The Internet killed my riding area

  I have lived and ridden in the same area for 35 years. This year, I
am pretty sure that our local riding area will be shut down. We have a
small mountain that has a 1 1/2 mile long dirt road cutting through it
with several hundred acres on each side. There have been motorcycle
trails in this area since I first started riding it 30 some years ago.
Since then, of course, Quads were developed and the trails grew wider
and ruttier, in the 90's. This was tolerable as there was enough
riding area to support the number of machines that were showing up.
Since 2000, the number of quads showing up has risen exponentially,
and worse, the area has been discovered by 4WD clubs state wide. I
found several clubs on the web that referenced this area and some have
scheduled "organized" drives through the area. Now, I don't know what
your riding area is like, but imagine 40 4WD rigs driving through it
at the same time, all with aggressive tires, when it is wet. Our area
is completely bombed out and land owners have started shutting down
their portions, our local EPO is rightfully fuming, and there are "No
Motorized Vehicles" signs posted now.
 As I sit here, I can not help but feel that the internet enabled this
last step. Information gets around with no discretion and people will
exploit any opportunity they stumble upon.
 So, if you have a nice little riding area to yourself, don't tell
anybody about it. Don't post it on the internet. And don't take your
friends there.
 GP

 <snip>


When I started riding, the Jar trail was a jeep trail. I've posted
that before, but there is one place on this trail that a very small
creek (that is often dry in summer) crosses the way. The conditions
are ideal to form quick sand, yeah, that stuff where you sink and
can't get out without help. One day, I was riding this trail when we
found an old Willys Jeep (CJ-something) buried deep up to the
windshield. I've never seen jeeps on that trail again after that and
now (about 8 years later), the trail is mostly a single track...


That's terrible...


There was that little trail, about 3 kilometers long. Nice, tight,
single track, in the middle of dense woods. A friend, who live in the
area (retired taxi driver) showed this trail to too much people. It
grow in a way that the trail become part of a very long motocross
track and is wide and rutted now...

I know a trail nobody rides.

-- Tiago

 "GP" <gplassmann...

Ouch. I feel your pain.
I wonder if it's the same everywhere, but here in New England where you and
I are, the best riding spots have always been secret.
Loud pipes broadcast the info also.
And it's a lot easier to spot a quad trail off the side of the road than a
ribbon of TST.

I'd better go ride Chip's woods while I still can.

Sorry to hear about your loss.
-d

 
I live in Western Canada....and I am blessed. We have a couple of
really good areas about an hour's drive from my house. My favorite is
50,000 acres of crown land [that's public land] that has been set
aside for OHV recreational use. Even on a busy long weekend the trails
are not that crowded once you get several miles from the parking lot.
The terrain is forested and mountainous....awesome.

Ken