Can someone please explain why the National Forest Service in Texas is so unfriendly to ATV riders. My wife and I have rode in national forrests in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas in the last three months. In all three of those states, the state and the forrest service keep trails maintained, marked, and for the most part open. Each state benifits by additional revenue in the form of tourist dollars spent at local establishments including hotels and lodges, service stations, restaurants, and in some cases hospital emergency rooms.

I live in the middle of the Angelina National Forrest in Texas, and have never ridden on public lands in the forrest. The forrest service and the state do everything possible to discourage ATV use. They require the use of every safety device available, such as helmets and goggles, special stickers on the ATV, special riding rules such as no riding within 100 feet of any water way (Texas will soon extend that law to include any waterway in the state). The forrest service officers are always more than happy to see rules broken because they have an unlimited supply of ticket books and seem to love writing them.

I love living in Texas, but sure get tired of having to go to another state to ride on national public lands.

Ted

 

I agree. I grew up in Stephenville and I could ride anywhere I wanted. Now Ive returned to my 3 wheeling roots and I cant find anywhere to ride. It makes me sick to see these ATV commercials where they are crossing streams and mudding and I cant even ride in a vacant lot. I used to go camping all over the state with my folks and I could ride my 3 wheeler anywhere in the public or state parks. Not now. You cant even ride them onthe roads for transportation purposes.

I am searching for somewhere around Brownwood to take my 3 trikes, let me know if you know of any places. I live in Arlington and am looking up here too.

 

Haldodd,

Your in luck, Texas actually has some pretty good public riding parks and trails. I know TEXMud keeps a good list of them on his web site. Unfortunately, I have lost his url. He will probably read this message and post his website url for you. I's just a shame that Texas is quickly enacting laws and regulations to prevent ATV riders from riding in river bottoms, national forrests, and other controlled properties. If TEXMud hasn't posted his website within a couple of days, I will get it for you.

Ted

 

There is Actually a bunch of public places you can ride in Texas, just they are all hidden away and they wont advertise or anything for them which really sux. Makes most the places almost impossible to find without knowing someone that knows someone that knows about it. Im in a way on the lucky side because I live out in the country and have alot of private land which I can do my ATV riding on.

 

http://www.ansley.net/rides.php TEXMudder's site
http://www.gatorrunpark.com/ Gator run park 5000 acres East Texas
http://txmud.com/

Theres some places to start. I have been to SE Oaklahoma in the Three
Rivers Wildlife Management Area, near Broken Bow. 450,000 acres of
logging roads. Great ridding. I will be going back in the near future.
You nead a yearly permit to enter. Can Camp anywhere. GPS and or a map a
must.

 

Just to clarify there are 1,000,000+ acres of land in the Broken Bow area to ride on!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

i was born and raised in sulphur springs texas and i now reside in mt.pleasant tx i have been married for 9yrs now and i still cant convince my wife to move elsewhere texas is a little on the slow side for getting with the program all states are way ahead of us look at any scheduled racing in your atv mag NOTHING for texas what is the deal

 

TEXmud,
There may be, but in the Three Rivers Wildlife Managemant Area, there are 450,000 acres to ride on. There are 50,000 that are set aside for wilderness areas. The Broken Bow area may have 1,000,000. Here is a good site to help answer some questions. I bought my permit online.

www.wildlifedepartment.com

 

We have been to Louisiana twice since I wrote the original note in this thread. We will be returning to Arkansas next month to ride. I really get a kick out of all the Texans who complain because we won't legalize casino gambling in Texas. Their justification is all the Texas money crossing the border and being spent in Louisiana. They never seem to realize how much money is going out of state because Texas has so many prohibitive rules on riding ATV's on public land.

The legislature did pass the law preventing all motorized vehicles from riding in or across a waterway. They did exempt all landowners who own land ajacent to a waterway from the law and they can ride in or across the waterway ajacent to their property. Seems like a lot of landowners now have a private riding area next to their property and they won't have to put up with those pesky intruders.

Ted

 

Dont count out the Honobia Wildlife Management area.