding!!

If you tap on the part that looks private, what ownership info comes up?

 

[ChrisAU]

If you send me the coordinates for that location I can look at it for you..... Just kidding!!

If you tap on the part that looks private, what ownership info comes up?

It doesn't give any ownership information. I feel like an idiot now but I'm also much more excited about our hunt in a couple weeks. This saves us miles and a few hours of hiking. I wasn't even looking to verify it, I had taken the word of others as the gospel on another forum. Just noticed it while trying to reconcile a difference in the Wyoming F&G map and OnX and noticed it.

Yeah yeah I know, antelope hunting and miles of hiking? We are making a trip out of it want to hike in and camp. Probably pass a bunch of animals on the way in, but that's ok. We have a week lol.

 

[Bubblehide]

BLM employs actual surveyors, while OnX utilizes county records, which are often incorrect.

 

[cburgin72]

It doesn't give any ownership information. I feel like an idiot now but I'm also much more excited about our hunt in a couple weeks. This saves us miles and a few hours of hiking. I wasn't even looking to verify it, I had taken the word of others as the gospel on another forum. Just noticed it while trying to reconcile a difference in the Wyoming F&G map and OnX and noticed it.

Yeah yeah I know, antelope hunting and miles of hiking? We are making a trip out of it want to hike in and camp. Probably pass a bunch of animals on the way in, but that's ok. We have a week lol.

I'd be shocked if you ran into any trouble by using that road. I agree with you about using the BLM map over OnX to defend yourself if you needed to. Does the F&G agree with the BLM map?

Lol hey you gotta do what you gotta do and if that means hiking a few miles then so be it. Especially with as far as you are traveling. No reason not to have a lot of fun with it!!

 

[ChrisAU]

I'd be shocked if you ran into any trouble by using that road. I agree with you about using the BLM map over OnX to defend yourself if you needed to. Does the F&G agree with the BLM map?

Lol hey you gotta do what you gotta do and if that means hiking a few miles then so be it. Especially with as far as you are traveling. No reason not to have a lot of fun with it!!

Yes the F&G Map and the BLM map jive. Now the issue I'm running into is people saying that those roads coming off the highway may be closed to public use. There is a fair bit of signage at each one that I can't ready on Google Maps. I'll call the BLM office again but I'm not expecting a firm answer.

 

[cburgin72]

Ahh I got ya. Heck if BLM can't give you a good answer maybe the game warden for that area can give you one.

 

[nodakian]

OnX strip is either owned by the highway department (more likely), or highway department has an easement across BLM. Either way, 99.9% chance it’s owned by a public entity, and you’d be good to get off the highway onto BLM.

BLM maps are prepared by cartographers using various techniques and data from a variety of sources, most of which doesn’t include accurate measurements. Not many surveyors involved.

OnX typically uses county tax roll data which in my experience tends to be accurate—county government doesn’t want to miss a dime if they can help it. Property lines are not survey grade, either, but usually reasonable for innocent reliance by average users.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

County gis map is better than both.

 

[Sherman]

The dudes over at Black Lives Matter seem pretty legit. I don’t think they would steer you in the wrong direction or put out any misinformation......so I would go with BLM....yep Black Lives Matter should be trusted more than OnX.

 

[GrayGoose]

The dudes over at Black Lives Matter seem pretty legit. I don’t think they would steer you in the wrong direction or put out any misinformation......so I would go with BLM....yep Black Lives Matter should be trusted more than OnX.

BLM=Bureau of Land Management
But maybe I missed the sarcasm

 

[Sherman]

BLM=Bureau of Land Management
But maybe I missed the sarcasm

Not sure how much more sarcastic I could’ve been.

 

[canyonhunter47]

OnX is extremely useful but not infallible. One time I noticed the units layer using the wrong road for the boundary (I sent them a note and they had it fixed quickly though).

And the county records they use for property boundaries are generally good but, in the end, if the govt dropped the ball on quality control it’s garbage-in-garbage-out. They fix what they can but for $30/year they can’t hire an army of surveyors to comb the entire American West for GIS errors

 

[Ddan33]

OnX seems quite accurate for the 4 years I’ve used it. A BLM map is harder to navigate but is likely exactly on if it’s current. In areas where land has changed hands quite a few times, I’ve noticed it takes 1+ years for OnX to update the landowners.

 

[nodakian]

Slow ownership changes may be due to timing. Counties often only update their systems yearly, so they and OnX could easily be out of sync.

 

[wytx]

Check the county GIS, they actually update more than once a year in some counties.
Looks like a gate or cattle guard on that road going north in your pic.
Check the county road map, or the Road and Bridge Super for the county can probably answer your question, email them as contact info will be online.

 

[cshire]

I can't see your map image, so not sure what you are seeing.
Last year in WY I came across some roads that turned off a designated county rd. and crossed mixed BLM and private.
They were access roads for wells, pump pads and other oil infrastructure.
They were not designated county roads per county GIS website and were posted as "no trespassing, authorized vehicles only" or something similar.
Part of me said public land = public road, but I didn't want a trespass charge so I stayed off.
Maybe some WY natives can speak better to if these roads are public or if you will catch a trespass charge.