Kanopolis-It's ok but I got bored with it rather quick. It's not very good for beginners (kids). Parking lot is not very smooth either.

S. Hutchinson-I love this one. Especially nice with the river low you can get pretty far out into it. Lots of sand and open spaces and wooded trails. Great for kids and beginners.

Council Grove-I've noticed some others here say don't waste your time, but I think it's ok. Yes, it's smaller than most, but there is fun to be had if you're an avid rider.

Tutle Creek (Spillway ATV)-I like this one too. It is actually in two sections. The north part is hilly and grassy but has some medium hills and some rock. At the farthest point north you get a great view of the dam's flood gates. On the south part it is more trees and narrow trails and a creek bed you can go down into if you aren't afraid of the climb back up. There is a loading ramp there and picnic/restroom area.

Milford-This is the closest one to me and probably my least favorite. If you are the daredevil type (which I'm far from) this is for you. Rocks and steep banks/climbs. The trail is ok til you get farther in and then it just seems too narrow in spots they need to do some tree trimming and even though it's not designated one way it should be. This is also in two areas next to each other (east/west).

Perry Lake-If you don't think KS has forests, come here and see. Pretty scenery and some good riding and something for every style rider.

John Redmond (Otter Creek)-This is probably the easiest trail to do. When I was there it had just rained and it just made it sticky so I didn't have as good a time as I should have. If close by and want to teach kids this would be the place to do it. I know some call this one dull.

Would love to go out to the dunes at Syracuse someday. Don't have a camper and not sure about the motel there.

Please give your critiques, I'd like to hear how your's compare.

 

Nice reviews. I have only been to Milford, Tutle, and Kanopolis. I love Tutle, great trail system. I think Milford is some fun riding for daring riders. There is also the Kansas badlands but it is pretty small and gets boring fast, a bit like kanopolis. By me across the border in oklahoma there is Kaw lake ATV area and that place is fun, take a cooler, some rods and fish/ride down by the lake. Great fun. Little Sahara State Park is the place to be though. Large area. Worth the drive. It would take you at least a week's straight of riding to get bored there.

 

I like the looks of some of the OK trails, they are just far away from me. I've had some say Syracuse is better than Little Sahara because it isn't as crowded (less chance for accidents).

My wife's cousin used to run on Milford and he was telling me the right way to climb those steep hills like leaning forward right when you get to the apex/top so you can do a tiny jump and not flip backwards, but when I got there I couldn't see how you would even get close to the top, but obviously they do. That stuff just isn't for me, trails are fine and just going at my own pace. My ride is more of the worker class ATV than a racer anyway.

 

Is Kaw Lake listed here under another name Oklahoma ATV Trails ?

 

No, it's not listed on that list. It's off to the left of highway 11 right after you cross the bridge at kaw lake coming from the west. It's a decent sized area, it's got some rocky hills and surrounding it is sand trails. There is some steep small dirt hills near the lake. You can ride down to the lake by shore which is a across the park from the staging area.

 

If you go back to that site you can send them a message telling them it's not on there and they will add it.

 

Cool, thanks.

 

Alright, sent them a message and they posted it within 2 hours. heres the link:
Kaw Lake ORV Area - Oklahoma Motorcycle and ATV Trails

 

What's the closest place to drive to ride from Kansas City. Would it be Perry Lake? It's difficult to find a place to ride around here. Thanks for the information.

 

Perry or Otter Creek. Might depend on if you're n. KC or s. There is another one SE of Topeka but it is open to members of an ATV club only.