I just got my 11 year old a mudhead sideXside. We have about 5 acres of solid forest in New England. I spent a few weekends clearing trees and brush and got a decent track. However, it didn't take long for him to develop huge ruts, exposed rocks, etc. I rented a backhoe/front end loader for the day and took out some of the larger rocks and put down a couple yards of dirt, but the trail is just too rough to have fun on.


I can't dig everything out due to the huge tree roots, so I was thinking I have to dump a bunch of dirt through the woods. What is the best type of fill to use? Stone dust/gravel/dirt? What will last the longest? My son loves to ride in the rain and absolutely destroys the track. I'd like to get a hard smooth surface like a farm road where he can fly without trashing his back.


If you can't tell from my description, this is the first ATV I've ever owned. I'm just a weekend warrior father who wants his son to have a good time in the woods, so the more thorough the explanations the better. Thanks in advance for any help...

 

Stone dust/dense pack is a pretty good material for making smooth surfaces that stand up to weather pretty well. I'd fill ruts with gravel and top it off with the stone dust/dense pack. It's tough, here in New England, to smooth out anything resembling a track.

 

Where I ride in Maine, it's mostly gravel, mud holes, sharp rocks and tree roots. If you drive more than 15 mph , you will die. I drive slow, carry a chainsaw a gun and enjoy the wilderness. I enjoy smelling the smells of different blossoms and see lots of wildlife. I've driven 1 trail almost every day for years thru the woods to visit my 95 year old dad. Trail looks exactly like it did when I got my first 4 wheeler, years ago. Surprised that you'd need to do anything.

 

Keep your track higher than the surrounding area for it to drain. Standing water on the track makes for ruts really fast as the washing water will move dirt, stone and anything else out quickly. If he likes to hammer the throttle and roost with his back tires this will also dig trenches real quick, especially on a wet track. Some type of gravel/stone packed down and allow the water to drain away from the track surface is your best bet.

 

I would say gravel or crushed stone won't wash out as fast. My brother builds roads, suggested "rotten rock" if you have it, it packs down and stays put.

 

Crushed limestone packs down good and hard.