LA Dunes: I cant agree with you more.

If you havnt been to St Anthony's before, you are in for a real treat! 800 ft tall dunes!! That a long drive from LA to idaho tho. I did the seattle to new orleans drive in july and it took 4 days of 12 hour a day driving. we are prolly 36-40 hours from St Anthony's.

 

Just got back in from Shreveport. IT was the worst weather possible for a Mardi Gras Parade. 34 degrees light misting rain and some snow flurries. The good news for the weekend. Dale Earnhart Jr. won Daytona today.


Has anyone found out what weekend in April is the big event?

 

I was think about going to ladunes one time and bring the family to. But it seems like its not the place to bring a family the way you guys talk about people downing beers and getting on there atvs and racing. Is these true or is it a nice place to ride i dont mind paying to get in but as long as its nice.

 

a family place to ride close to Gulfport would be the Bonnet Carre Spillway just outside New Orleans. It has a couple of tracks design ed specifically for beginning riders, and also some larger tracks for more advanced riders. Then, if your into MUD, there is Area-2 which is NOT sportbike friendly during the rainy season. However camping is a little messed up. You cant camp at the riding area, but on the other side of the highway, and there is no interconnecting trail. Have to load up and move each day. We are working on a solution for that with the Army Corp.

Given the cost of LA Dunes and the poor riding conditions, It just isnt worth the drive. The one time I went I did witness people riding too fast around camp and just being generally stupid.

 

Thanks for the reply ford. i have to check that place out.

 

Missgurl, Yes there is drinking and wild people at the dunes. Not all are this way. My brother and sister bring there kids. Its not that bad all the time. You do need to make sure the kids wear helmets and that they understand about the hills and people not seeing them on the other side. It can be a safe place to ride, and in general most of the riders there are nice people.

 

I'm not trying to be negative in any way, but I don't remember going to ANY place riding where I didn't see people drinking.

Knowbody hates this more than I do, because I don't drink or smoke. The wife and I have been to places, doing a story on it, and she said there is no way she would come back on a holiday weekend...just because of what she saw in the actions of the poeple.

In my mind, it's those 5% of the people that are the problem. It's the same with littering, and stupid riding. For the mose part, everyone will use common sense, and act like adults.

But it's the few that give us the bad name. I wish I could tell you of a place that was perfect in every category, but I haven't been there yet.

I've been reading the posts on this subject of the LA dune riding area, and a lot of people are speeking bad of it. I haven't been there yet, but I've been to a lot of places. Again...there isn't a perfect place. I do feel it's important that we support the places where we can ride. Several of the owners I've talked to are paying out the nose with insurance dues. It may seem like they're taking in lots of money, and making a great living, but I doubt it.

Killpecker dunes in wyoming was 10,000 acres of nice sand, but had nothing for camping. Plus the 22 mile road to get to it was a washboard nightmare. The Ranger said it will never get better, because the BLM is so low on the list of people to get money from the state. She told me it would take a huge 6 figure amount to get water and electric to the camping area.

Little Sahara in OK is fun, with lots of extra's. But they nickel and dime you to death. They are now charging for water in the showers!

The Kermit dunes in west TX are okay, but again there is nothing there for camping, and there are oil pipes sticking out of the ground. (killpecker dunes also has this problem)

I think it's great that you visit these facilities as a family. It's something that everyone can enjoy. All I can do is say becareful when riding. Wear a helmet, and lookout for the other guy as well.

Take care, Mark

 

You wont see anyone at The Spillway drinking. Instant ticket, and there are cops and rangers around to do it too! Not on the trails, not in the parking lot, not in the privacy of your own vehicle. Its also REQUIRED to wear a DOT helmet. no helmet, no ride. not even in the parking lot.

We have gotten some hate mail about those rules, but the people that complain about them are usually the ones we are trying to keep OUT in the first place.

 

Camrman, you just summed up my feelings in one post. I havent gotten out to the larger dunes in the country other than Little Sahara. I looked into insurance a few months back, for another riding area and the fees for such an area were enormous. 6 figures a year.

We complain about the dunes cause he makes no effort to help the major problem out there. Ruff dunes. He has a tractor at the dunes that could make it more rider friendly. He told me "I dont want to smooth it out to keep the speeds down." I dont think he grasps that people are going to race no matter what he does and that smoothing it some would keep the injuries down.

No matter how much complaining I do, theres not another sand riding area within 3 hours of Lake Charles or Shreveport to make me stop returning to the dunes. I dont mind paying 20 dollars to ride, its just that I think he could make a couple of changes to help solve some of the problems.

1) Ruff Dunes
2) Drinking while on the dunes ( too many people drinking while riding there quads) I dont mind people
drinking, but allowing them to ride around with a beer in there hands is crazy.
3) Setting aside a smoothed out area for racing, possible roped off area.

 

I agree! I do not drink but I have a buddy that does drink, although he does not drink while riding.....I don't see why anyone would want to get loaded and get on a bike! Mike i feel your pain about the lack of sand!