Bayárcal closes its roads to motorized traffic during the mushroom season

The Bayárcal City Council has prohibited the circulation of all types of motor vehicles on four tracks within its municipal district between October 12 and December 31, 2026, uninterruptedly and 24 hours a day. The measure was adopted by Mayoral Resolution No. 89-2026, dated October 7, 2026, and published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Almería number 209, dated October 28, 2026, under file reference 2772/26 (p. 3).

The resolution is issued under the powers that Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the Bases of Local Regime attributes to city councils and is supported by the municipal regulatory framework already in force regarding forest exploitation. Specifically, the council invokes the Municipal Regulatory and Fiscal Ordinances for the Exploitation and Collection of Mushrooms and other fruits in the Public Forests of Bayárcal, published in the B.O.P. of Almería number 73, dated April 19, 2016, as well as the Inventory of Rural Roads of the municipality, disseminated in the B.O.P. number 176, dated September 12, 2008.

The agreement is signed by the mayor-president, Germán Moreno Sampedro, who further orders that the restriction be communicated to the competent public administrations to seek their assistance and cooperation, and that the content of the provision be reported to the plenary of the corporation in the next session to be held, in accordance with article 22 of Law 7/1985.

Four affected tracks and 81 days of closure

The prohibition affects the roads included in the Inventory of Rural Roads that the resolution expressly lists:

• Pista del Puerto.
• Pista de Mosquera.
• Pista de Borja.
• Pista Forestal El Castillejo.

The veto extends to “all types of motor vehicles” and operates without the “mandatory authorization,” according to the published text. The calendar spans 81 calendar days, from October 12 to December 31, 2026, without hourly interruptions.

Who is exempt

The resolution details four cases that are not affected by the closure:

• Members of the staff of the Bayárcal City Council.
• Members of the State Security Forces and Corps and environmental agents.
• Persons who enjoy a right of ownership or exploitation of any kind over estates located in the affected geographical area.
• Persons expressly authorized by the Bayárcal City Council.

The text does not provide a specific exception for hunting activities, meaning that hunters could only access these tracks if they prove one of the previous cases, such as ownership or exploitation rights over estates in the area.

Illegal collection, controls, and notice to visitors

The basis for the measure is the start of the 2026 season for the collection of mushrooms and other fruits within the Municipal Mythological Game Reserve of Bayárcal, according to the designation appearing in the announcement. The city council considers it necessary to “establish the necessary control mechanisms to avoid indiscriminate and uncontrolled exploitation which occasionally leads to the illegal buying and selling of products obtained from the mountains fraudulently, along with significant environmental damage.”

Along with the closure of tracks, the city council plans to inform visitors about the mandatory technical prescriptions during collection through personnel designated by the corporation and present at the access controls to the aforementioned reserve. The resolution is published “for general knowledge” and is dated in Bayárcal on October 7, 2026.

A notice with a calendar already in motion

The restriction entered into force five days before its official publication in the Official Gazette of the Province of Almería, therefore residents, estate owners, hunters, and visitors who go to the mountains during the October long weekend and the mycological season must process a municipal authorization if they do not fit into any of the exempted cases. Bayárcal thus reinforces the control of a growing tourist and economic resource in the region, with vehicular access as the primary surveillance tool.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Almería, number 209, October 28, 2026, Local Administration, page 3 (official reference: file 002772-26).