hey mudslinger- is that photo in your post taken at H-M?

I really need to get down there and check it out- I'm thinking of taking a week off from work sometime in august and maybe hitting those trails with a tent... (I need to save money )

 

The picture of the Blue Big Bear and Red King Quad stuck in the same hole was taken at Wayne National Forest in Ohio. My brother was stuck on his Big Bear and I tried to slide the rear end of my King Quad along the side of the hole to roost him with some of that slop. As soon as I hit the edge, the hole just sucked me in.

 

hehe- serves you right

 

I realize this thread has gone on for several months while i was away doing other things... but I think a couple comments struck a chord with me. Beergut, I think what is happening in the systems like HM and paiute trail in Utah are the result of not having any alternatives. When coal died in WV, they had nothing to fall back on. The one thing that saved WV has been the ATV trails. The reason it has worked is because their state governments realized that only by working with the locals, and the ATV enthusiasts, would they be able to work it all out. From what I understand, WI has a ton of trails, but what they have been missing is a central authority that is working to make it work. I can bet that if the Governor called the forest service into his office and told them to play nice, you would see a lot more cooperation. You need to capitalize on the fact that for once, you have a governor that recognizes the opportunity. BUT, it is going ot take a lot of people in cooperation with his office to move this forward.

You now find stores, motels, resorts, restaraunts, gas stations etc that can directly point to the trails as being the impetus of increasaed revenues. And increased sales means increased tax revenue for the state to pay for things like roads etc. Everyone knows that they are in this togetgher, and they are very much involved with policing the trails for people who act out. If you do, you are asked to leave. That simple. No refunds, just leave. There generally are many people in line waiting for an open date.

To answer the original question, there are several events each year. I have seen days when you had ot go elswhere ot ride on one of the other systems because there was no place to park. However generally speaking, there is plenty of capacity. Then again, they can also limit the number of riders on any given trail system by the amount of parking available. You can't always judge the numbers of machines on the system by the cars in the trail heads either. Generally, the surrounding area is dotted with resorts that can ride directly to the trails. So any trailers you see on the trail heads are only a fraction of the number of machines actually riding. Forget trying to purchase land adjacent to the trails as well. They are not stupid...

 

there is a trail system called wolf pen gap in arkansas that the people there make the atv riders feel welcome also.

 

Reference back to Deeplaker on page 1. I know this is an old thread, but when I reread your post it struck a chord with me. Yes, there is something special in HM, But WI trails offer unique opportunities as well. Certainly the trails could be stung along and form the basis of a trail system that could make HM look small by comparison. The real change in thinking must come from the locals who own the resorts. They sell themselves as a fishing destination in the summer and snowmobile in the winter. They need a new Paradigm that sells the ATV trails as a fun family activity. The STATE needs to sell it too. The local businesses must sell it to attract the $, and everyone needs to be welcoming. I can recall a time when snowmobiles were just getting started (yeah, I am old) They didn't happen overnight, but the State was deeply involved with trail building etc. And things took off in a big way. It is nothing for a guy to haul 6 or more sleds, and clubs going north for a weekend of fun in the snow these days. Also, you have to remember that new snomobiles were WELL under $1500. I bought my first Ski-doo 340 TNT when I was 12 for $1200. That is a lot of mowing of grass. Now days, you need a second mortgage to get one.

 

I'm finding that the trip to Hatfield/McCoy wouldn't be worth it to me coming from Mass. when I can just drive a couple hours to Maine and get all the miles I could want in. Maine has literally thousands of miles of ATV trails and they are actively linking up the whole system. Within a few more years they will have the whole state interconnected with trails that allow you to go into town for gas, food, and lodging. I've only started to ride Maine in the last few years but I'm already seeing the effort they are putting into it. Just late last year they added a trail to connect the Rangeley Lakes area to the Bingham area. Bingham is already connected to the Moosehead Lake region in Greenville, up to Rockwood, and west to Jackman, where you can ride to the Canadian border to the north or back down to Bingham through The Forks to the south. Even the southern trails in Maine are slowly getting hooked up so you can ride from one club's trail system to the next. It's a joy to know there are gas stations and restaurants along the trails that you can ride to. Makes the experience that much better. And I know it has brought multi-millions to Maine as a result.

 

Moose...You going to guide a trip if we head up there to ride? Ohio does about everything that they can to get ATVs to go somewhere else!!