Is every vehicle route considered a road?
No. The Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976 (FLPMA) gave a definition of a road that is still widely used today. According to this Act, roads are improved and maintained to ensure continuous use. The Forest Service defines roads as passable by a standard passenger vehicle. Combining these definitions, we get a simple, and commonly accepted definition of a road: A road is mechanically constructed and maintained, and is passable by a standard passenger vehicle. You can also use the Ford Escort test in the field: if you can drive your Ford Escort (or equivalent) over it, it’s probably a road.
