What You Need to Know About Montana’s “Purple Paint Law”

While on an easy hike through the woods, you come across a lone tree with red or purple markings spray-painted on its trunk.

It is easy to dismiss it as the work of vandals; nevertheless, the paint may be a more significant sign that you need to be aware of before continuing your hike any farther down the trail.

When you see red paint on a tree, what should you do?

You should become familiar with the tree-marking symbols that the United States Forest Service has provided before going on your next foray into the woods. For the purpose of identifying trees, there is a color-coded system that is supposed to be utilized.

There are a few colors that are not particularly dangerous for hikers who are just out for fun. For example, if the tree is marked with blue and yellow, it indicates that it is scheduled to be taken down.

If you are not familiar with the system, there are several of the hues that have pretty severe repercussions.

According to GardenKowHow.com, the color red indicates that the tree is located on territory that is owned by the United States Forest Service. In other words, you are in a location that you should not be, and you need to leave as soon as possible! It is explained in the report that the label serves as a warning to avoid the theft of lumber.Just as serious is the application of purple paint to a tree.

Get our free mobile app

Purple and red are close companions when it comes to the degree of seriousness required by hikers.

Several states, including Illinois, Montana, Idaho, and Texas, have passed what is known as a "purple paint law." Landowners can therefore use purple paint to denote the private nature of their land.

Remember that the United States Forest Service uses the markings discussed in this article. There are trees in cities all over the U.S. that are marked with different colors. Those could mean the same thing, or something totally different. Happy Hiking!