Hey, I just moved to the area. I went to a cool place on the Illinois side, just about a little over an hour from Alton. It's called Rockport. Have any of you other guys been there? They said that they haven't been open even a year yet. A lot of technical wooded trails. Pretty challenging hills. It wasn't very crowded. Great place.

 

I don't think I will be riding from Flamm City. A $500 fine for off road vehicles is enough to keep me away. I still have to check out the trails off HWY M, I hope they have easier access than Flamm City.
If I can talk my buddy into the drive to Rockport, I might check it out. It sounds like you give it a thumbs up and it is worth the drive. Thanks for the info.

 

Rockport is a good place for utility type quads. I managed to flip my DS that day and it landed right on top of me. That was embarrassing and heavy.

Real nice folks run it up there. It's worth a trip if you like rugged wooded trails.

 

Hey diggler, I noticed when I was at Rockport that this Saturday (July 17th) they are having a lot of cool rigs coming there built by major companies (Warn winch, BF Goodrich etc...) there is no extra charge that day to ride but you can also check-out all of the built rigs. It's where Petersen's Ultimate Adventure is happening this year. I think I'm heading back up that way to check it out. Rockport is closed Sunday the 18th though because they are filming the off-road movie that day. There's 3 of us going up there.

 

djohns,
That sounds like a lot of fun, but I have the kids while the wife is at work Saturday. I might try to go riding on Sunday, probably at St. Joe's. We have some property near Farmington with a nice lake on it, I might go fishing and then riding - depends on the heat.

 

What is St.Joe like, I saw the post here but haven't heard anything about it other than that. I did a search and saw that it was a state-funded area. Is it available all of the time? Do you have to have any special stickers? Is it very crowded? I'd love to check out other riding areas. The guys that I just hooked up to ride with are going with me to Rockport on Saturday and were talking about going to the badlands soon. That seems like a long drive, does anyone here know about the Badlands in Indiana. Is it worth the drive?

 

djohns,
Make the trip to St. Joe's!!! You will love it. It is the best public riding area I have been to in MO. There are a ton of trails and even more sand flats. It gets very crowded in the take off area on nice weekends, but you won't have any problem finding spots to ride, the place is huge. Post on here when you are going to St. Joe's and I will try to make it down.

 

Diggler, try Turkey Bay ORV in Land Between The Lakes KY, about 3.5 hrs from St. louis.

djohns, what do you ride? I'm going to be at rockport to ride and check out the rigs on the ultimate adventure.

 

djohns We have been to Badlands twice this yr and it is great well worth the drive.If you go make it a 2 day trip the motel in town is a little expensive but not too bad the camping is cheap but no trees.If anyone going is under 18 you will need their release forms filled out and noterized.But the ridding great with lots pea gravel,sand,hills,good trails.But if the trailhead says winch recomended you better have one.

 

Hey thanks for the feedback guys. I haven't done much sand riding, I've stuck with mostly wooded riding areas, but I'll have to check these other places out. They are talking with the AMA folks about doing harescramble races at Rockport in 2005 and I'd love to do that so, I figure the more I ride there the better I'll feel about it. It's perfect harescramble racing terrain. Some very technical stuff there.
1wook, I'll be in a blue dodge with a green KFX440 if you make it to Rockport tomorrow. Anyone else, come join us. Cool 4X4 rigs from all over the country will be there for the Ultimate Adventure. I better hit the sack now.